FCCleary

I suppose it's time for my 6-month check in, broadcast a thank you for anyone who's been bold enough to read what I wrote, and confirm that, while I haven't nuked my account, I'm pushing very little of my writing to WP.
          	
          	In the hopefully near future, I'll finish my rewrite of Autumn Prince as an ensemble, but I'm not sure where that'll be published, likewise the WIPs on my TBW roster, Driven and Timber. I may leave teasers in their place, or seasonal / incidental shorts, or I might drop by every three months and add another crappy poem to my crappy anthology.
          	
          	Whatever happens, I'm still writing, I still dream of being a prolific author, and I'm still pursuing a way to bridge the gap between the two.
          	
          	Hope you all are having a great year so far. Keep writing!

FCCleary

I suppose it's time for my 6-month check in, broadcast a thank you for anyone who's been bold enough to read what I wrote, and confirm that, while I haven't nuked my account, I'm pushing very little of my writing to WP.
          
          In the hopefully near future, I'll finish my rewrite of Autumn Prince as an ensemble, but I'm not sure where that'll be published, likewise the WIPs on my TBW roster, Driven and Timber. I may leave teasers in their place, or seasonal / incidental shorts, or I might drop by every three months and add another crappy poem to my crappy anthology.
          
          Whatever happens, I'm still writing, I still dream of being a prolific author, and I'm still pursuing a way to bridge the gap between the two.
          
          Hope you all are having a great year so far. Keep writing!

LyraThorne1

It's been years (2020-2021) I used to write under Jessica Gallant- you were my old writing buddy! So much has happened since then and while looking through my old IG account I remembered you. Your stories have grown such a following- that's amazing. I don't expect you to remember me, but I'm glad to have found you again.

FCCleary

@LyraThorne1 Got busy with work and couldn't log in to WP from my phone. Just sent you a friend request on Discord.
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LyraThorne1

That's understandable. Life always gets in the way. 7 is impressive! Are you branching into different genres? 
            That would be fantastic- I just signed up this morning (lyrathornewrites). Do you find you get more feedback on Discord? Wattpad is decent enough- it's no where near the same as it was, but you're absolutely right. The real engagement isn't there. I'm still a sucker for awards- but it could be because I love the little stickers. lol
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FCCleary

Happy New Year! My 2025 resolution is finishing a book and getting it published. For those who have read or dipped their toe into AP I think that's going to be tabled for now, it needs a rewrite and I'm too distracted to tackle it.
          
          I will also probably not be on Wattpad any more frequently than I've been in 2024. It was a failed experiment, and while I had some fun here, I really haven't accomplished anything significant with my writing or building a community.
          
          I still love you all though and might occasionally publish here. It's not the platform I wish it was, but it still has some merit.
          
          Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

FCCleary

Just poking my head in to see what's happening. As expected, not a lot. Over this summer I will be pulling most of my library, though I have plans to edit and re-post the writing guide people seem to like.
          
          WP was never more than an experiment, and it could have been a good one if the people managing this platform weren't content to strip it down to its bare bones and never actually improve the experience for either authors or readers.
          
          Here are some alternatives for those of you who may be looking - all of these beat WP in most ways except for traffic, but since the majority of WP's demographic is so narrow I'm not convinced it matters.
          
          - Miraquill
          - Sweek
          - Writersky
          - Commaful (meh)
          - Inkitt
          - Penana (meh, tho a LOT of WP stories would probably find a home here)
          - Belletristica
          - Neovel
          - Fanfiction.net
          - Writing.com (a more serious, craft focused site)
          - Reedsy (great resources, great place to post for beta readers)
          
          Also don't forget to jump on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. The author communities in all three spaces are huge. Just be careful with Booktok and stay out of the aggressive threads, it can get kind of toxic.

DragonRose25

@FCCleary cool, I’m nerdprincess25 on discord
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FCCleary

@DragonRose25 You're very welcome. I'm not abandoning WP entirely, just shifting my attention where I think it'll be more useful. If you're on discord feel free to ping me at fccleary :)
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DragonRose25

@FCCleary Hey I missed you! And thanks for the tips!
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FCCleary

It's time to find a new platform. Wattpad is continuing to cut writers off from each other and from readers, beginning with their annexing of the message boards and never following up with a promised replacement.
          
          This change might not kill the platform, but I have no use for a social media outlet that is eliminating its social media components. There've been no meaningful improvements to the platform since 2020, and they keep degrading it simply because it's easier than dealing with the same problems everyone else is successfully managing.
          
          I don't pay for the service so they can do what they want, but they can do it without me.
          
          I'll still be here for the time being (for the few who care), but you'll also be able to find my work on Reedsy, Writers.com and possibly one or more alternatives. Check out my IG for updates (link in bio).
          
          On the plus side, this is simply incentive to get my work published once and for all...

Mimi_Lind

@FCCleary I feel you, it is very hard to edit one's own books! And indeed, it is an unique story imo and very interesting. :)
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FCCleary

@Mimi_Lind Sure thing. I feel it's in need of a rewrite anyway - still think it's a story worth writing, and I think it's a decent read compared with a lot of books that aren't professionally edited, but it's not an awesome execution and I can do better.
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Mimi_Lind

@FCCleary let me know when you do and I’ll follow you. Still haven’t finished reading your book, hoping to have more reading time in the summer :)
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FCCleary

Job fears, specifically the potential loss of mine in the near future, are rearing up again. It's a shame because the company I work for is good, the people are good, but the loss of an important contract and bad timing on a couple of others means they have to consider selling. And if they sell, it's a near certainty they'll downsize. My name is at the top of that list. Not sure what my options are at this point, but I've been through worse. I'm just trying to manage the anxiety while I wait to see what happens.

FCCleary

Mama cat had another litter of kittens, another five little furry beans. It's fun but stressful. Cost to neuter here is over the top, and I've been too busy to plan a road trip to have it done for free. Would have been too late anyway, the little hussy got knocked up over Christmas. It shouldn't have been an issue but the winter has been so warm there wasn't an off season for breeding.
          
          I managed to find homes for 3 of the last batch, and I have no doubt I can home the rest of these little buggers. Awful cute though. How bad could having 8 cats be?

FCCleary

@Olivia_Benedetti  ok then maybe I won't try that
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Olivia_Benedetti

Really bad. Did it before 
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