State of the Scribe: December 2024

Hey pones!

Hope you’re all wrapping up tight, at least if you’re in the part of the world that’s cooling off right now. I’m currently away from home skiing, so maybe that’s particularly pressing in my mind. I love that crisp wintery air–at least while I’m nice and wrapped up, or behind some thick walls and a warm fireplace. I hope all of you can do likewise this season.

The calendar is a lot busier than it was last month, and will probably get moreso as time goes on. But before we hit on anything you’re seeing here, let’s hit something many are probably wondering about.

What happened to the Words of Power print?

I’ve been waiting on Ace for the cover–you simply can’t rush this step of the process, and it’s entirely out of my control. While I waited, I wrote the new section, typeset the book, and added the images. In short, the final layout of the hardcover’s internals are complete, waiting only for the Cover to be finished. Now it is, waiting only for the final typesetting for the title and spine and stuff. I should get those back on Thursday, when I get back from vacation.

Once that happens, I’ll order the immediate printing of the Proof, a physical hardcover for me to evaluate and approve for any last-second mistakes or other serious issues. Once the books are printed, the money is spent, so I would rather like to make sure the ones that get sent out are the same books that I imagined, not some inferior version.

This does mean that it’s still possible to order one now, and will be until I approve the proof. If you missed out on the Words of Power print, the campaign is still running here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/words-of-power-hardcover-print#/ . When I get and approve the proof, that will be it: the die will be cast, and the size of the final order will be made. From then, it typically takes about 1 month for the large order to reach me.

This does mean, unfortunately, that the final order is not likely to be shipped out in time for the holidays. My heartbreak is immeasurable–but that does not mean I’m going to give up! These books will be printed, and you will all get them. If it takes a little longer, than that’s what it takes. Apologize for the delay, and thank you for your patience.

Next big item of news: There’s a new story coming this month! It’s called Quarantine, and you can see the release schedule there. This one will be coming to fimfiction twice a month. Perhaps more, but I’m going to start slow and not make commitments I can’t keep.

Some of you may remember an older story of mine: Voyage of the Equanox. That story had polls at the end of every chapter, where readers could vote on what the protagonist would do next. (it was also a story GMed by a virtual GM system that predates AI, but that aspect of the story isn’t happening here) I’m writing this story in a conventional way, but character actions and thus story direction will be decided by poll! That means I’ll rely on you all to keep things honest. It’s no fun if the results we see aren’t the real feelings of readers.

Quarantine follows the outbreak of a devastating transformative disease, one that may seem familiar to many–either by memory, or some of those pieces of Ponid-19 art that were going around back in the day. I didn’t feel okay with the idea of making a story like this during the height of that event. But now that we’ve gone endemic, I felt good enough about the idea that I wanted to share it.

Check out Quarantine when it launches later this month, and vote on what direction you want it to take! I genuinely have no idea how the story will go, even if I know what pieces have been placed on the board. I look forward to seeing them fall, and maybe succeed too, if they’re lucky.

We launched another new story last month, Calling in the Second String. If you’d like a classic take on the HiE genre, starring a more athletic perspective, this is the story to read! This one has been riding down my Patreon for the last few years now, and it’s all scheduled up for Saturdays going forward.

In some more exciting news, the covers for two of my own personal novels are nearly done too! I’m really looking forward to being able to share those stories beyond the scope of patreon… if there’s an audience for them. Guess we’ll see.

Oh, and Family of Chaos just finished as well! So there’s another one added to my list of stories that need to get a cover done. Hopefully we’ll see signs of that in the next month or two.

Here’s hoping I’ve got more exciting things to share next month.

But in the meantime, here’s the info on all the ongoing stories:

First, Ravana’s Shadow. This story is the sequel to Forerunner’s Child, a story about a remote human colony in the distant future (the same future as in Message in a Bottle, though this is non-pony). The colony, as it turns out, is run by children, without a single adult in their population. How and why did this happen? What’s really going on? Follow Kit, an astronaut from ancient Earth, as she tracks down those mysteries, and ultimately becomes a part of the Mara colony.
This story is the sequel to that one, and I can’t say much about it that wouldn’t spoil the first one. Check the first chapter of Forerunner’s Child here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/92942140

Playing Koi is among the silliest projects I’ve ever written. It explores a magical fish aquarium at a local mall, where the residents are all fish-sized merpeople. Our heroine ventures into the aquarium to track down her missing girlfriend, only to discover a strange world of time dilation, homicidal cannibals, and maybe kinda-sorta jumpstart an underwater industrial revolution? https://www.patreon.com/collection/655220?view=expanded

Finally, the newest weekly story, Another Day at Unity. This story explores the same setting from Spirits of Change, a Pokémon world inspired by His Dark Materials. In this world, every human is born with their soul outside their body, in the form of a Pokémon. These Pokémon decide your lot in life, and work together with their human to advance each others’ goals. After the events of Spirits of Change, a school is built with the intent of educating new legendary and mythical children, as their powers make them exceptionally dangerous. This story is an anthology, beginning and occasionally visiting this school, while showing off some more interesting aspects of that world.

Legio IX Hispania, our historical journey into the question of what if the lost Roman legion ended up in Equestria, unravels here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-story-legio-78027950

Rescue Process is the story of when accidental human arrivals to Equestria are discovered by some very unfriendly creatures, and they’re forced to fight for survival: https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-story-rescue-94115163

Family of Chaos follows a mysterious mare named Hurricane. She’s lived lifetimes in Equestria, watching seasons come and go. It’s only when Discord breaks free of containment that she begins to discover the truth, and her life is turned to chaos: https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-story-family-94115055

Accidental Sunshine: What happens when a young changeling accidentally discovers the existence of Ponies, and is forced to take on the identity of one to keep herself hidden? Friendship waits for her, if she’s willing and able to take it. https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-story-105351764

Want a copy of one of my books? You can see what I’ve printed and buy a copy here: https://starscribe.net/

Obligatory Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/RealStarscribe

My Discord, a hub of fun writing activities and lots of other pony-related shenanigans: https://discord.gg/fZ2Y5KgbN2?event=1275614019373498368