From the author of The Sword of Kaigen comes another standalone novel here to destroy me.

The world is divided in two: the God blessed city of Bright Haven, where the works of the Founding Mages protect their populace from the harsh winter and Blight; and the Kwen, a landscape ravaged by supernatural forces and the heathens that eke out an existence there.

Yet Bright Haven is no paradise, at least for the likes of Sciona, whose desire to join the High Magistry is overshadowed by her terminal status as a woman.

But Sciona’s genius cannot be denied, and the Kwen man that she ends up working alongside may force her eyes open to more than just the Otherrealm.

A Thousand Blessings upon you, Crone, and hey, Daniel,

I just wanted to follow up (Klaus questioner from last round) and say both a thank you for your responses, and also a question on the word limit - I was forced to “n” all over the shop for which I beg pardon.

At the risk of explaining you to yourself, I swear one of the best parts of your art is how succinct you manage to be - as someone who struggles with the word limit, and to the intonation of Muppets Treasure Island, how do you DO it??

Curiously,

Fully Satisfied In All The Ways

Dear Fully Satisfied,

Brevity is the soul of wit, and getting to the punch quickly while establishing proper setup is a skill, like any other aspect of writing or speech giving.

All you need to do is practice!

Encouragingly,

The Crone

Hey Fully Satisfied,

I was pretty small when I was younger and got bullied a lot, so I needed to finish my insult before they threw a punch.

Ironically, this also applies to my sister, who has a habit of choosing trial by combat when I would much prefer insulting her from behind a shield wall.

Remember that in videographic or written media, I can always reshoot or edit before releasing, so there’s a lot of BTS magic.

My advice for you is to write out everything, then review to see where you can cut words.

Succinctly-ish,

Daniel

Dear Crone,

I have spent years wanting to write, and one day an idea came to my head, and I sat down and the words flowed out.

I made up maps, character designs, and an entire 12-page guide to my fantasy world, and started writing the first novel in the series.

The story seems to flow well, and I have a basic synopsis planned out for what I want the story to go.

My problem is, I have major writer’s doubt, and im Too chicken shit to have any of my actual friends read it.

Bashedly,

Writer’s Doubt, Party of 1

Dear Party,

There’s nothing that says you need someone to review from the beginning.

So long as you continue to write, you’ve done your job as far as drafts go.

While it can be hard to self-edit, maybe try it once you’ve completed that first draft.

If you haven’t worked up the courage before then, it’s okay to have your reviewers see a second or even third draft.

There isn’t a proper procedure for this sort of thing; just make sure someone other than you sees it before it prints.

Nothing wrong with a slow process.

Literarily,

The Crone

Dear Party,

Honestly, I’m still not over the writer’s doubt.

But, between transcribing for the Crone and starting Arc’s Journey, I’ve found more than a bit of support, and a lot of interest!

I don’t know about you, but there are many books with a very special place in my soul that have flaws— whether spelling errors, formatting mistakes, or plot holes.

It didn’t make me enjoy them any less.

Write the book. Perfection is boring.

Love,

Daniel

Dear Almighty Crone and Majestic Daniel,

How do you deal with a totally non-existent fandom?

You find a new thing (book, movie, etc.), become fixated on it, and take to the internet to find like-minded individuals to gush with, only to discover that no one is talking about this thing.

No fanfiction, not even a small Tumblr community.

This has happened to me a few times, and it is so aggravating and demoralizing.

Any suggestions on how to cope with this?

Sincerely,

Frustrated and Fandom-less

Dear Frustrated,

I think I’m witnessing the rise of a prophet in real time.

The charge has fallen to you, internet-acquaintance, to spread the good word— whether that is on Tumblr, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, the Dark Lands (Reddit), the Darker Lands (4Chan), the Porn Lands (Twitter), or any other rotted social media that Daniel is too tired to make a new account for.

It will be a long journey, disciple, spreading knowledge of what brings you joy, but slowly your listeners will gather, and you will unite them under a banner of Fandom the likes of which the worlds have never seen before!

I recommend making a Discord, too.

Supportively,

The Crone

Hi Crone,

I (24F) kinda did a dumbass move and dated my brother’s friend for a year.

I broke up with him (multiple reasons, though I totally suck) and now my family won’t talk to me.

I’m starting to crash out, can you give me detailed instructions on how I can jump dimensions like you?

I desperately need a universe where I can live out the “found family” trope.

Maybe also hype me up in a funny way, please (I need non/human interaction, it’s been weeks)

Thanks in advance :)

Sorrell the man-eater

Dear Sorrell,

I’m a bit confused, dearie, why the fuck is your family giving you the silent treatment over a break up?

Did… did you eat him?

Not judging, just curious.

Was he rich? Cause that’ll do it.

Moving on, the nice part about found family is that you can find them anywhere!

You don’t need a new dimension to meet people in your preferred environment, though if you haven’t interacted with someone in weeks, I want to sincerely recommend a change to your routine.

As annoying as it is, touching grass and exposing yourself to sunlight can be helpful, and you owe it to yourself to take care of yourself.

You don’t suck just because a relationship doesn’t work out, and you did a good thing by ending it when you were no longer interested.

If anything, you should be throwing yourself a parade!

Huzzah, you aren’t in a loveless marriage with a crotch goblin you’ve grown to resent!

Slay!

Disconnect for a bit, take a book, or some knitting equipment, and a thermos full of your favorite liquid, and plop yourself out in the sun for a bit.

And maybe consider consulting a professional about why your family is so interested in your relationships.

Honestly,

The Crone

Dear Crone,

My husband and I have been trying to conceive our first child for years now.

It is so hard to keep going, and to hear anytime we bring up this to our family members who have kids, they tell us we are still young and that we don't actually want to have kids.

My question is, how do I continue to stay strong through fertility treatments when it seems like everything is against us?

Anonymous

Dear Anon,

Remember two things:

1. Your reason for doing this—regardless of what any member of your family thinks, you must trust in your decision-making and desires.

2. You have a lot more people in your corner than you do nay-sayers. About 16,000 people or so, and I, since I last checked!

Understand that you don’t always have to be strong.

The path you are taking may get overwhelming, and whatever feelings that may arise are normal.

It is okay to struggle with this, so long as you are doing this for yourself and not despite or because of anyone else.

I will also recommend that you see a professional during this time, as dealing with disappointment will be an inevitable part of this journey.

Just know that we’re behind you.

Love,

The Crone