a few things (Patreon)

1)  Patreon is going to be adding sales tax to some pledges starting in July. They keep telling us in emails to tell our Patrons so I am here, letting you all know, even though clearly my Patreon is not charging anybody anything at the moment. It APPEARS that this will mostly affect people outside of the US, because it's being charged based on the location of the Patron and not the Patreon, but also will depend on the US state and what they consider taxable on an "online marketplace". It looks like Patreon will do these calculations automatically, but since it's illegal in the US to include sales tax as part of a basic price, the new sales tax cannot be included within the pledge amount and will be a separate line item. 

For once this isn't Patreon pulling some dumb shit  of its own; it's a repercussion of tax laws aimed at huge online retailers which is hitting Patreon too. Either way, all of this is currently irrelevant if you pledge to me, but if you have pledges to other people it might be relevant based on where you are, what those Patreons give as a "benefit", and local tax laws. Fun shit.

2) I obviously pulled back on plans to start posting a new story pretty recently, in an overabundance of caution in not speaking over or harming BIPOC voices, or any other marginalized voices that I'm not part of. The story takes place in a setting that, like Clarylon, is an alternate fantasy version of Earth, though pretty deeply far removed from any resemblance to any real place or existing culture or people, but it is in the general area of Egypt (and most closely based on ancient Egypt, not current Egypt). Not all of the characters are Black, but they are pretty much all BIPOC. The main POV characters are both clar, who are not exactly white in skin tone but also not exactly BIPOC, since I never really clarified in the text because I was really nervous about actually making them so, because of the already existing light/dark imagery with the clar and the fact that Alan mostly referred to them as aliens (a term which I already plan to remove in the future rewrites).

Along with a pretty much entirely BIPOC cast, there were also nonbinary characters, disabled characters (and if this is the wrong term to use, please let me known, I can't find any agreeing dialogue about how to describe people with physical differences), my second ever asexual character, and a lot of other things that I was very very nervous about already and trying my hardest to write accurately and sensitively. I only am vaguely considered part of some of these groups (asexual and chronically ill) but I always consider myself outside of them anyway, especially in writing, and I never want to speak over others' voices or write something that I have no business writing.

TL;DR: I'm trying to keep my stories from being harmful. I always do a lot of research, a lot of background work and a lot of my own thoughtful-as-possible worldbuilding, and I know even with the best efforts I can still fail and do harm. I know I certainly have failed and done harm in the past. I also am extremely willing to remove offensive things or even entire stories, if I learn more and become more educated or if something is pointed out to me. I've done this before. 

It may just be I shouldn't continue this story, that the way it's envisioned is not mine to write. I may try posting a little of it, and the moment someone tells me it's not appropriate, I would stop. Although that's still shifting a burden on to someone else, and I also don't want to do that. I still haven't decided, but I'll keep everyone updated. And, even if I do post it, my Patreon is still not going to charge you any money.