Howdy folks,

Chapters are coming along swimmingly, so no worries about that. In fact, I should start having bonus chapters for you as promised very soon.

But that's not what this post is about.

You're aware that, when Book 3 of QuestWright ends, I have a deal with my agent. QuestWright goes on pause while I sell it for publishing rights, we see how it does, then we pick back up. It's likely that QuestWright goes on Hiatus for 1 year on RR after the third book is done. That should be sometime around...late October, early November.

Fun note here: I should have QuestWright done for you beautiful people in about a month, maybe a little longer depending on some plot elements.

Now, the question becomes, what do we do with the next story?

Well, I have two options.

Current option #1:

Support Your Local War Mage

I posted the first two chapters here (both need heavy editing), and this is the synopsis:

Rian Aurelius Hightower ended the Continental Unification as one of the Five Great War Mages, only to be deemed unnecessary the moment peace arrived. Sanctioned, his Class sealed, Rian takes the hint and heads for the edge of civilization. Somewhere remote enough that just maybe, his legend won’t precede him.

The search leads him to Clusterfield, a three-month-old frontier town built for trouble. Adventurers do as they please, monsters abound, and already the town's leadership is overwhelmed. When Rian intimidates some would-be thugs, the Mayor offers him the position of Sheriff.

A quiet life would be enough, but taking responsibility for the town begins the process of unlocking his Class, one level at a time. Not through war, rather, it's finding lost pets, solving interpersonal problems, and keeping the peace. Throw in a fairy deputy who doesn't respect his personal space and a half-ogre who enjoys taking hits a little too much, and Rian's request for peace seems oh so very far away.

Rian wanted a calm post on the edge of nowhere; unfortunately, it looks like that nowhere is turning into somewhere important in a hurry.

Now, this morning, the first day where I haven't felt like my brain is in a fog (stupid end of year for school wears me out), I had an idea. Rather than go into a huge amount of details (protagonist is still unnamed), here's the synopsis:

LitRPG Tycoon

(Working Title)

LitRPG Tycoon is a merchant progression fantasy about one of the first humans to enter the System before Earth’s apocalypse begins. While every other transplant chooses warrior, mage, or assassin, he chooses Entrepreneur and starts with a tiny market stall, a terrible credit limit, and one terrifying piece of knowledge: Earth is next.

To give humanity a fighting chance, he has to build from nothing. First, a market. Then a store. Then a block, a city, and finally a faction powerful enough to sponsor an entire planet.

Instead of saving the Earth with a sword in hand, he will save it with upgraded starter packs, mercenary contracts, expensive summons, and bulk discounts.

Prepare to witness the most dangerous business empire the System has ever seen.

A few things after that.

1. My original synopsis never stays the same. I work and tune it once I'm 20 chapters in and have a firm grasp on the story. Just like I would with Support Your Local War Mage.

2. That's way more detail in the Synopsis than I would normally give in a story. BUT. You all have been with me for a while, and I trust your opinions and discretion. This way, you get a small sense of the direction the story would take (Note: You can also sponsor those being initiated into an apocalypse).

3. I don't know the protagonist yet; I have to learn that as I go. Cass was a blob in my head when I started QuestWright. But this one isn't about hope; it's about a good man, placed in a system with rules, and he finds a way to build a massive conglomeration from nothing. Think, greed is good, almost like a reverse Orla as a main character with altruistic tendencies.

Alrighty, so. Support Your Local War Mage is a fun story to me. Slice of life is very prevalent. Evil goose, fairy deputy, constantly smiling half-ogre, and a wise mentor-like protagonist.

LitRPG Tycoon, however, is going to be designed more like QuestWright, but with leanings towards Jakes Magical Market (before godmode), Welcome to the Multiverse, Symphony, and The Sponsored Apocalypse. I'm trying to take some Sponsored Apocalypse tropes and CivCEO ideas and spin them on their head for funzies. My protag isn't going to be like Cass, calling in magical System fire, instead, it'll be more like the Orla chapter, only friendly, and with an incredible drive to make the Earth's dive into the apocalypse as smooth as possible.

I realize there's more written here for Tycoon than SYLWM, but that's because it's freshest in my mind. I already have War Mage's plot figured out for the first book, and the next 2 after shakily understood, but this similar situation occurred when I finished Symphony. I was planning on writing The Boy and the Stick, when QuestWright hit me like lightning, and I pivoted.

I'm happy to write either, as they're both unique stories. But I'm curious, as my readers, which one would you be most interested in reading? I'll put a poll here, but please feel free to comment after.

That's all from me. Expect our standard chapters this weekend, and the conclusion to the first big dungeon arc. After that, it's a lot of Friend of the Fifth.