Temporary Hiatus Notice

  Hi everyone, Donut here.

  First, I want to clarify that there’s no family emergency or anything urgent behind this hiatus. Everything’s fine with me and my family. I love you all.

  As many of you know, I’m currently working on a new novel that’s set to launch on June 1st this year. It’s a LitRPG/Comedy set in a fictionalized version of the Royal Road website universe (for copyright reasons, it’s called "Noble Path" in the novel). This new project is a parody of my personal writing journey on this platform—told in a more dramatic, fantastical way. So yes, it’s technically a self-insert, but not the cringey kind. (You can become an early reader and check out the draft chapters on my Patreon for free—limited time before launch!)

  The story is still in progress, but I’ll be releasing chapters less frequently until June 1st. After that, it will return to its normal schedule. Dimming Stars is my first novel, and I will always love it in that “first child” kind of way. Looking back, there were a lot of mistakes—especially in the early chapters—and plenty of rookie errors. If you’re still reading it, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  This post is mostly about The Dimming Stars, so let’s talk about something that’s been on my mind: a re-write.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Godric, author of Hail Thy Gods, found great success after re-writing and relaunching his story on Royal Road. He recommended the idea to me, and said it helped him fix a lot of early issues. Now I want to ask all of you:

  Should I re-write DS?

  Before you answer, here’s what I would change if I do:

  The pacing was way too fast. Especially when Kai meets Mr. Draco and Eliana—everything escalates quickly. Someone once commented that while they enjoyed the story, it was hard to believe that Kai went from miner to spaceship pilot in two weeks. If I rewrite the story, I’d slow things down. Kai would gradually discover the true intentions behind Draco and Eliana, rather than getting swept up so quickly.

  If there’s a rewrite, Eliana won’t be in a serious relationship with Kai until the end of the first arc. The current romance feels rushed and immature—something I only realized after writing around 30 chapters. Romance isn’t just about two people loving each other. It’s about how they got there. That journey needs more depth.

  I’ll admit—the explanation around the strange liquid was vague for far too long. In my head, I already knew the full plot, so the slow reveals made sense to me. But from a reader’s perspective, it probably felt like I was dancing around the answer without getting to it. The same goes for the “True Kins” faction, which also lacked early clarity. If I do a rewrite, these elements will be introduced and explained in a more structured, satisfying way.

  There are plenty of things I would change—these are just a few of the biggest. Let me know in the comments if you’d be interested in a re-write and relaunch of The Dimming Stars.

  The ongoing beta read for my new novel is live now, and it’s a great place to check out what I’ve been working on. You can read it on my Patreon for free (no paid tier until launch). It’s limited time only, and the only payment I ask is your feedback.

  I love you all.– Donut??

  Re-Write