So which did you prefer? Volume 1 or Volume 2?
In case you didn't figure it out, this story is about sending a certain type of atypical fantasy character into an isekai world and seeing how he handles various cliche, and at times, not-at-all cliche events (with a little time for a few other characters to develop). Although he prefers never to kill, he's not above using force and dubious methods at times to accomplish his immediate goal. His apathy at the beginning slowly fades as he gets more involved with and attached to this new world. There aren't many things he feels strongly about, though. He's made it clear he doesn't want to ascend into something immortal, even if he's okay with flaunting incredible magic powers from time to time. He doesn't like to see people suffer, but he doesn't seek out opportunities to go that far out of his way to save people either.
The title of this fiction has a bit of a double-meaning. Not only is Garfield giving this fantasy world a try, but I've been giving fiction writing a try. We both have the same made-up names, so it shouldn't be surprising that we're both working towards similar ends. Although I write a fair amount for my day job, it's not fiction. Writing fiction is obviously very different and requires a great deal of creativity and experience. This story has been my first attempt, and it's been a lot of fun to write. The only way to learn what writing novels is like is to try it. On the other hand, beyond that initial trial and error phase, the only way to improve is through a feedback mechanism of some sort.
That brings me to why I posted this story as a web novel. I'm hardly arrogant enough to think the first fictional thing I write is worthy of real publication. On the other hand, for a fun light novel-style fiction, sharing the story with RoyalRoad readers seems entirely appropriate. This fiction is definitely not for everyone, but I'm glad I found a sizable handful of readers who can appreciate Garfield's sense of humor which mirrors my own to an extent. Let's be honest, if you don't get or just don't appreciate the humor, there's not much point in reading this story (unless you're related to me and are reading it out of obligation, but even there I've been struggling...). My hope was I'd get some feedback to show what works, what doesn't work, what's entertaining, and what probably should have been cut.
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I'll be honest, I was a bit surprised to see how quiet the RR reading community tends to be. Obviously, a good portion of the readership are guests who don't comment, rate, or review. Even among the registered followers, only a very small fraction take a single action to provide feedback on the story. I did personally receive some feedback both inside and outside of the fiction page which allowed me to rethink how the fictional world works or how the story is presented. Seeing a readership develop over the past two months, and a few users weigh in from time to time (or almost every time in one case) definitely enhanced the experience and motivated me to stick more with the web novel format and less with the 'keep private until going to a publisher' format for the foreseeable future. If not already clear from my lack of a financial contribution mechanism, I'm writing for a combination of fun and improvement, not to make money. When I become the world's most skillful fiction author, I'll add a Patreon link or something.
To those who did comment, even on just one or two occasions, I really appreciate it. To those who took the time to review, you're awesome. I avoided review swaps because readers tend to get turned off by them (from what I've seen), but the website is designed to punish authors who don't rack up a bunch of reviews early on so it definitely cost some potential readership prior to Writathon.
So, what's next? Although there are strong hints of what will happen in Volume 3, that is not next. I'm going to put this fiction on hiatus, for now, while I launch another project on RoyalRoad (also Fantasy). Expect a link to the new project this weekend as I post one final chapter here. Think of it as a bonus epilogue for Volume 2. If you have any questions, please throw them in the comments below. If you have any comments, please throw them in the comments below. If you have any vague statements that blur the line between question and comment, go ahead and throw them in the comments below.
Which Volume Did You Prefer?
