The day-maker
Last weekend was hectic and frazzling. There was all the house stuff to sort out, and other things I was trying to get into order, and writing I never got to. At the end of it, I didn’t get done quite a bit of what I had hoped to.
Then an email popped into my inbox. It was out of the blue, from someone I had never met or spoken to before. And it completely made my day. I have asked permission to share it with you all, and my lovely reader was kind enough to agree. So here it is:
Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy reading the Apocalypse Blog–I’m a newcomer to web fiction, tried reading a few, but this one’s the only one that was well-written and interesting enough to hold my attention. I’m a writer myself, so I can appreciate how hard it must be to update it daily–kudos to you for that! I always pay most attention to characters and I love yours; they’re so complex, and their interactions are always interesting. You bring Faith to life so well, it seems like she’s a real person blogging from a parallel universe or something where this is actually happening. Your writing is great, it’s really easy to just get into and absorbed in, which is a real feat considering this is the thrill-a-minute internet. 😉
I also love how you bring your setting to life. It’s all very dark and desolate, but there’s these glimmers of humanity and hope sometimes, and you bring all of that across so well. You ought to look into getting stuff published, if you haven’t yet!
I’ve never liked zombies–can’t stand them, in fact–but I really like this story and I hope you stick to it.
It’s the kind of email that I think every writer loves to get. I don’t get a lot of feedback from my readers – though I know you’re out there! – so receiving something like this means the world to me.
And my reader was kind enough to let me know that at least some of the stuff I was aiming to do was working. Like the real-time aspect, giving the impression that you’re all reading this as it’s happening, and the lighter parts that make the darkness worth the fight. It’s so hard to know if I’m hitting my marks unless someone says!
Without my readers, it would just be me whistling into the dark. I love knowing that you’re out there. And I apologise for not making it easier to reach me – I do regret not putting comments onto the Apocalypse Blog. Silly me.
Thank you. To all of you who have given me comments and encouragement in the past – thank you so much. I don’t make a big deal out of every one of them, mostly because you’re all so nice and I’m not good at blowing my own trumpet. You make a big difference to me and what I do.
The Apocalypse Blog is almost six months old. Almost halfway to the finish line. I hope you all come with me.
Typhoid says:
Woah woah woah. Halfway? This only lasts a year?!
Awww maaaaaaaan.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:35 am
Mel says:
Awww. I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
The current plan is to run the Apocalypse Blog to the end of this year. It has a pretty symmetry to it that way. And it’s possible that my head might explode if I try to keep this pace up any longer!
It’s possible there might be more episodic catch-ups following the ‘end’, but at this stage, I’m just focussed on getting this year’s lot written 😉
I have got a shiny new blogfic in the pipeline for next year, though. I promise you won’t be without something to read!
June 16th, 2009 at 10:12 pm