And with it, Book Zero, actually. The next chapter is going to be Chapter One of Book One. When I first started this story, I’d never made a comic before and I had no idea what I was doing and I wanted to start things at a point where I could both explore the world of Prophecy of the Circle and the art of comic-making without making a mess of the part of the story that’s actually near and dear to my heart. After ten years – which is a lot longer than I’d anticipated, honestly – we’ve reached the point in the plot where I originally intended to start, back when this project was a series of novels and not a comic. With that revelation comes some important news.
Now, those of you who have been following along since the beginning know that after the end of a chapter I tend to go on hiatus for a few months. We’re going on hiatus now, too, but this time it’s going to be a longer one, and I’m actually not sure how long. I’m anticipating at least a year.
I know that doesn’t sound great, but to explain: I’ve learned a lot over the last ten years, and the experience prompts me to want to step back and take stock before I launch back into telling this story from such a crucial point. I want to get it planned out more thoroughly than I have the past chapters, I want to build a design bible to refer to so I can better keep characters and scenes on-model, and I also want to build a significant buffer for myself to prevent some of the issues I had in the past with feeling rushed and having that show in the end result. These things take time, but they result in a better story overall.
If you want to still get fairly regular updates, I’m going to be continuing to post things like design sketches and the like over on my Patreon while I build the next chapters and plan the story to come. I’m also planning to post the new chapter pages there as I finish them (which might well be months before they’re released to the rest of the world) partly as a thank you to my patrons for the support but also so I can gather feedback from the community there and make the story the best it can be before it goes live to the rest of the internet. If you’re interested in early access, that’s also an option.
And now I want to thank you for your understanding and your patience. I really want to make sure that what’s to come is something that does justice to the story in my head and that it’s really worthwhile for you guys. It’ll take time, and I hope you’ll be here when Prophecy of the Circle returns. Regardless, you’ve got my thanks for being there this past decade-and-a-bit, and I hope I’ll see you guys again when the story returns.
Farewell (for now)!
Meghan
