[vent + update/hiatus] This has been bothering me for a week now or so. I know it's stupid, and I need to grow up, but I also feel like I should get it out. I'm not naming names or anything like that (this has nothing to do with @Meadowfoot_ToPH or @_birb-alertt_ ; I respect them as fellow authors and what they have discussed with me regarding problematic themes handled poorly in the past has already been resolved.) I've been getting told that SLL is "unrealistic" and has "bad character development that happens too quickly". 'Unrealistic'? What did you expect when reading a novel/comic about magical furries? I'm not a professional nor will I be for a while. I'm a teen who likes to write just to write. I know my stuff isn't god-tier and I'm not the next J.R.R. Tolkien. SLL is a passion project, not a professional one. I know I'm not the best at dealing with darker themes; this is one of my few times I've gotten to explore it in my work as my other mediums don't carry it as well. The PTSD and depression and such explored is merely just from my own experience as an SA/physical+manipulative abuse survivor. "Stuff happens too fast"! Anything that happens will be fixed in the comic, I promise. The reason why everything past ch.7 happens within the span of 3 weeks is because I'm not a fan of massive timeskips. I like to delve into what's happening. If a character develops too fast, it's because of everything that's happening is going equally as fast. Again, time stuff will be fixed in the comic. I know I shouldn't be letting this get to me (and let's face it, I'm not in my right mind atm due to not being able to find my meds and not eating for a day straight). But I'm stressed. I'm trying to finish school so I can graduate early, then I need to get a driver's lisence, then I need to train for my future job- WHILE working my current job. (I'm also fasting, so that doesn't help.) SLL is my escape from the troubles of life (don't get me wrong, aside from past abuse I have an AWESOME life), and I love it and cherish it as my comfort novel. Being told that SLL doesn't live up to other people's standards, quite frankly, HURTS. Working on something for over a year just to be told it's poorly written hurts. That's part of the reason why I instantly turned to Reaper because I wanted to prove to myself that I could write something different, something better. But it doesn't have the same spark for me as SLL. I can't explain it but it just... doesn't. I'm going to work on the novel, but expect sparse updates. I'm taking a break from the comic. I'm going to make more traditional art, and don't expect to see me on here for a little while. I'll only be on to talk to friends. I need a break. XPert out.