Woofajuana: Blog

So, I apparently ruffled some feathers with some close friends over the thought that I was insulted by "I like it"s, and I feel I should clarify this.

TL;DR: Sorry, have a chapter.

I am not at all insulted by a simple "I like it." Those are fine. They tell me people are enjoying what I'm doing and that's great. Just like when someone tells me "I like your shirt," it puts a smile on my face. My problem is specifically with The Dragon Tamers story because of how it started, grew and changed. It's been 20 years, guys, did you know that? I started this at 16. And for the decade I lulled, I received almost an email a month with the "I liked it" and asking if I would continue. For a decade! I love you guys so much. It wasn't just from here, it was from all sorts of places I had posted in my early days, but some of you are also here. So when I said I was ashamed, I am ashamed that I created a fandom for something that doesn't exist anymore and I am so sorry to you guys. There is nothing worse than the creator losing interest. It sucks, but it is a sad reality.

Going back to the "I like it"s, that was both the saving grace for this novel, but also my initial downfall. I blindly followed "I like it" and "keep going" and "That's great," and when the time came to fulfill my life's dream of being published, from an actual publisher who had reached out to me with the "I like it," I then received the very first constructive criticism I had ever gotten in my life. "None of this makes sense." There were more words, but that was the gist. So, in my hubris and exuberance, having had my dream dangled right there, I went ahead and published on Amazon. Quite a few people bought it. If you were one, thank you so fucking much! That helped me at a time in my life that I was trying to breathe. But it was without beta readers, without an editor, just a meandering rough draft and those were the comments and reviews I was getting, that it was 500 pages of wander without anything making sense. But hey, dragons and sex so cool! Holy shit, constructive criticism? Wow, mind blown. All I had ever gotten to that point was "I like it" in more or less words. The occasional "it sucks" but those are equally nondescript and ignored.

I took it down, and I have mulled it over for a decade. Some folks close to me likened it to beating a dead horse and all I say to that is don't let no one discourage you when you know what it's supposed to be in your heart. I started doing research and working on this world so that it did all make sense. Roscrow was always destined to be a Q'Hu, I simply had not created the species yet. And with every rewriting, even the ones I kept to myself, Jasper kept working his way to the front line. And S're, well, she's always had a thing for the bad boys and she needed two hearts for two boys. So that is why, when a few have suggested I simply split the two books... maybe some other author could. Maybe some other author could just change a few things, give them different names, clean things up, make them separate. I cannot. The characters evolved but their voices stayed the same. They are the same characters, on the same planet, struggling together. I cannot separate these things, and for that, I am sorry.

Since I started posting here and finding new places to post to get more constructive feedback so that I can grow, I have received emails from people who recall the old book from Amazon and from people who recall the horny 16 yo ramblings from the very first place I ever posted (which also led me astray, starting out on a sex site writing sex stories rather than stories with sex in them, but it was a different time back then). Almost all of them with those nondescript "I liked it." And I'm glad you did! Thank you! Genuinely! From the bottom of my one human heart. But I did not. I did not wake up every morning at 4 am because once I realize I'm awake, Roscrow is already poking me. I did not hurry through my day with urgency to get back to the story. It did not consume my every waking moment. Before, I wrote it for the "I like it"s. Today, I'm writing it for the "I like it." And trust me- I'm lovin' it.

As an apology, I have in queue the next chapter to catch you guys up with the furs and new places I've been finding to post this. Truly, I am sorry to those of you who loved the old versions. I hate it just as much when creators I love lose interest. It is my fervent hope that you will like this one. The plot moves because of character actions rather than characters acting to suit the plot. And if you notice any spots they don't, I invite you to point them out. All it's going to do is make my next scheduled project that much better. Dragons to dragons, Roan and his elfy are hot on Roscrow and S're's heels, and that story has not changed, I just never finished it, but it's gonna be sexy.

I'm starting to like Fridays. I wanted to get used to posting on a consistent basis as it's not something I'm used to. Trust me when I say, every bit of me wants to just throw up everything I've written so far, but then you all would be stuck waiting months for more updates, the way I did with In the Enemy's Territory. So, today, you get the "start" of the adventure. Every couple has to start somewhere and so does every story.

For some of you, this chapter will be a bit of a shocker. Yes, Jasper is a main character, now! Quite important, in fact. No longer to sit and pine for something he cannot have in the dreaded "friendzone." Little man will have an interesting part to play among giants and elves. Until he gets there, though, he first has to put on some major rizz.

If my slow progression upsets you, just wait until I'm done and you can buy the finished book. I could have been inclined to jump ahead by another chapter since I'm flying through them, but let me just say, it's a truly sad day when people who identify as animals are more civilized than people who identify as humans.

One thing I brought up with the furries (since they are a chapter ahead for their interactions) is if you're going to tell me how much you liked the older versions, tell-- me-- WHY. Because the rule of writing that I've taken to heart is "write the story you want to read" and I have not once read any of those previous versions EVER since writing them. I cannot stand them. I'm ashamed I ever even posted them. So when I receive nondescript "but I liked the old one," that feels like an insult more than a compliment. I even had a publisher tell me how bad the previous sex-filled human version was, after they were the one who contacted ME to publish it! I never sought them out, and they were all a gush over the start. So when I'm told by readers that my poor, meandering writing is liked more, I'm left curious... is it only the sex? Because that was what the consensuses ended up being among the furs. Sex and dragons. There will be sex in this, I promise, it just won't be first thing out the gate and it's not a major focus. If that upsets you, then you simply are not my demography and there's thousands of other stories to fap to.

Until next week, I hope you all have a great weekend and a safe, fun and fantastic Halloween!

It's Friday! And the prologue has been posted. It's short. Next week is the first chapter with characters and story.

I've had a few people poke at me about the length of the appendix. Mostly in person, but still. Keep in mind, please, This is a rough draft. I'm writing things and figuring things out as I go (but if I don't have people waiting, then I get bored and lose focus). A lot of the notes in the appendix will find places to be told in story, but until then, they are as much for me as you right now. It's already gone through dozens of changes before posting and it's gone through several changes on my end since posting! Roscrow keeps growing and shrinking by a few inches depending on how I feel at the time, I swear. As things find places in story- whether in lessons, explanations or actions- then they will be removed from the appendix. Also, the humanoids section is a blend of explanation for the planet specifically and overall as I intend to point to it for other stories later on. I have a lot of Q'Hu stories in store- those struggling on far away worlds, those floating in space, and even some shorts about those right there on Tyliss (I'm actually quite taken with Jackal, he can be fun, at times, but only because he's in my head). Lastly, they usually come at the end, right? You read the appendix only when you need to. I'm posting one chapter at a time online. I figured I'm doing folks a favor by not leaving them in the dark right off the bat.

It's free and rough. Enjoy it as it is. If you have constructive criticism (such as how to put some of the details into the story, how to explain things better, or point out boring spots or places I could smooth things out, to name a few) please feel free to point it out, but do not demand I change things because you don't like them, you'll get blocked (*glares at haters*). There may be loop holes. There may be spots that are just summaries that pick back up into story. I have a lot of other stories I'd like to finish so I'm trying to rush through as best I can. I'd like to remove all the incomplete stories eventually.

Oh yeah, and this story will have named chapters. I don't know why, just felt right. Some may not. If I don't have a name, then I'm open to suggestions. If you guys have a personal dragon, tell me the colors and I may add it to the story! Possibly as a dam for Granger.... Dragon gets around about as much as his Rider.

Oh, and question, would you guys like more pictures? I've drawn images of other Drawgs, Da'La'Gin, and even one of Roscrow, but I decided against posting as it may hinder or help imagination, but I would like to leave that up to the readers.

Enjoy this short snack for now, and I'll see you all next Friday with a real chapter.

Submitted the first bit of this story, the appendix. It has 3 images. A few really quick, rough sketches to know approximately what some creatures look like. I use a lot of the humanoids in other stories, specifically the Q'Hu, which is why they have a long description. I really like them as a species. Balancing that whole eternal monster thing with their humanity. The appendix will be updated as things progress. I know there will be more characters added, those who help and hinder, I just haven't decided on them, or they are a big tell before we even get there so I left them out for now, or they are too short lived, explained in story, and that's the end of them. Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see in the appendix.

Next post will be the foreword. It's fairly short and tells you everything you could want to know about how we get to where the story picks up. And that, my friends, is going to be the beginning of this grand adventure.

To anyone who has read previous versions, I tell you now, it's not the same. The characters are all there, the base ideas are all still there (Roscrow found a long lost library in the very first version, and over 10+ years, that library became Academy), the lizard people are still enemies, Du'un never went anywhere with them orange eyes (but he did get way bigger), and the governments are still messing with dragon genetics, but that's about it. For those in the know, there are small nods here and there to the older versions. For those who are new to the tale, give it a bit, we got a couple chapters, and then things start getting fun.

I will, however, let you all know that after a few chapters, I will be starting my Ream account and posting early on there, with more images and even some of the sex scenes I don't describe directly in story for sake of flow (and that when I'm actually done with it, there will be an adult and young adult versions so most scenes are being written without and the sex will be added in later). Some later scenes will have them written in as they kind of matter, but it won't be for a while. All the money I get on Ream will be going towards an editor for when it's finally done. I will continue posting it here, but there will be a lull once I get this page set up.

Chew on these species for a bit and I'll see you all next week!

So, I've been hard at work with The Dragon Tamer. As hard as I can be, anyhow. I've got about 12 chapters written, though mostly still in raw, short form, with just bits of broken up scenes and summaries. However, I've edited the first 6 chapters to where they read like a book. I'm not going to polish them all, but I will get them readable. I figure most of you are getting tired of waiting and a chapter a week will give me both editing and writing time. So, starting next week on Fridays (no set time, my life don't work like that), I will begin posting. If I get bogged down, I'll go to every other Friday, but I already had a lot of this written in summaries so it's going pretty quick. Yeah, that's right, it's finally go time!

The first post will be the appendix. May not seem like much, but there's a lot of info there. Nothing to ruin the story, but there's a massive world I've been building for over 10 years. Nearly 20 if we go back to the birth of Roscrow's character, who was the start of all of this, BTW, and he knows it. I had to build a whole damn world for him to live in, with a chick for him to fall in love with, and he likes making mention of it whenever he can. Damn elves and their fourth wall breaking. A select few of you were fortunate enough to have read the very first version when it existed on another site. The story is immensely different than it's been before in any version, but I am really enjoying it now. Feels right this time. Pieces are clicking together. Characters feel more real, the world is more alive. Still have some spots I'm working out but I should hopefully resolve them by the time I get to them. All the major players are still accounted for. Some characters have changed species (looking at you, MCs!), some have changed names, some have changed roles. Not all the bad guys are evil, not all the good guys do good things, and the gods, well, they work in mysterious ways.

Buckle up, folks. Or don't. Restraints might be a problem when everything is on fire!

Just as a taste to wet the palate, have an exurb and I'll see you all on Friday.

When she met Garold’s eyes, she felt every muscle in her body freeze. Her will was channeled, directed, forced to a scene she could not break away from.

"I severe your Bond," a voice she did not know spoke within her. “Kill your Rider.”

The monster turned wide, deadened eyes upon his once Bonded. She saw the man’s face clearly, saw the oozing Bond rent by unnatural means, could see the dragon’s own reflection in the horrified eyes of his most beloved Rider.

"Fandell," the man whispered, staring up at fangs so fearsome that they cut him near cleanly in half.

The anguished screech came from the dragon's soul. Shaking its head, the beast turned those bloodied fangs upon itself, tearing at its limbs as if trying to feed an unending hunger. When at last it had taken off all that it could reach, all that it could stand, it lay and labored in an ocean of blood until the last of its agonized breaths sent its spirit through the ring, sucked away from his Bonded, forever to know he belonged somewhere. Belonged at some time; at the moment before the Tamer had spoken, to repeat the sin eternally.

S’re’s eyes were wide. Haunted. So distant that Garold actually did not know if she was of this world anymore. Scarcely did she breathe in shallow gasps. So pale did she become that she might as well have been of the spirits she saw in his eyes. Every bit of her knew that what she saw was the ultimate violation of a Tamer’s powers and every hair stood on her body.

Garold’s face grew uglier with his wicked smile. “I’m glad to see this little treasure actually works.” Finally breaking contact- which had really only been seconds but had felt like a lifetime- he looked down at the ring on his finger, an ugly piss-yellow stone inset to a plain iron band. “See, it's called a Ring of Resolve. Such an unassuming name. I picked it up on the Black Market a while back. I was told it carries the soul of some tortured dragon or something and that a Tamer can't control you when you wear it. Seems it works just fine. And it’s about to pay for itself.” When he looked at her again, she looked down at anything else, making him chuckle. “I already like this thing! Now, you be a good girl and do as you're told, and I won’t make you look at it again.”