A Few Updates
Hey y’all,
Just want to send a quick thank you to the new subscribers and to those of you who’ve been with me from the beginning. Thank you, really.
Also, let me explain a bit what’s been going on and why my output has gone from 3-5 emails (and as many web-only posts over again) to barely one a week.
Basically, my dad died. If I haven’t gotten back to you on something, or if I’m slow to respond, please understand it isn’t about you or anything between us. I am just moving incredibly slowly right now, presumably as an outcome of grieving. I can’t say I’m really all that in touch with what’s going on inside me right now, but that’s my best guess. It’s been about seven weeks, and I am still kind of stunned. So that’s the what’s what on that.
My novel is just unfurling every which way. Which, you know, is a good problem to have. I think so, anyway. Seems like every editor and online writing guru in the world will say that’s synonymous with self-indulgent crap, but I don’t really dig what they do, either, so. Different sensibilities. But even though I think it’s a good problem, it’s still a problem. Balancing out more and more story paths is a lot of work, and I don’t have that much energy to begin with, even less in these past few months. So thank you to the few people who have given me feedback on the book and who have been so patient with me. I hope you will continue to participate and that it feels like something worth waiting for. If you’re new to the newsletter or to me, and you’re not sure what book I’m talking about it, it’s here. It’s a pretty ambitious project—I’m not sure if people really get exactly how ambitious because it is the backbone of a thirty book series (called The Secret of Secrets) that I am literally in the middle of writing. So I’m tying together everything that has come before and laying the tracks for what’s yet to come. It’s a tall order, especially given the nature of the books and the kind of mind-bending subject matter. All I mean by that is that it takes time. So again, thank you for bearing with me, and I hope you can find some pleasure and enjoyment in the work.
I am working on role-playing game content. My main projects are a YouTube channel and a series of adventure pamphlets in much the same style as this one by . I don’t have anything to show for any of that yet, and I’m still grappling with design elements and things for the game materials, gender expression and online identity stuff for the YouTube channel. But soon you will be able to see and hear me as I am, not the super hero (or villain or antihero or whatever) version that you all know and love in the warmth of our shared imaginations. I’m not exactly looking forward to that, but. I also think I’ll feel better having that barrier removed. The name of the channel is Secret Dungeons with T. Van Santana, and I’ll drop the link when it’s ready. There are a lot of channels I admire, but the one I feel the most aligned with is Questing Beast by . I have no idea if that’s how my channel will actually turn out. (Things often take on a life of their own once they get started.) But Ben’s channel is an almost singular influence on my desire to try it.
So that’s basically it. That’s what I’m up to. Please don’t be shy in telling me what you’d like to see here, in the novel, or on the YouTube channel—or if you’d like to see me make another YouTube channel about something else. Despite my snarky narrator’s voice, the real Tracy is very approachable and interested in whatever you have to say!
Thanks for your continued interest and support. More soon, in some form or another.
Xoxo,
T
What’s coming next in Teresa’s Backbone:
- “Lie Down,” which while not necessarily a direct follow-up to “Packed in Salt” depending on which path you’re reading, it might be fun or useful to check out or revisit that chapter beforehand. Maybe have another look at “Alithea Arrives in Soma,” as well.
- “Dreamdash” for the Dreams path
- “Discharged” for the Dad path
- “Malefic Tastemaking in Metafictional Markets”
- “Prospero’s Books”
- “Island Retreat”
