Next chapter will be late, sorry!
As a few have asked why the next chapter is taking so long (btw, thank you very much for showing so much interest in it!), there are a number of reasons, and I apologise in advance since it will be delayed slightly longer again.
Reasons why updates have been sporadic/why the next chapter is so late:
0) I had to make a very difficult personal decision around the beginning of December. It's really true, the right decision is never the easiest. Argh!
1) About two weeks ago, my fiance & daughter were in a car wreck. Luckily, they're ok, but it was a difficult time and very stressful as we had to find a rental car on very short notice and get my daughter and I to the airport within a few hours of the accident so we could catch our flight to the coast to see my family.
2) My fiance & I then had to separate for the holidays, as I was leaving with my daughter to see my family over Christmas (hence the rush to the airport), on the other side of the country. I think I've only spoken to my fiance twice since arriving with my family. He has had to work long hours in his office, and I have had a number of family responsibilities. It makes for a difficult 'holiday' for us.
3) The matriarch of my family (we're... traditional, in a way) has been in hospital and is dying. This has put immense strain on the family, as well as on me, as I was a) disowned, and b) yet still expected to hold up my responsibilities as a direct heir in the family line. Headache.
4) My daughter became gravely ill soon after arriving home, and she had to spend some time in hospital, too. Luckily, she is much better now, and it looks like she'll be fine to travel home again next weekend.
5) We had family arriving from the other side of the world to see my grandmother in hospital.
6) There was a small problem at my work-office and I had to spend a day on the phone trying to coordinate different branches to fix things.
7) My family is full of inconsistent people... We're a lively bunch, but we aren't a harmonious bunch. Tension. We'll leave it at that.
8) I had to travel to another province to take care of something last-minute that turned up this past week. It was a good trip, but very stressful at times.
9) I just spent most of today in hospital (I've been sick for a while, and Dad was getting worried and so I was sent out to get myself checked out.) I'll be fine, nothing serious!
10) I use writing fanfic as a coping-mechanism -- but this week I really was too exhausted to write much more than a few lines. I didn't want to post something that was an utter, total piece of crap.
So I'm really, really sorry, I'm missing my original intended deadline of New Years, but I promise I'll try and make it up to those of you reading "The Gift Horse"! I have already planned out two endings for it, to thank you for standing by me while I wrote it: one Zutara, one KatAang. The first ship to post 10 comments to "Chapter 06: The Art of Losing Face" will have their ending posted first.
I'm sorry to get all personal -- but some of you have sent me some really kind, thoughtful messages and have asked me what was up -- so this is a short explanation. I'm sorry if it is TMI!
I'll try and post a short chapter-update soon. Everyone, hope you have a Happy New Years! :D
Reasons why updates have been sporadic/why the next chapter is so late:
0) I had to make a very difficult personal decision around the beginning of December. It's really true, the right decision is never the easiest. Argh!
1) About two weeks ago, my fiance & daughter were in a car wreck. Luckily, they're ok, but it was a difficult time and very stressful as we had to find a rental car on very short notice and get my daughter and I to the airport within a few hours of the accident so we could catch our flight to the coast to see my family.
2) My fiance & I then had to separate for the holidays, as I was leaving with my daughter to see my family over Christmas (hence the rush to the airport), on the other side of the country. I think I've only spoken to my fiance twice since arriving with my family. He has had to work long hours in his office, and I have had a number of family responsibilities. It makes for a difficult 'holiday' for us.
3) The matriarch of my family (we're... traditional, in a way) has been in hospital and is dying. This has put immense strain on the family, as well as on me, as I was a) disowned, and b) yet still expected to hold up my responsibilities as a direct heir in the family line. Headache.
4) My daughter became gravely ill soon after arriving home, and she had to spend some time in hospital, too. Luckily, she is much better now, and it looks like she'll be fine to travel home again next weekend.
5) We had family arriving from the other side of the world to see my grandmother in hospital.
6) There was a small problem at my work-office and I had to spend a day on the phone trying to coordinate different branches to fix things.
7) My family is full of inconsistent people... We're a lively bunch, but we aren't a harmonious bunch. Tension. We'll leave it at that.
8) I had to travel to another province to take care of something last-minute that turned up this past week. It was a good trip, but very stressful at times.
9) I just spent most of today in hospital (I've been sick for a while, and Dad was getting worried and so I was sent out to get myself checked out.) I'll be fine, nothing serious!
10) I use writing fanfic as a coping-mechanism -- but this week I really was too exhausted to write much more than a few lines. I didn't want to post something that was an utter, total piece of crap.
So I'm really, really sorry, I'm missing my original intended deadline of New Years, but I promise I'll try and make it up to those of you reading "The Gift Horse"! I have already planned out two endings for it, to thank you for standing by me while I wrote it: one Zutara, one KatAang. The first ship to post 10 comments to "Chapter 06: The Art of Losing Face" will have their ending posted first.
I'm sorry to get all personal -- but some of you have sent me some really kind, thoughtful messages and have asked me what was up -- so this is a short explanation. I'm sorry if it is TMI!
I'll try and post a short chapter-update soon. Everyone, hope you have a Happy New Years! :D