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Farewell, Gumroad
Posted 5 months agoI've shut down my Gumroad membership.
I took a risk on using their membership product instead of Patreon since they'd previously made more creator-focused decisions and were planning on an open source release. Not long after I started my membership, they changed things so that an account couldn't send emails until it had $100 USD in sales after fees (so actually like $115), which made it hard to run a membership where the only means of notifying members was through email. I tried to get support, but they replaced their help site with an AI chatbot.
A couple of weeks ago, they finally made good on that open source release... that wasn't Open Source. And the timing was suspiciously timed along with an article showing that the founder is working with DOGE.
So yeah, no Gumroad. I think I'm just going to package stories into books like a normal pseudonymous author.
I took a risk on using their membership product instead of Patreon since they'd previously made more creator-focused decisions and were planning on an open source release. Not long after I started my membership, they changed things so that an account couldn't send emails until it had $100 USD in sales after fees (so actually like $115), which made it hard to run a membership where the only means of notifying members was through email. I tried to get support, but they replaced their help site with an AI chatbot.
A couple of weeks ago, they finally made good on that open source release... that wasn't Open Source. And the timing was suspiciously timed along with an article showing that the founder is working with DOGE.
So yeah, no Gumroad. I think I'm just going to package stories into books like a normal pseudonymous author.
Sometimes I can't ignore the real world
Posted 10 months agoWell, that happened.
Today I'm confronting the hard reality that over half of my country doesn't see what I see. I'm staring down a world that could become very inhospitable to these stories when it feels like I've finally been able to tell them. I'm coming to grips with the fact that enough people—not everyone, but enough—saw the clear signs of fascism and voted for it.
I will confidently admit I don't know what to do with that.
In 2016, the most positive way forward I heard was to "make art." And that's what I intend to do. These stories exist because I truly believe, despite everything I see and every piece of my heart that's broken off from every false truth I once held, that the core of our universe is Love. If that's not inherently true, then we can make it that way. And it starts with imagining it. Call it escapism if you want; at this point I don't fucking care.
We are all unique, but we're never alone. C. S. Lewis once said, "We read to know we're not alone." Maybe it's not a real quote; maybe he was quoting someone else. What I do know is that I decided to start writing because I read a story late at night on a Sonic the Hedgehog fan site where one character changed his form for the sake of love. I read it and saw the words that I thought only existed in my imagination on the screen.
Now, as always, we need to see that what unites us is more than what divides us. That we can share and coexist and live together and we don't need to fear each other.
I know that it is so hard to choose love—I'm still learning to do it myself. Which is why I'm so determined to tell stories about it. Love has many forms: familial, friendship, compassion, romantic. I hope, in these coming days, you are able to find it. If you have love to spare, share it.
I don't know how much I believe in people right now, but if you've read this much, then I believe in you.
We love; we are loved. Together, we bring light.
—Ronyo
Today I'm confronting the hard reality that over half of my country doesn't see what I see. I'm staring down a world that could become very inhospitable to these stories when it feels like I've finally been able to tell them. I'm coming to grips with the fact that enough people—not everyone, but enough—saw the clear signs of fascism and voted for it.
I will confidently admit I don't know what to do with that.
In 2016, the most positive way forward I heard was to "make art." And that's what I intend to do. These stories exist because I truly believe, despite everything I see and every piece of my heart that's broken off from every false truth I once held, that the core of our universe is Love. If that's not inherently true, then we can make it that way. And it starts with imagining it. Call it escapism if you want; at this point I don't fucking care.
We are all unique, but we're never alone. C. S. Lewis once said, "We read to know we're not alone." Maybe it's not a real quote; maybe he was quoting someone else. What I do know is that I decided to start writing because I read a story late at night on a Sonic the Hedgehog fan site where one character changed his form for the sake of love. I read it and saw the words that I thought only existed in my imagination on the screen.
Now, as always, we need to see that what unites us is more than what divides us. That we can share and coexist and live together and we don't need to fear each other.
I know that it is so hard to choose love—I'm still learning to do it myself. Which is why I'm so determined to tell stories about it. Love has many forms: familial, friendship, compassion, romantic. I hope, in these coming days, you are able to find it. If you have love to spare, share it.
I don't know how much I believe in people right now, but if you've read this much, then I believe in you.
We love; we are loved. Together, we bring light.
—Ronyo
Nowhereverse Tales now live!
Posted 11 months agoHey, everyone! I'm officially launching my newsletter, Nowhereverse Tales today. It'll be monthly issues, but you can read the first three now. It'll have some new stories, and some that are revised/cleaned-up versions of the stories in my gallery.
If you're interested, you can subscribe on my website. And if you're interested, you can even ask the characters anything in a shtick I'm totally cribbing from The_Damaged with no shame.
If you're interested, you can subscribe on my website. And if you're interested, you can even ask the characters anything in a shtick I'm totally cribbing from The_Damaged with no shame.
It’s that time of year…
Posted a year agoAnother fall, another 36 hours getting my ass handed to me by Chise (sailorrooscout.bsky.social) and Dolly Parton.
But it means my lungs and heart and brain keep working, so it’s worth it. Seriously, I feel like I JUST got my ADD under control; I don’t want to add a lifetime of Long-Covid Brain Fog to the mix. Get your shots, y’all; covid is still happening.
But it means my lungs and heart and brain keep working, so it’s worth it. Seriously, I feel like I JUST got my ADD under control; I don’t want to add a lifetime of Long-Covid Brain Fog to the mix. Get your shots, y’all; covid is still happening.
How do you want to read?
Posted a year agoI'm thinking of setting up a mailing list for my stories. These would be more polished versions of some of the stories here as well as more character/world-building adventures. I'm setting it up as a Gumroad membership for $0 mostly because I was considering eventually having multiple tiers or something...
Anyway, I'm over-thinking formats, so I'd love if y'all could vote in this StrawPoll to tell me what format(s) you'd prefer. Thanks!
Anyway, I'm over-thinking formats, so I'd love if y'all could vote in this StrawPoll to tell me what format(s) you'd prefer. Thanks!
