Hey Lodestone!
Most of my regular readers have stopped frequenting the Lodestone, but I still thought it would probably be a good idea to say something before shelving my blog for an extended period. Basically, I got suuuper hyped with the Endwalker trailer + Fan Festival and I decided I'd hop back on my first character to finish Stormblood and play through Shadowbringers in order to be ready for Endwalker when it comes out. This means I won't be playing Lalli for a little while, and since my blog entries are based on what I do in-game, I won't be writing any for a bit.
I don't know how long it's going to take me - as of now, I've finished Stormblood and am starting the quests leading to Shadowbringers - but I wanted to make sure I'd have enough time before release, factoring in the fact that fall is a very busy season for me and that my nerve issues sometimes act up and prevent me from playing.
I'm thinking I probably will come back to Lalli (and perhaps this blog, although I have been considering other platforms to post my writing to) once I'm done doing the story on my alt, because replaying ARR and Heavensward on this character has been overall an excellent experience. Knowing what to expect enabled me to kind of tailor the experience to my taste, and I was able to take things slow and really enjoy the content and the beautiful world of the game. I also met some wonderful people on the Lodestone and in-game.
It's certain that losing this first batch of friends I made through Lalli factored into my desire to go back to my first character. The first post I made here was me announcing my intention of writing RP entries for Lalli - and I joked that I didn't think anyone would ever read it. However, I was proved wrong really quick, and the post got several comments. I know that the community on here is small (and has gotten smaller still), but I was still very pleased. I had, after all, expected to be screaming into the void.
Even if I'd been fully prepared to write only for myself, the fact that a couple peeps seemed invested in what I was writing motivated me immensely to keep going. I've successfully kickstarted a book this year with a friend of mine (it went amazing, by the way) and so I'm intimately familiar with the fact that writing is HARD, fam. A lot of the time, is not an activity done while flying on the wings of inspiration - it often feels more like a Tuesday night workout. Satisfying in the end, but requiring effort.
The desire to be seen, to share one's ideas and stories with others, is a great motivator to get through those times when writing feels difficult - and if you can keep writing even when it feels meh, you eventually find your fire again. I don't think I would have kept this blog going for so long without feedback from readers.
And so, now that those readers are no longer around, I feel like a season has ended, in a way. That's how life goes - nothing ever stays the same, and things always flow forward, not backward. It's a little sad, certainly, but it's no use trying to fight it: it's better to just try to ride the current. Like a little lala boat.
So, for the time being, I'll be focusing on experiencing the game. I don't know in what shape Lalli's story will continue yet, but I have every intention on picking it back up when it's time - and I'll probably meet new people when I do.
I will however be absolutely glad to see you guys if you're still there when I come back. Stay safe Lodestone, and have a good summer!
-Lalli
Nice to hear about your book Lalli. I don't know if I would ever try that, trying to get paid for writing. Then it becomes something you HAVE to do instead of something you WANT to do when you feel like it. I am not into writing that much to make it a job.
Yeah, there are writing sites that have FF14 writing on them, though it's had to say how many would look at your stuff if you posted, but I bet it would be more than here. As you said, this place just does not generate the views anymore.
