The State of Joe Address - very minor long term spoilers

This chapter was the end of arc 1. Arc as in the rough third of a standard book, not arc as in the whole book the way the prolific authors do. Man do some of those guys churn out the chapters. That's enough writer's envy from me.

Looking back at the beginning of the story, well, to call it rough would probably be pretty kind. So for everyone who chose to keep reading anyway, thank you. As I think everyone here knows I am a first-time author and I'm still trying to find a voice and style. I greatly appreciate the support everyone here has shown. 

This story started with a desire to see a different protagonist and setting than was currently popular on KU. I wanted an MC that wasn't omniscient and hyper-logical and didn't have magical artifacts and broken skills descend from the heavens every ten chapters like clockwork. I wanted an MC with heart. Admittedly he has strayed too close to the idiot MC trope than I originally intended and will get a course correction. 

Who was Joe? Joe is a low achiever comparable to his family, though not to the rest of us.  He played sports. His siblings were better. He went to college, the same story. Joe has a bad habit of defining himself via his family. Think Royal Tenenbaums but with more love and less disfunction.

Suddenly his family is gone, and the world's gone mad. Joe's focus is holding on until they get back. He's deeply depressed and turns into a living robot. Then they are gone, and Joe doesn't have the option to wallow in pity, because the system will kill him. Deep depression isn't something that someone overcomes in a day. It takes almost dying and another man dying in front of him to jumpstart the process. 

I didn't spend enough time showing any of this and it left people's view of the character jerky and unfocused. 

Secondly, let's talk about fear. I know most of us don't read books to feel afraid.  I read as an escape from life and to bank a little sanity and me time. I want to get to a point where the fun adventures are more prevalent but I felt it was important to show how desperate and dangerous things are in Joe's world. Everyone is afraid of something. A lot of people are afraid of many things. Most of the things we're afraid of won't hold us down and eat us alive. Fear makes rational people make irrational decisions. Love and caring will do the same. Some of Joe's stupider decisions might look a little different viewed through a lens of adrenaline, fear, and caring. 

Where do I want the story to go? Well, Joe could make better decisions. That needs to happen sooner than later. He needs to be stronger quickly. Lastly, he's going to delegate out leading places. This story isn't about being a small town mayor in a fantasy setting. There are people dedicated to stories like that and they do it better than I could. So that's where the story and Joe stand. Once again, thank you for your support. I would have given up by now without everyone on RR and Patreon.