My Master Plan

What To Expect Moving Forward

Hello, and thank you to everyone who has read even a single word I’ve posted here since I joined Substack. I’ve spent the last weeks learning the platform, wandering its corners, and discovering the strange, wonderful mix of voices it holds. It is an odd place, and I mean that as a compliment. Every subject, every tone, every experiment lives here if you know where to look. I like the freedom of it. I like the people I’ve already found. It feels like the right soil for what I want to grow.

So here is the honest map, straight from the start.

I currently have six short stories and a completed novel, The Fractured Weave, all set in Eryndel. A second novel and a novella are already in motion. These are not a strict series that must be read in order. They are a shared world: stand-alone tales that occasionally brush against one another, with characters who may cross paths later and an overarching story that slowly reveals itself. You can step in anywhere and still feel at home. The deeper you go, the more the connections shimmer.

Here is how I plan to use Substack.

I will post one piece a week, roughly 1,000 to 2,000 words. That means stories and novel chapters will arrive in measured portions rather than all at once. I've watched serialization become exhausting for many writers; I know my own limits and work full-time. With material already finished and new work steadily taking shape, this slower pace gives me room to enjoy the process, and gives readers time to linger with each piece instead of racing ahead.

Phase One (starting Tuesday, August 4th)

Six short stories to introduce my voice and the world of Eryndel. They range from quiet folk-horror to gentle romance, from whimsical retellings to something darker. Some are hopeful. Some are unsettling. Some are bittersweet. Together they are the first Threads leading into Eryndel. Each will come with an AI-narrated version created through ElevenLabs, fully cast with voice actors. If narrated audio is not your preference, the text stands alone. These stories were my playground while I tested different ways of telling tales. I hope some of them stay with you.

Phase Two

Serialization of The Fractured Weave, the first novel in a planned duology. Again, 1k–2k words at a time. This is the heart of the project. I have carried this story for years, refining it mostly alone. Substack will serve as my public beta: honest feedback from readers who choose to walk these roads with me will help shape the final version.

The content will always remain free. When the time feels right I will turn on subscriptions. Paid supporters will simply get early access: full stories and chapters three months before they roll into the free tier. All money raised will go directly toward professional editing, cover art, and the other costs of bringing the novel into the world in print and ebook form.

I am also building a few extras for those who subscribe:

- A Discord for conversation, shared writing prompts, game nights, and general hanging out.

- Google Docs with commenting access so you can mark up chapters in real time.

- Behind-the-scenes notes, worldbuilding snippets, and full versions of stories that are otherwise broken into weekly posts. World Anvil - Eryndel

- Occasional bonus tales written just for the community.

Self-publishing The Fractured Weave is the long-term goal. I want it to be the best version of itself before it reaches a wider audience, and your eyes and thoughts will help get it there.

Plans are living things, of course. They shift with the wind. But this is the shape I see right now, offered openly and without smoke. Starting Tuesday, August 4th, The Telling begins in earnest.

Until then I am off to see Lindsey Stirling in concert, letting music refill the well before launch. I will be lining up the first wave of posts and making sure everything feels right.

Light your lanterns, friends. The road is long, but it is better walked together.

The stories are ready to be found.

Starting Tuesday, August 4th, The Telling begins in earnest.

Stories are threads.

We are the Weave.

See you on the fourth.

~ C. Xelfaa