Some People Suck
You’re probably wondering what these snapshots are. Let me tell you. I was informed that this reader was sharing unpublished snippets of my work on Twitter. I don’t have a Twitter account and wasn’t about to join that hellhole just to look her up so I had someone do it for me and these were the snapshots I received. If you’re wondering who’s the whore she’s referring to, apparently that’s me. PT 1 of Bitter Secrets has 13 chapters, which is what she’s bitching about and apparently, she wants to make an epub, which is every authors worst nightmare. Now, you can understand the title of this blog: Some People Suck. And this person in particular.
I always knew it was a possibility that someone would steal my work, but after 6 months (to my knowledge) this person is the only one to do so. I like how she calls me a whore when she’s the one stealing one year’s worth of work from someone and apparently, feels perfectly within her rights to not only take, but distribute something that isn’t hers. The ARC of Bitter Heat was posted on a pirate site the day it published. I have proof of the ARC reader who did it because there was a watermark on every copy. Despite evidence, the reader vehemently denied it and accused me of sullying her name... I have no need to sully anyone. I don’t even care about most of this social bullshit, but when it comes to my work and people illegally distributing it, I don’t take it lightly.
It’s heartbreaking that this is the norm—readers ripping off authors work and think nothing of it. They think nothing of the hours you spend at your keyboard, the way you tossed and turned as you worried over that line in chapter six. They care nothing for the plot, characters, and most of all the author who has spent years honing their craft to bring a story to life. This person’s disdain is dripping from her words and yet, she wants something I produce. It’s like spitting in Lady Gaga’s face and then telling her to sing you a song. It just doesn’t make sense. People pay for music and movies without thinking, but books seem to be a, “Well, anyone can write.” Then, why don’t you write your own shit and post that?
Readers keep wondering why authors disappear. This is why. Not only does it take a ton of energy and effort to produce something, it gets stolen and pirated the moment you publish. It’s so disheartening that most writers give up. Why would you spend a year working on something for some asshole to give away what you slaved over for free? The entitlement of people like this turns my stomach and is the main reason why I left social media and have no intention of going back. I wonder how they would feel if I went to their job and didn’t pay for their services? Why do I have a feeling Samira would lose her fucking mind yet she thinks nothing of fucking someone else over? Well, I believe in karma so good luck, Samira.
Obviously, because of the lovely and eloquent Samira, my Patreon will be deactivated. The damage is probably already done, but I can’t take the risk of anything more being leaked when I’m still a ways away from publishing. My Patreon community has been so amazing. It’s awful that one person can turn something so positive and joyful into something sordid. All it takes is one rotten apple to ruin the whole basket. I have to remind myself that people like Samira are a minuscule percentage of my audience. When I was told about this, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do and was stunned when most of my patrons urged me to shut down my Patreon to protect my work. My readers are truly awesome.
A lot of authors walk away, but those who stay do so because they love stories. I know that shit like this is inevitable and we just have to focus on the bigger picture, which is the people who actually respect and support what we do. To those people, I absolutely love you. Thank you for looking out for us!
Sorry for the rant. Back to normal updates for sane readers:
Bitter Secrets Snippet
“Roth,” she whispered, but when his grip tightened, she corrected herself. “Jamie.”
“Jamie's the man you want me to be,” he said as he ground against her, “but I can’t.”
Her eyes pricked with tears. “I don't understand.”
He released his hold on her throat and stroked her cheek. “I know.”
When she would've asked more questions, he covered her mouth with his.
Draft of Bitter Secrets © 2021 Mia Knight
Bitter Secrets Update
So, my update is that I made great progress in October, but I'm not 100% happy with with the story at the moment. I can't help but feel I took a wrong turn a little ways back. I'm running through ideas on how to fix the things I don't like or whether I have to scrap some a scene or two to make the flow better...
Aside from my current predicament in the story, I'm stoked with PT 2 and am enjoying it more than PT 1 because I don’t have to hold back and neither do the characters. I have to tread carefully when writing Jasmine and Roth. One stray line of dialogue can change the dynamic of the scene and lead me in a direction I hadn’t planned on.
There are a bunch of doozies in PT 2 and I don't think I've ever cried so much while writing a book. There's something about Roth and Jasmine that gets me right in the feels. The scenes with them go on for pages. Sometimes a whole chapter or two is dedicated to one long scene where they’re just talking. IDK how interesting it’s going to be for others, but for me who doesn’t know anything until they say it, I’m enthralled.
I’m finishing up PT 2 and will then move onto revisions!
Personal Update
October was a crazy busy month, but I got a lot done, so I'm happy about that! I rested my arms, hoping that would help with the pain, but I realize the compression gloves, braces, and stretches are going to be a long-term thing. The stretches help the most and I always stop when I feel that ache creeping back. I have a certain threshold of hours I can write before I hit my max and have to stop. Frustrating, but it is what it is.
The heat is finally waning here in Hawaii and I actually put on socks and a long sleeve the other night. LOL. I chopped off my hair to a manageable shoulder length and am looking forward to the holidays. I changed my number so had to contact my friends to keep them up to date… all 6 of them. LMFAO. Most of my friends are retired so they responded immediately. I had a couple days of catching up at lunch or on the phone, which was really nice. We all lost touch during the pandemic so it was great hearing what they’re up to and plan future visits. It’s when you talk to someone you haven’t talked to in a while that you realize how much shit has happened.
Everything is so uncertain. It’s been such an extended amount of time of chaos and insanity that I think I’ve finally reached the point of not caring. I was skipping around our hectic little town the other day as I did errands, humming to myself as I stood in unmoving lines, and waited patiently to cross a street where people were in too much of a hurry to stop. I refuse to let what’s happening in the world to affect my health or mindset, so I force myself to do stupid, silly, simple things to remind myself I’m human and that this will pass. I drew pictures of pirates with my nephew on Facetime and the other day, was playing with Play-Doh. (Don’t ask). When I do things like this, it brings my stress levels down and reminds me not to take everything so seriously. There’s time for action, but you also have to know when you need to rest. A part of me is still half-convinced that we’re living in a movie. My storyteller mind is part fascinated, part horrified that I’m living through such a tumultuous time in history, but we were born for such a time as this, right?
I’m grateful for my family, my work that I get to lose myself in, and all of you. Thank you for being a part of my journey and caring. I wish you all the best and hope that we go back to rebuilding communities rather than every man for himself. We won’t survive that way, so reach out, be kind, and enjoy the holidays since we’ve had precious few things to celebrate.