This is pure Author's note chapter, so feel free to read it, or skip it.
Either way, it won't be too long.
Overall It was a fun ride, writing this novel for all of you. It had both its ups and down periods. Oddly enough, unlike many authors that I've seen, I didn't really suffer from a writer's block while writing. Probably because I already had the ending of the book in mind.
Though as I say that, the ending somewhat transcended the scale of what I originally planned. But that's life, it goes way beyond one's expectations, sometimes.
In any case, lets talk about what could have been done better in this novel.
1. Over explanations. Various parts of the novel, I tended to over explain certain attributes or powers that the characters had when it had already been stated.
2. Plot holes. Comparatively speaking, there were several areas that had plot-holes in which I couldn't fix as it was already written, however they gave me new roads to explore so they weren't too prominent and I doubt that they ruined the story at all.
3. Pacing. While this was a very long novel, having close to 1 million words, I do think that several aspects could have been improved or more fleshed out. Giving character motivations and personality a bit more 'oomph,' is never a bad thing. Especially in the beginning of the novel when Jaune first entered the Dream Realm. I should have explored the possibility that Jaune was alone for longer, which would have improved on the horror and thriller aspect.
4. Extra additions. The novel would have also been very interesting if I incorporated other cults involving Rank 4 entities out the universe. Unfortunately, I hadn't particularly thought about it at the time and was mostly focused on the Sleeper/Salem as the main antagonist without wanting to go too broad. However, as my skill as an author improved, I am confident that if I were to rewrite the entire novel, I would be able to do it justice. Then again, I suppose that will just have to be a part of this story that never was.
5. Powers. While Runes were the main focus in this story, I could have improved upon how the system, Aura and abilities were utilized. The system also didn't have too big of a role in the story beyond the early chapters, and was more of a flavour text that was running in the background towards the end.
6. Romance. This was something I struggled writing as I personally have very little experience in anything regarding it. I'll work on that in my next novel and hopefully be able to flesh out the interactions better.
There are others, of course, but these are the main gripes that I had with this story.
I am currently working on another novel called Skins that's currently only available on Patreon, and that one is hopefully going to become my masterpiece—which I will implement all that I've learnt from this novel.
Finally, to those of you who have stuck around and finished this novel, I'd like to thank you. Your support was heartfelt and heartwarming. I have enjoyed reading each and every one of your comments and reactions as you progressed through the chapters and the plot twists. I assure you, that I have seen each and every one of them, even if I don't respond to them all.
Now, at the end of this Author's Afterword, I have a question to all of you:
What was your favorite part of this story?