It was probably the worst week of my life, Reader.

Just a simple mistake.

One of my fellow dance classmates stepped backward out of our final formation and put her heel squarely onto my foot with all her weight.

It hurt a lot, but I thought it would get better.

Long story short, it didn’t.

Just a little bump on the road.

My husband wasn’t even going that fast. But my car was already 14 years old and had seen better days.

Yep, totaled. Goodbye, Seraphina, I hope it’s nice in car heaven.

Just a little email from the publisher.

My novel had just come out 3 months earlier what could be—?

They were shutting down the whole imprint and my book would be out of print 5 months after it released. Fantastic. It had taken longer than that to write it.

And things had only gotten worse from there.

But that’s how it is at the beginning of any story, right? The Legendary Character is slapped with the major problem stick and they either break or they move forward in a new direction.

And it had been the same for me. That broken foot changed my whole life and 11 months later, I was diagnosed with not 1 but 2 rare chronic illnesses. But by then, I’d already started on a new journey.

So why bring this up now?

Because today is Rare Diseases Day. Yep, they picked the rarest day of the year. And on days like today, we inevitably think about how things like illness and injury ruin our lives and destroy our dreams.

But what if misfortune actually brings us more in alignment with them? I mean, it does for the characters in our stories so why couldn’t the same be true for us?

Want a concrete example of what I’m talking about?

Alright, here we go, Reader. Had none of the misfortunes above happened. Had my foot not been broken, had they not discovered I have 2 rare chronic illnesses, had my car not been totaled, and had my publisher not disbanded the imprint that published one of my novels then this book Predestined would not exist.

Yes, you read that correctly. My first Boys Love novel Predestined that released last fall would not now exist if none of those things had happened to me.

But it’s more than that. Because if none of these things had happened, I wouldn’t have had a reason to change at all.

I wouldn’t have developed the journaling and notetaking method I’ve used since 2018 or the new way I construct stories.

I wouldn’t have learned Procreate or Vellum.

But most importantly, I wouldn’t have found my true calling in storytelling—writing Boys Love.

I’m completely serious. Right now I would still be struggling to understand why I was dissatisfied with the stories I was writing without any way to find the answers.

Because much like a Legendary Character in a story, without the adversity caused by misfortune, we have no reason to grow or change.

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So, Reader, is this the moment you choose to become the Legendary Character of your own story?

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Your cohort in storytelling,

Kat Vancil

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PS 👉 Does the idea of trying to summarize your 100K fantasy tome make you cringe, Reader? Maybe fill you will dread? Or even make you consider writing a whole new book to avoid writing marketing copy for the one you just finished?

You’re in luck! I’m putting together an easy-to-follow mini-course to take the pain out of writing those book descriptions for your sales page and website.

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What I’m Reading

Heaven Official’s Blessing

I’ve finished reading the first 4 sections of Heaven Official’s Blessing (and rewatched that part of the anime too). Having read the light novel the second watch-through of the anime is even better and considerably more hilarious. Considering the gravity of the plot (brides being snatched up never to be seen again and a forest of hanging corpses raining blood) the story actually has a lot of humor.

What I’m Watching

Requiem of the Rose King

I stumbled on this fantastic anime which is a take on England’s War of the Roses as told primarily through the perspective of an intersex Richard III. This unique version is also loosely based on Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 3, and Richard III, and weaves lines from the plays into the narrative. Also, the animation is gorgeous.

What I’m Listing To

Create Today with Beth Buffington

My friend Beth’s podcast for anyone who wants to be a working creative. She teaches digital illustration at a university in Illinois and has a course on Procreate.

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The Saga Quest

1179 West A Street, Suite 137, Hayward, CA 94541