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Quest Academy Storyline: Update & Poll (Patreon)

Published:
2025-08-23 13:55:34
Imported:
2026-06

Poll

Quest Academy Storyline: Update & Poll

  • Rewrite: Introduce 'Loyalists' Plot earlier. 13
  • Rewrite: Focus on Guild, Projects and Commissions. 40
  • Rewrite: Focus on Classes, Dungeons and Scavenger Runs. 54
  • Continue: Keep the Arkwright 2.0 Chapters and Skill Paragon. 782
  • 2025-08-23
  • —2025-09-01
  • 889 votes
{'title': 'Quest Academy Storyline: Update & Poll ', 'choices': [{'text': "Rewrite: Introduce 'Loyalists' Plot earlier. ", 'votes': 13}, {'text': 'Rewrite: Focus on Guild, Projects and Commissions. ', 'votes': 40}, {'text': 'Rewrite: Focus on Classes, Dungeons and Scavenger Runs. ', 'votes': 54}, {'text': 'Continue: Keep the Arkwright 2.0 Chapters and Skill Paragon. ', 'votes': 782}], 'closes_at': datetime.datetime(2025, 9, 1, 17, 0, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc), 'created_at': datetime.datetime(2025, 8, 23, 13, 16, 59, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc), 'description': None, 'allow_multiple': False, 'total_votes': 889}

Content

Hey Everyone,

This week has been pretty rough for me. I already said my piece over on the Discord, but wanted to point it out here to manage expectations for the coming weeks. I've been hit with a bit of creative paralysis because of the reception to last week's chapters. There were some comments both here and on the Discord that stung me. Some I agreed with, and some I felt were hurtful.

I want to be very clear. I'm not trying to weaponise my emotional state and tell you all that you need to praise chapters when they're not hitting the mark. Sometimes they're not doing the story justice, and I need to hear that. What isn't helpful is commentary telling me that the story was ruined since Book 3 or 4. Accusing me of padding the chapters to make up word count, or telling me how you skipped chapters because nothing happened? That's not going to make me excited to write.

I've explained elsewhere that I'm not infallible and that I absolutely make mistakes. I thought Chatfield's power manifested as Green, but it was rightfully pointed out to be Red. I've had someone accuse me of maliciously retconning my own story when it they were just simple mistakes. People telling me that I've shattered the established logic, again assuming that it was a deliberate choice, when I've clearly forgotten and would be more than happy to correct. I make this story up as I go along, and as we get into subsequent books, the continuity becomes more challenging. Having you all here to keep me honest and on track is fantastic.

We're on Book 6 now, and I appreciate that not everyone will be satisfied with the direction I've chosen. I still want to make this story the best it can be.

The main points I've seen from the comments are:
- Sal is progressing too quickly and becoming too powerful.
- Sal isn't taking enough of a lead within his own Guild.
- He has too many projects, and opening up more isn't fun to read.
- There is no real threat or plot within the book.

Now, I can address the last point and tell you that this is typical of how I write. Usually the big stuff happens in the final third of the book, with everything sort of clicking into place. Raid in Book 1, Excursion in Book 2, Tower in Book 3, Gala in Book 4 and Invasion in Book 5. It probably reads quite aimlessly when you're going chapter to chapter, but as a full-book it tends to come together.

So, for this poll, I'm going to ask you to weigh in honestly. I can scrap the chapters from last week, and start again. We'll still have Skill Paragon happening at some point, but I'll postpone the workbench project and focus elsewhere. It'll close on Monday evening my time so I have a better view on what I need to work on next.

The downside of all of this, and my own headspace, is that it's unlikely that I'm going to have chapters this week. Even if everyone is happy with the current ones, and the majority vote to keep them... I was throwing a pity-party for myself this week and trying to figure out what went wrong. When I write new chapters in a poor frame of mind, they end up terrible or I get frustrated.

I'll be heading to DragonCon next Tuesday. If I can sort my head out in the next two days, then there will be another chapter. I just don't want to promise anything, and wanted to be very honest with everything happening on my side.

I'm sorry that my brain tends to self-destruct from time to time. I'm always going to be insanely grateful for how invested you all are with Quest Academy, and I want to make the story the best it can possibly be.

Thanks for putting up with me. :)

Brian

Comments

Matthew Taylor

Love the story, I wouldn't want anything to change, I would just ask for more academy stuff! Loved the dungeoneering class chapters!

Nicholas Hansen

I enjoy the characters, and you clearly enjoy writing a crafting focused book. My only real issue is that the story has lacked stakes for a while. Whether it's guild, crafts, or action...tension drives narrative. He is friends with one of the major previous antagonists and humiliated another, his guild is established, he curb stomps most fights he crafts mythic objects in an afternoon...where is the challenge?

M

Your story to tell, Brian. I do not think a committee ever wrote a great book. You have.

Whiskey Belle

There’s a video I stumbled upon a while ago with clips of interviews of a few actors discussing their experiences on the set of Peter Jackson’s Lord of The Rings trilogy. Ian McKellen, in particular, spoke about how he published an online dairy during filming (probably to the chagrin of the studio). There’s one quote from his interview that seems potentially relevant in light of your post: "And we got messages back saying that there were many many people who were very very keen on the idea of this film as long as it was the film that _they_ wanted to be made, that it was going to be _their_ Middle Earth.” A rather masterful example of understatement, yes? It doesn’t require much imagination to empathetically wince at the sheer volume of opinions, requirements, and criticisms that must have flooded through the gates. I suppose it’s human nature. What we love, what we enjoy, we feel invested in. And if given a platform to express our opinions, many of us will use it. Of course, that could be a delight and/or legitimately helpful. But as we all know, sometimes it is neither. Do you have someone to review comments for you? To curate them for whatever you might find most helpful? Creative endeavors are inherently vulnerable. And selfishly, I’m a big fan of creative minds doing what they need to in order to remain healthily creative, so I can continue enjoying their work. Sometimes that might mean protecting themselves even (especially?) from their fans. One final musing… you are not the only author who has been accused of “padding to make up word count.” Charles Dickens published many of his books in serial form, and was paid per installment. Dickens’ verbose literary style has led some with more modern aesthetics wonder (whether facetiously or maliciously) if he had been paid per word. I’d say that you stand in good company. *smile*

Deko

I already addressed my recommendations on how to deal with the prolific influx of comments/feedback in a previous post. Now I'd like to address the options that you presented in your poll. 1 - Loyalists Plot: This is a great behind the scenes concept that lingers just outside of the public eye in your books. It's a writing device that you can literally use at any point to shift the direction of your story. Through Sal and other's help the mental influences of Bastion were able to be thwarted, thus cutting off their main source of intel/influence in Quest Academy and thus pushing them back (for a time.) It's perfectly fine and feels natural for them to be offstage for the time being, and as an author you've got a great tool sitting there in your back pocket for whenever you feel the need to bring it out. This will come up again in the other sections, but I love that while Sal and his group are the protagonists in your series, they are not the only intelligent/useful/resourceful people in your books. There is a whole Hunters Bureau, Academy Staff, other Families and powers, etc. that are fully capable of dealing with the major threats to the general public and life. One of the main reasons that Sal is able to explore and grow his powers and improve others is as a direct cause of the efforts and work that the previous and current generations have been doing to provide a haven by which new talent can be fostered. To make it all fall on the MC's shoulders (as many stories do) is a huge disservice to everything else that exists inside your story and would immediately reduce the intelligence of your world by leaps and bounds. So good on you for not going that route. 2 - Guild, Projects, Commissions: These will come up when they come up. The latter two are more flavour to the setting while the Guild will likely become more prevalent as you continue writing the series. Nothing great just exists one day when it didn't the day before. As I said above with regards to previous generations/other's work being the building blocks to get us to this point in your novel, so it is with the Guild, we're seeing all the individual building blocks coming into play and right now we're just getting the foundations set, we haven't even begun to actually build the building (to use a construction metaphor). There's lots of room to show off the founding of the Guild and I believe you're going at a good pace for this, as it fits well with the way your write and the rate at which things advance within your stories. 3 - Classes, Dungeons, Scavenger Runs: These were never the focus of any of your previous books, so why should they become that now? Sure some people may find excitement in these things and thus want more of them, but no where in your books have any of these three things become the most important thing ever. That's not to say that there wasn't a host of reasons for them to happen, or a series of problems/requirements that were finally resolved by having these events take place. Merely that they were but a step in the grand staircase instead of a destination. They're great when used as a measurement for where Sal is at (demonstrating powers/physical growth/etc.) but we just had a power jump in Sal, now we're seeing him acclimate to his new level of being, there's nothing wrong with lingering here, this isn't a 'tournament arc/system apocalypse/kill or be killed novel,' but a cool slice of life power academy novel set inside a ravaged world in the midst of external battles (demons) and with internal subterfuge and civil conflict (Bastion/Loyalists). You've even touched on the families and other powers outside of the ones already introduced, which means you have a ton of resources to pull from, but again these are all foils by which you can use to shape/grow/measure the main protagonists. Don't get me wrong, I love a good dungeon run, but for your stories, I am way more excited to see how Sal's powers continue to improve the lives of others. Anyways, sorry this got long, but I figured I may as well add my two cents while I still can.

Vash119

I’ll share how I feel about the story. I am addicted I’ll have rereads of quest academy and then be in a slump because I want more and other stories just aren’t doing it. That feeling remains in the current book. I will say there are a lot of things going on in Sals world with the guild and school and personal projects to the point that it feels like a lot is going on that we don’t know about because Sal isn’t involved enough. Mostly with classes and his guild. With the guild so far he has popped in here and there and he signed some paperwork for it. It would be cool to see him more engaged, take part in the a dungeon run, go with the scavenge team, assist in a guild crafting project like the elixar but more team driven. Story is great and I don’t think it needs a rewrite at all but it would be a good time to focus in a little like guild activities and classes with more detail. I’m rambling at this point but I love your work and I hope you can see the passionate fandom you have.

Terry Foley

When will the next chapters be out ?

Lisa Johnson

You do you:) I’m really enjoying the adventure. Thank you for writing this amazing book.

Naotsugu97

Now, this is my criticism comment. Sal, as a MC, is becoming a terrible leader. What type of successful crafter does not complete their tasks? What type of business leader continually ignores customer requests in order to pursue their pet projects? What kind of leader becomes so hyper focused they ignore their friends? Be honest, if you read those questions a specific manager/owner/supervisor came to mind and it was NOT someone you want to emulate. I don’t get how a series can become a “crafting” series and ignore basic concepts like delivering customer orders. Sal had all the crafting requests queued up and have we ever read about him fulfilling them? I don’t care how much of a visionary his character is, his ability to follow thru is a terminal flaw. The second criticism I have is completely personal. In book one, I was very pleased to read an academy story by an author who didn’t treat personal relationships like a communicable disease! I’m not saying focus on that or anything else, but so many books in the genre avoid any romance at all. I thought you had a balanced approach to interpersonal relationships. However, I was wrong. I can only look at book one as an aberration. Any semblance of romantic or ever just physical attraction has been avoided like the plague. Book one bought you like five books worth of patience from me. However, it is clear that I’m definitely in the minority of your readers. Probably the result of being in a healthy and loving relationship, which I think most readers of this genre think exists only in fantasy. Patience is used up. I have no desire to read a “crafting/slice of life” series where the protagonist has adhd so bad his crafting obligations are ignored and “life”, as described in many books, is bereft of any affection and consists of being a workaholic to the exclusion of living life. I wish you the best. Remember, it’s your series, write what makes YOU happy. I will keep it movin’.

Andrew Tobin
>>185241969

So, I think if you take your first point and turn it around in your head it might be a good thing. One of the early on criticisms of Sal was he was a bit of a Mary Sue - all the girls loved him, all the skills came easy to him, etc. Having a significant flaw is excellent for the character at this point! If you remember back to the start of book one, Sal was a bit of a loner who had a lot of adult contact thru the auction house, but tended to not have many friends because they didn't like his abilities. Not being good at communicating has been a constant thru-line in his character. Not being a good leader is completely true to his character, because he's never had friends, never had a group. He does have fantastic role models in how his parents work with their staff, but that's about it. Having this as a storyline - him working with Vanessa and Jez and Quest to take on this ambition of being a guildmaster, and immediately running into a wall of not having the skills, when he's jumped into the role without really knowing what it is, is fantastic. Sal has excelled very quickly at everything at Quest. Why wouldn't he immediately think that being a Guildmaster is the top ambition - Quest puts it forward that way very early on. And dumb Sal doesn't quite get yet that he may not be as automatically gifted to do this as he has been at everything else. I think it opens a huge range of options for storytelling, with friction and drama over Sal learning to be better with people, learning to organise groups, learning to learn how to do the job. And failing at it, is a perfect start. So, tldr, I think not being critical of the story because Sal is bad at something is the wrong take - I think asking Brian to pretty please lean into this opportunity is the way to go. If you would prefer to read a story where the main character powers thru - that is also completely fine - I'd just try and shy away from raising it as a criticism and make it a request that you'd prefer the story to head more in that direction.

Greg Ridge

All of the complaints can be addressed within the plot for this story arc: Sal is shirking leadership responsibilities: he suffers a consequence and his guided back to a proper path by his mentors; he is falling behind on his projects: once again, he grows as a real person does and learns to delegate, be more responsible, and uses arkwright 2 to "catch up" on those projects; as for his student status, he may have a "come to Jesus" moment with Upgrade which serves to allow the story to refocus or perhaps real life invades the school necessitating student real world experience fighting an uptick in invasions; finally, of course Sal is OP as that is what main characters are in fantasy/science fiction and is part of the escapism offered by reading.

Andrew Tobin
>>185249989

Yeah, my thing is, this gives the option of Sal being OP in crafting (and subsequently using equipment, and somewhat skills), but not in this other sphere. Depending on how his Skill Paragon goes, Perfect either becomes part of it, or he's got less thread for other skills... so his new one will either just let him have skills always perfect, or...? From my POV it would be good if he still struggles with skills he doesn't know how to use, tbh. Being OP is fantastic, but I like the idea of balancing that out in completely understandable, and relatable character flaws. Sometimes that's good. Sometimes we absolutely want escapism and perfect characters, doing everything perfect. I like Sal being bad at communications, and making time for his friends, and being called out for it. I like Sal going off on crafting and having to be called out to attend class, or wanting to prioritise going to class instead of ditching for crafting. Personally, I think its super hard for Brian to make us all happy - a lot of us want a lot more class time - because the teacher and other students are fantastic. A lot of us want more dungeon time, because action is fantastic. A lot of us want more friends time, because the characters and interactions are fantastic. A lot of us want more guild time, a lot of us want more relationship time, .... It's a heck of a balancing act to make all of us happy in the same few chapters all the time :)

Elizabeth Dean

It’s a coming of age story - Sal needs to learn to juggle responsibilities and manage his time - this is a totally human and real failing for a young man his age to be going through - pulled in multiple directions and failing to stick to a single track - he is discovering who he is and where his strengths lie. I like OP characters. I seriously have no complaints. The characters are all growing in believable ways for their age and situation, there is a worldwide extinction level threat but the kids are in a school protected somewhat from that truth but they are being exposed to the truth of the world more with each book. I enjoy your writing style and the multiple plot threads are only a concern in this weekly format - when the book is published they all get progressed within the main story arc. This much feedback and criticism during the writing process is not something previous generations of authors (even the serial magazine Sci Fi authors of the past) had to deal with as the communication technology wasn’t there. This is a difficulty of writing in the public eye, and there is no guidebook on how to deal with it. Your feelings are perfectly valid when it gets too negative, writing should be an act of pleasure and you should feel excited by it. Too much second guessing because of feedback that contradicts your vision is a real problem that anyone in your shoes would be facing, and there is no right or wrong way to deal with it or feel about it. I hope that you stick to your own vision and discard any feedback that doesn’t help you realise your story your own way. Not every reader can like every decision and it is not your job to placate everyone else’s internal vision of how the story should progress, it is to realise your own vision. Keep doing what you are doing - it’s great!

Zenmeerkat

So I just caught up on the chapters... I really like the workbench, I like that he is building more factory style inventions, I think the breadcrumbs are being dropped to lead us that he has this huge list of to do's and instead of being beholden to it, he is automating processes and eventually he is going to automate so much of the processes that he and his guild will be able to craft so fast...This is where the crafting guild comes in, which time being a countered factor, now we will begin to see crafting solutions problems that people have written off....like for example this time dragon...see where I am going with this....they are going to outcraft the problem that no one else has an answer too, it opens up a whole new line of solutions to stonewalled problems and is really going to put him on the same playing field as the Doom council, thoughts?

Delagator

Another option for your poll; DO WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT! Bunch of entitled ppl... 👿

Bruce Fullerton

It's your story and I'm enjoying sit down and create your doing great

CaffeineEnjoyer69

Anybody know a place other than Patreon comments that I could send the author some feedback? The kind of criticisms that were laid out in this post irritate me because they seem incredibly surface level, but I also don't want to write a manifesto in here lmfao

christopher stewart

This is your story, and I want to read what you have to write. Please don't let others slow down or change your story.

Robert D Hayes Jr
>>185673914

I do not normally comment because my words aren't good. But I agree with this so much, I came to read your story not my story, or some commenters story. I look forward to seeing where you will take the story.

Frilas

Are there any chapters coming out today? Just hoping for a simple yes or no to manage expectations.

Frilas
>>185793701

Guess this is like the last con—no new chapters, as was more or less implied before the whole discussion started. I really wish there’d be clearer communication this time, instead of leaving over 2,000 people in uncertainty yet again.

Dirtdawg

Hey Brian, it’s late Monday afternoon here in the central US and I’m really hoping all the negative Nancy’s and sour puss Sally’s haven’t knocked you off your stride! Your new chapters coming out are actually one of the highlights of my week. I can’t properly convey how excited I get when the new chapter notice lights up my phone. Please don’t change your story or how you write for the tiny minority. You tell it and we’ll read it.

Matt

Will there be any chapters today?

Sitsume
>>185858096

He said two weeks ago he will be at Dragon Con the 27th to 1st so I doubt it. Expect maybe something next week?

RnR_ RnR

I am not whelmed by the lack of update.. but I get it. Take your time to get your mind and heart right. We'll be here.

None ya

Fuck the haters!

Matthew

Im just now getting to these sections and while I have noticed tiny things that you already have stated will be addressed through the editing process you have established, I just want to say that I absolutely love the direction the book is going and look forward to each chapter. If people chose to spew hate they have the option of writing their own books and can do with it what they want. You have made multiple incredible books and I look forward to continuing this for as long as you will write them. Keep on doing you. You're doing great at it.

Jack

Who in the world would deliberately retcon their story to change a color? That's just....what? How is that even a thought someone entertained? And it seems suspect that someone would stick with a story line that doesn't work for them for two and a half fairly extensive books after it has been ruined. Oh, and paying money to get the first updates on it! If literary masochism is their kink, their continued enjoyment is on them unless you've consented to be their dom. Here's what I enjoy about the 'opening up many different projects' and 'Sal not taking enough lead in his own Guild,' not necessarily in any comprehensible order. It feels very much like a part of the character. His core feels like "generously-hearted geek." Geeks get distracted by shiny projects. And great things come out of it. Skipping from inspiration to inspiration feels like 'eccentric genius' behavior. The way in which he can share his projects and resources with those who can benefit the most, without being screwed over and still protecting his own interests, as he sees them, strikes me as insanely mentally healthy. A counter balance to the obsessive geek side. I love the combination. It takes a lot of self confidence to let the people more qualified than you are who are your 'subordinates' do what they do best without interfering. It's a trait of very good leaders. The only caveat I have to this is that if Alex cuts him out of big decisions again, I would be unhappy if he wasn't yanked up short. That's the difference between good leader and doormat. The nuttiness of all these things happening all over the place feels very....real. Starting a new enterprise while going to school while helping all your friends while recovering from an injury while worrying about kidnapping should be hard and chaotic and out of control. And in a way, that's what teenager time feels like regardless, so there's a validity to it emotionally. About errors. I've written a longer project and I know how what a reader puts into their brain cleanly as memory isn't the same as the writing brain producing it, where it's all coming out of a malleable well that gets shaped as it goes. The details get written down in pencil in the writer brain and ink in the reader brain. And then if you've had to rewrite things, forget it, it's hard to remember the details. I very much enjoy the 'slice of life' stuff followed by a big action payoff format you have going. And I like the length of the slice of life stuff. There's absolutely nothing I'd call "Padding for word count" in there. At all. Your writing style has been consistent and we're on book six. If that style doesn't work for someone, the responsible thing to do is stop reading, not try to tear down a creator. Whew. I had opinions. Maybe I'm the one who should be accused of padding for word count. TLDR: keep doing what you're doing. It's working.

Inger Lise

I must admit i do not like Skill Paragon so far. I hope this "cannot activate weaves in himself" is just a issue of the mastery rate being low, since it si a new skill. And he gets his skill master skill back eventually. Hopefully Athena helps him here.

Drew
>>189035285

The problem is that some really toxic readers think that because they're paying money for a preview, that that means they're entitled to dictate that if conform to exactly what they want from it. And any time it deviates from exactly what they want, how they want it, well, that must mean it's the author's fault! The author must be doing something wrong! The author must "fix" it so it's exactly what that person wants! And when that delusion meets reality, the cognitive dissonance manifests as anger and vitriol towards the author. I'm an author myself, and I can tell you straight up that I could never manage this format; I have enormous respect for any author who can. It's not just the relentless pace that it demands, but how stressful it would be to impede your own ability to freeform edit and reiterate earlier parts of the draft as you come up with new ideas or hit narrative snags later on. To then be subjected to abuse because you're doing perfectly normal author things is insane. I haven't even read the apparently controversial chapter yet, and who knows, I might even end up as one of the people who don't like it, but you know what, it doesn't matter. I'm thankful for the opportunity to read it early, and I firmly believe that the story inherently belongs to the author. It is not my place, nor anyone else's, to try to force the author to make it different than what their own creative vision determines. To the author, ignore insanity from the peanut gallery and keep up the good work.

Roderick McIntyre

I personally believe you need to be the creative you are.. The books so far have been amazing, and my only struggle is waiting for the next part. It isn't my place to tell you what the story should be (otherwise, I'd be writing the story instead of enjoying it). Please continue doing what you have been doing..

Bob Bullock

Brian, ignore ***holes. Everyone has an opinion. Opinions are like ***holes. Everyone has one. All stink. Write your story. If you want inpu, ask. If someone is abusive, ignore. You're driving, we're in the backseat. If you find yourself lost, then we can help, but without your outline, we can only suggest. Don't share your outline, that would spoil the work.