janedoewrites

[janedoewrites]

Will there be an Alphard Black in the story?

The Heart of the World by me, part of an ongoing series with book 2 incoming relatively soon.

Alas, no, while I love the character dearly, both in When Harry Met Tom and newer stories @therealvinelle and I have written, he doesn't really have a place in the story. There's nothing for him to do and he doesn't really bring anything narratively to the table there.

Could change my mind whenever book 2 gets done and I start seriously plotting out book 3, but for now I'd say don't expect him.

[janedoewrites]

I'd love an audio book of your story because I like audio books and your book is one of my favourite, but a significant part of me also just wants to hear you try to pronounce all of the names you created.

Like Frank's real name.

Also, Im currently rereading the book, and I just got to Ilyn burning down Lily's house. I forgot how delightfully unhinged the man is. I'm struggling to put the book down even though I know how it ends. It's so much fun.

Will we get more Ilyn in book 2?

The Heart of the World by me

Thank you so much! Can't believe people are rereading it, high praise indeed.

And great to hear, I'll actually have to get on that then and, yeah, those names were my thought too. See, it's all fun and games when I don't have to say them out loud.

And yes, Ilyn is an important secondary character in book 2, so he has a very decent amount of screen time.

[janedoewrites]

Was Rabbit’s humanoid appearance based on twilight vampires?

Lily and the Art of Being Sisyphus

The Heart of the World (by me @janedoewrites)

Nope, not at all.

His human appearance was based on being a stereotypical yet colorless rabbit that's not a rabbit and then a human that's not a human.

Twilight wasn't even crossing my mind at the time.

[janedoewrites]

Spoilers for The Heart of the World ahead! You've been warned

I just finished reading your book! I definitely enjoyed it but I'm not sure if my opinion is influenced by the original fic. Ilyn was probably my favorite character besides Frank, I can kind of see what characters you referenced for who but I think you did a really good job with him, the whole thing he has going on with 'Lily's mother' is especially intriguing because it's not something that happened in the fic.

I'll hussle my book nerd friend into reading it when she's back in town so I can see what someone with a fresh pair of eyes thinks.

That being said I do kind of miss some of the plot points you cut (like the whole Therapy plot and terrorizing her adoptive family) but I can see why you'd cut that for the sake of the pacing. Honestly I never realized how long the original fic was but I blew through the book in the three days I've had it. I definitely want to see how it goes from here, what things will remain the same and how far from the original plot we'll deviate.

Lily herself is... Lily, I've always liked the way she's written. I feel like she's more humanized in this story, or at least a bit more sympathetic to others. I'm not sure if that's what you intended or if she just comes across as a bit more normal because we didn't get that long introduction that establishes her as a borderline lunatic (can't think of a more accurate word rn) She's still otherworldly, but maybe a bit more grounded in this story? Then again it's been a few years since I last read the fic so my memories might be exaggerating some things.

I think my favourite moment was when Lenin said "that's not me" when Lily met the younger version of him but I think that the fact that I can predict or remember certain plot twists spoiled the story for me. I still liked it, I'll be buying the next one and I think I'll enjoy it too but I kind of wish I could erase my memories of the fic, just so I can experience the book the way it's meant to be read as an original story. This way, I'm just drawing comparisons between the two and not looking at it as a standalone story but I can't really help it.

Overall I think you did a really good job with this, at certain parts of the plot (like when Lily first enters the magical world, or when rabbit is introduced) I wished there was more time spent discussing the world or what's happening but I'm assuming you had to condense a lot of it. For the most part I don't think it affects the overall experience of the story too much, except for Rabbit. If the years between Lily being 5-12 weren't cut I think it could have been established better what exactly Rabbit is, or I guess his role as a cosmic horror. From eating the bridge club to eating two tasks is a very large jump and I kind of missed that buildup, and the horror of people and things that were important to the story disappearing gradually. It's entirely possible that I'm getting ahead of myself though and this is all the stuff that will happen later on in the next books, or you simply intended to take a different route this time.

I'm kind of rambling and this ask is getting longer and longer, Anyway, good book, I'll be recommending and lending it to my friends to see what they think since they didn't read the fic. Sorry if I came off as if I was complaining at any point, I really did enjoy reading it

The Heart of the World by me (@janedoewrites)

Glad you enjoyed it overall!

There are things I miss from the original as well, but they didn't fit a) the pacing b) the new world or c) the story in general.

As an example, Lily is definitely more humanized in the book, and part of this is to be a bit more sympathetic but a lot of it has to do with the lack of growing up with the Dursleys who are over the top abusive. The Tylors, in the book, are simply indifferent and absent--and that has a bit of a different effect on Lily as a person compared to the fic.

This also resulted in the lack of the therapy arc as, well, the Tylors aren't even around enough for it to make sense/aren't what Lily saw as thoughtless obtuse abusive obstacles who must be made to do her bidding.

And so on.

Personally, I think the book is better for it, but the bottom line is that I would say the two are different. There's a lot in common, enough so I took the original down to publish, but I think there's more different than a lot of people realize. It's not just copy/replace with names.

Still very interesting to see people point of the differences, and yes, we're still very much in the beginning here with a lot still to go. So, things not covered in book 1 may be coming up in further books.

But glad you liked it! Interested to hear what your friends think.

[janedoewrites]

my copy of the heart of the world arrived today and I similarly finished it today; it was excellent especially since I'd missed Lily so much

though despite my expectations, Ilyn was my favourite, rather than Lily

i am planning to lend the book to my ex tomorrow. he knows it has roots as hp fic but never read it on ao3, and I want to see where he spots the Harry Potter dna :P

The Heart of the World by me

!

Glad you liked it so much! Seriously, getting it one day and then finishing it in the same day--I'm so flattered it's that gripping. (And honestly, Ilyn's one of my favorite characters too, real dark horse there as I don't think anyone saw that coming including me).

Excited to hear how he likes it, thanks for letting me know!

[janedoewrites]

Are there any names that are too closely tied with fandom or characters that you basically prevent yourself from using them in any original works?

Anon, you make a bold assumption that I'm a "name" person at all.

It pains me deeply that I can't do as the artist and call a character "Boy with Stick".

Savvy readers of The Heart of the World (by me @janedoewrites) will notice such names as "Nhoj" which is.. "John" but... backwards. There is also the human nobility with such names as "Iff", "Theyn", "Wheyn", and "Annde". And let's not forget the characters whose names look suspiciously like keyboard smashes on a qwerty keyboard. Surely, there is deep thought behind those names. Surely.

Or "John Jones" for that matter.

... Or Questburger, named as such because "tee-hee, that's funny".

Names are one of those things that pain me and unless I have a very specific pun/point in mind "uuuuuuuuh, this one's also John, fuck it".

But to get back to your question, yes, I would never use a direct character name from a published series/or even a heavily used fanon name. I kept Lily because, well, it is a name and the original fic was so far out of left field it felt fine, changing the last name felt sufficient to me, not to mention I just couldn't think of a better one so there we go.

But I would never keep Hermione, Neville, Tom, Harry, Albus, and so on. It never even crossed my mind to. I wouldn't even keep Mattheo if I had one around.

This is partly because it's just a bad idea to do that, but also because with OG works for all yeah, it's based on a fanfic, it helps separate it for me as an author and the characters can be whatever I need to versus Character A in a hat. I'm sure people will still tell me X, Y, and Z are Character in Hat, and there's some truth to that, certainly we all know the tropes/roles, but for me there's not a direct paste to any of the characters from the fic version let alone canon.

Gives me nice freedom of movement for myself as well as the audience of "I know you know who this was, but they're different now".

TL;DR

Every name.

[janedoewrites]

I've been rereading heart of the world I feel sooo nostalgic towards lily and the art of being Sisyphus. When I tell you my life was just CHANGED after I read it. Like I genuinely don't think any other fic or book caused such a intense reaction. But ik you mentioned somewhere that where lily left off wasn't the actual ending and I was wondering if you planned it to have a happy end?? Maybe bittersweet?? I'm just so curious on what the last two arcs would have been 🙏 so I'm very excited to see where the Sisyphus series goes!!

Ps. I love Lily so much, like she's actually my ride or die. That girl could commit various atrocities and I be like "you're doing great sweetie!!!" I was so so sad at her ending in lily and the art 😭 when I say I was DEVASTATED I mean it so much. I was crying, I was unwell, I was ready to rip the seams of reality just to hold her 🥹 You wrote her in such a compelling way, that it feels like I would walk the to ends of the earth, I would crawl to the moon and stars, if only to see her story continue on.

The Heart of the World by me (@janedoewrites) and Lily and the Art of Being Sisyphus by me

Thanks, anon, I'm very flattered! Glad my fic had such an impact on your life.

As for the ending, depends on your point of view. I think it's ultimately a hopeful ending and one on a happy note, but there's a lot of struggling to get there and it's not so much that problems are solved but "I learned how to face problems". So yeah, guess it falls into the bittersweet realm.

With so much left, god it's a long story.

(Since there is an actual book series now and the ending is intended to be very thematically similar, disregard my handwaving vagueness.)

[janedoewrites]

To motivate myself (and cut down on random spending sprees) I’ve set up specific goals and little rewards for reaching those goals. Anyway, I just treated myself to The Heart of the World and I’m loving it! I’m only about 20% of the way through but wow! I can already tell that I’ll be eagerly awaiting the sequel

The Heart of the World by me @janedoewrites

Oh, thank you!

That's very flattering and I'm glad you like it so much.

[janedoewrites]

After five months worth of assessments to procrastinate on, I finished making a bookmark based on @janedoewrites book, Heart of the World!

[janedoewrites]

is john jones also half-elf, or does he just have elven heritage? it surprises me that the kingdom makes such a big deal about lily being half-elf whereas wizard lenin sacrificed the "human part of himself" and nobody seemed to have noticed, calling him a "very powerful human mage" (elizabeth) ... he also surprisingly has a lot of scorn for lily's dad's choice of wife, though he has scorn for everything ... my initial thought was love elf based on tom riddle's backstory, but his recount of his alliance with the love elves makes me think otherwise - it's too much of a professional thing. unless?

The Heart of the World by me (@janedoewrites)

Something something spoilers spoilers something something.

LOVE THE SPECULATION THOUGH.

[janedoewrites]

is sisyphus book 2 still going to happen? i find myself rereading sisyphus book 1 and i miss this crazy world - I understand if it's on the back burner haha

The Heart of the World by me (@janedoewrites)

In the works as we speak! (And thanks for the praise)

I'm a little over a quarter finished I'd say.

[janedoewrites]

I want to publish a book someday, but I'm not sure where to start. What was your experience like publishing The Heart of the World? How did you format it for printing? Did you have to hire someone? How did you find a cover artist? Was it expensive?

I bought the hardcover as soon as I could. I love the story, and I loved the story in its fanfic form, too.

I hope one day to be as good of a writer as you.

(P.s. Have you considered selling signed copies?)

The Heart of the World by me (@janedoewrites)

Thank you, anon! Glad you like the book and the original fic! I always love to hear from people who've a) read it b) enjoyed it. Always nice to know it's not just me.

And I'm sure you'll get there if you're not there already. I didn't start out nearly as good as I am today, it just takes time and practice.

As for the publishing stuff most of this is discussed here.

Publishing, Was it Expensive, How You Do?

Self-publishing was very simple, stupid simple really. Hardest part is writing and editing and then, if you're trying to make decent money/a living, marketing which is the hardest of all.

Now for your questions.

There are word document templates you can use that have the specifications required for print books (both hard and soft). This is what I used for the print versions. For the electronic version I used software to render it as an e-pub and make sure the chapter titles and sections were all correct. This software is freely available and is easy to use/has tutorials.

I had friends help edit the book through various drafts and didn't have to hire anyone for editing. However, hiring a professional is absolutely something you could do, but I have no experience in how much that would cost.

I was lucky for cover artists in that @sunnyfish0-0, who is amazing and a great artist, volunteered because they were a fan of the fic series and were very excited about the story. They also wanted a chance to add something like this to their portfolio. They were very kind in that, so long as they retained copyright of the image (this is very normal/should be the case, as you as the author are then granted use of the image but don't own it) and were able to use it in their portfolio, I was not charged. I'm still so happy about it, because it turned out absolutely fantastic and really captured the vibe of the story.

If it hadn't been for that, I probably would have drawn the cover myself (and it wouldn't have been nearly as good and would likely have been quite different). To create the cover, there are specifications of the exact dimensions the cover requires based on the number of pages in the book/the paper being used/the size of the page. For Amazon, what I went through for hard printing, these dimensions and templates were provided to me.

There are also tools that can help you generate covers from stock images for free as well.

If you want to hire an artist, there are artists all around on tumblr who will do so for commission. See if they're accepting commissions, see what their pricing is, look at their style and see if it matches what you're looking for, then talk to them about the project. I've seen artists saying that sometimes they get manuscripts, sometimes they don't and are just told "vibes of the story/main trends/themes and things that are important to portray". Prices will vary based on the experience of the artist, the complication of the scene you're asking for, the size of the cover, cost of materials/software, and really depends on who you're looking for and what you're doing.

Might also be worth reaching out to friends and such/people excited in the project and see who is willing to help out with what and for what if any price.

So, for me, it was extremely inexpensive, the only thing publishing cost me was my free time (which I was spending writing anyway). Because I chose a route where printing is on demand, printing and shipping is slow but does get there eventually and it means I don't pay out of pocket to have 50 books I may or may not sell on hand. I also don't have to ship them myself which helps a lot.

Now, all this changes if you're getting published by a publishing company, in which they will likely handle the cover art and editing for you, but that's not something I have familiarity with.

Signed Copies

Alas, one of the downsides of not having print copies on hand is I don't have print copies on hand. I can get authors copies for the price of printing and then there comes the problem of shipping.

Shipping, especially for readers who span across the globe, is expensive even for something as relatively light as a small paperback/hardcover book.

And since it's not something I really want to offer to some versus others, and don't want to cut off at a few lucky people who get a signed copy, it's pretty much a "if you know who I am in the real world and can meet me in person with a book". I also don't want to offer signed copies only for exorbitant prices of "make up printing and shipping plz".

Maybe that will change someday, but for now, I sign only in spirit.

If it's any consolation, my handwriting's garbage.

[janedoewrites]

My New Year’s resolution is to finish this book! Thanks for writing it, Ms. Muffin

The Heart of the World by me (@janedoewrites)

Oooooooh!

Well, for what it's worth, I enjoyed it. So, there's that recommendation.

[janedoewrites]

Will the title be the same for book 2?

Nope.

Title will be different and when I'm certain I'll drop it, but I probably won't settle "for sure" until I submit to copyright/am through editing and writing.

I have a decent idea but until then it's a mysterious mystery.

It'll be a part of the same series, however.

[janedoewrites]

Hello!! I stumbled upon your fanfics when I was like ten years old, I’m so happy to see that you’ve been publishing your work now. I really enjoyed reading it back then, even if most of it flew over my head.

I’m very excited to read The Heart of The World <3 all the best for your future endeavours

The Heart of the World by me (@janedoewrites)

Thank you! Glad you like the work so much and hope you like the book!

[janedoewrites]

Hi there, Sisyphus fan. I’m curious if there’s a reason for the change of death being uncle vs brother. The idea of brother puts him on much more equal footing with Lily and it’s a neat detail so I was curious

Anon's referring to The Heart of the World by me (@janedoewrites) and the original fic Lily and the Art of Being Sisyphus.

And thank you! Glad you like it.

He's still referred to as "uncle" in the story, it's to make more explicit the fact that, as Elliott Tylor over there was born from the same alternate dimension parents, and raised in the same way, he's biologically more of a 'brother' than he is an 'uncle'.

It's to underline the "wow, we're kind of the same person, huh" that was more self-evident in the fic because we knew exactly where "Uncle Death" had come from and what he'd been doing.

[janedoewrites]

Will the Sisyphus book series end the way the fic did? I felt like the ending was missing something, but idk. sorry if this bothers you

No worries.

And it was missing something, that wasn't the end, and I had never intended for it to be the end. I stopped the fic there because I had decided to publish and it was a good breaking off point, the conclusion of a major arc in the story, but there was a whole major arc of the story to go if not two.

People just assumed that that was where it was supposed to stop the entire time.

The series has the same major beats, the same major arcs and points, but is very different in the details. But yes, the plan is for it to end the fic was planned to end, at least for all the threads to resolve to where the fic was meant to resolve, but what you saw in the fic was just a stop along the way.