Hey everyone! Let’s sit down and have a chat, shall we?
I started writing Ready or Not for the Archives in 2019, but I had been dreaming up the idea for a few years before that. It brought me immense comfort throughout my teen years to create this little fantasy world, and I had no idea it would become what it is now. I’m so glad that you have also found comfort in these characters and the world I’ve crafted.
With that, I am very sad to announce that Ready or Not on the AJA will be cancelled indefinitely. However, Mariah’s story is FAR from over. In fact, it has just begun.
Since 2019, there has been three completed books and one in progress. We’ve gone on Mariah’s journeys together, and it’s truly been a special adventure. I know change is scary, but I hope this new journey will be an even better, more exciting one that we will embark on together!
Ready or Not was actually an original idea I crafted to fit Animal Jam, and over the past few years, I have been thinking about reviving the original concept to officially publish. There were so many things I wanted to change with the beginning of the series and the concept as a whole, and this was my opportunity to do that.
Last spring, I decided to go for it and begin my first draft of the original book. I spent most of my summer writing, and shortly before band camp/my fall semester began in August, the first draft of Ready or Not was completed.
It’s been a bit slow with the fall semester drowning me in homework, but I plan to work on finishing the second draft throughout my spring semester.
After this second draft is complete, I’ll send it off to beta readers and will start deciding on which route I want to go as far as publishing.
The AJA version of Ready or Not was, in a way, a first draft . It allowed me to see what readers and I liked, what I didn’t like, and what I could improve on.
This whole experience has been so surreal, especially seeing Mariah’s story come to life.
One of the major changes I got to make was making Mariah autistic which was already a headcannon I had made for myself back when I was diagnosed in 2020. Mariah helped me accept myself, and it was only right that I officially made her autistic in the rework.
This version will also include a lot of mental health awareness which is something I personally am very passionate about. I also hope to really expand on the lore and make characters that people can enjoy.
Change can be really scary, but this new direction is looking incredibly bright for Mariah’s journey. I hope you guys are as excited for this as I am! If you’d like more information/to keep up with the Ready or Not book series, you can follow me on Instagram @etherialtv for updates!
