Feeling tired and down and I am not ok

Hey you all :wave: :slightly_smiling_face: . How are you all today? So you all, I am starting to feel pretty down lately and I don’t get to talk about it as much on my Instagram at @twes2363.episode, but the reason why I am feeling pretty down lately is that in general idk but it’s just now I am starting to feel like Episode is maybe not really for me like I wanted it to be. I really was hoping with Episode that it can be my big break to be a successful author for it, but I just feel like now I don’t think I see it anymore. In case if you are wondering, I am not saying that I am quitting Episode, but I am just concerned on if I should continue writing for Episode or not. It’s just that I have been writing for Episode for almost 3-4 years now, and so far I haven’t been getting much of success that I wanted to have. don’t get me wrong, I love to write my stories for people to read and love and also I wanted to write them because I actually enjoyed writing these story ideas as well, but I just hate for a lot of the story ideas that I wrote I don’t get much attention for what I write. I usually love to write stories that are non- Episode cliche like or at least not too much of that because I have heard about the drama with that before of how people don’t like to see that in Episode. Then I noticed with a lot of Episode stories including some of the Squad Entries as well (please don’t think I am trying to throw shade bc I am not that much of that type of person) but I have noticed with those stories that concerns Mafia related stuff, Pregnant by ________, and stories like that are the ones that are getting most of the attention on Episode, and to be honest I do feel like in that way it is really unfair that they are getting more attention as a lot of stories on Episode are using those cliche typed formulas for their story
just to get more reads, and it’s just with me and probably other authors too, tries to make original ideas that are not too cliche and then we don’t get much attention. You all I even tried doing literally everything in the dern book to promote my stories to get much attention, I tried having my own Instagram, I tried asking people to promote and to review my story, I tried posting sneak peeks and updates, I even tried to support others and to be kind to others which in real life I do really like to be kind and helpful to others as well, I tried everything… but then I still wasn’t getting too much attention. So I felt like I was getting nowhere. Then when I have asked people to review some of my stories on Instagram (again I am not throwing any shade with this, I am just deeply concerned, which is why I am not going to throw any names out because I don’t like to throw shade too much.) but I have noticed that with a lot of reviewers I contacted don’t like the way I write and code my stories. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate the help that they want to give me to improve, but I noticed with a lot them either they ghost me, give me a review that mostly bashes my story/ stories out even though they do claim that they were providing constructive criticism or that they weren’t trying to be negative about the review, but yet again most of the time I do feel like something is up with that and I feel like they must have felt that I haven’t tried hard enough, but the thing is I wrote and read for Episode for almost 3-4 years and yes I started off doing basic directing but over time as I learned more on coding I got better and better to the point where I started using advanced coding a lot, but still I feel like maybe it’s just not enough to most people in their eyes. It does hurt that I try really hard to make my stories a success and coding them takes me days to months to even get one chapter out and I also notice how people code and get there chapters to their story done real quick than I can, but sometimes I just feel like I do want to question myself: Am I really that terrible of an author? Will I ever make success on Episode? The drama I have been hearing on Episode that I have been hearing on Episode lately has been too much for me, especially with my mental health as well, but then I also notice that I wanted to enter my first contest on Episode which was the Squad Contest. I thought that this will be my big break into getting the recognition that I truly deserve for my creativity, but then I noticed that it wasn’t getting a lot of attention that I wanted and then more stories for the squad contest however out there were getting more attention better than me, and now I feel really depressed, stressed, concerned, and sad because I just am feeling like maybe I am just not worth being an author or worth being a person either. But don’t worry you all, I will do what I can to feel better, but I just wanted to state what I was really concerned about and please don’t take this as any drama or shade because I am not that type of person that would want it to go out like that, but I am just really feeling deeply sad and concerned right now.

Thanks for your time,

Tabitha Williams <3

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EDIT: If you want to have your own opinion or what to say something for support, I will be glad to appreciate it but please no hateful comments. I will be glad to take any advice as well on my situation and on how to better promote my story as well.:blush: :slightly_smiling_face:

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nah throw shade, you’re right it isn’t fair :(( people love cliches and hey I don’t blame them but it sucks especially when you’re trying so hard for it not to be cliche and no one admires it. don’t give up love it’s mentally draining but I believe all us small authors will get our big break hopefully. your mental health comes before allat :pleading_face:…

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Woah :see_no_evil:, girl take a breather.

Look imma call it the way I see from what you wrote. I get that you’ve been trying for 3 to 4 years and your story hasn’t gotten attention. I comprehend that, because same. I also agree that Episode is into the whole list that you mentioned above. It’s ridiculous but what can you do? People are into those stories.

I also want to say that your mental health is important. I don’t know how I can emphasize that but IT’S important. If you’re feeling depressed, please take time to yourself. Log out of episode and delete the app for a bit. Relax, love!

At the end of the day if you like your story then that’s all that matters! But I know this probably won’t make you feel better :pleading_face:.

But please take some time off and recollect yourself.

Also don’t ever say you’re aren’t worth it. Everyone is worth it!

Sorry if you didn’t want to be tagged

@lanafrazer_episode @gummybears1 @mdrawzz @Epy.Leslie @Avarose456 @Clevertimes

:two_hearts: I’m here to support you, send your story I’ll give it a read!

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Thank you so much and I do agree with what you are saying but yeah I just don’t like to throw much shade because I am type a person that will vent out a issue that issue that I have but however I just don’t like it to get to a point where if it starts to be dramatic then it causes a whole lot of problems. But I do appreciate the advice that you are giving me with this. Thank you so much :relaxed: :slightly_smiling_face:.

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I think I get what you mean. Those awesome and unique stories kind of just get buried by the cliches and overused ideas. I would like to see more original content and less mafia stories or something like that. If you want, I can read your story. Just because your story isn’t getting the recognition it deserves doesn’t mean that you should give up. You’re amazing and keep up the great work! :kissing_heart:

sorry if this offended someone :grimacing:

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Thank you for your advice as well. I will see what I can do to take some time for myself and yes I do see that people like cliche stories a lot and yes there some stories that are cliche that I liked and some that were ok in my opinion but I do hate that it is the sad truth about Episode, but again thanks so much for your advice :relaxed::slightly_smiling_face:.

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What’s your story title, I’d love to support you with a read <3

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I second this :see_no_evil:

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Trust me, it is HARD getting your story out and noticed. I am still seeing with a few authors, and don’ t ever tell yourself that “you’re terrible of an author”, hun you are not. I’ve seen you everywhere trying to promote and promote and promote and promote and to let others check out your story, which is still good. That means you are trying hard, and not giving up.

Now, I’ve finished reading a squad story, and now I am on to yours, hun, you’re MENTAL HEALTH IS IMPORTANT, and it really is (if you need to take a break, take a break), don’t feel bad that you see other authors with their stories gaining a lot of reads and recognition, you have other authors supporting other authors with lesser read, etc. It takes time to read these entries, and promote because we have a lot and when I say a lot, WE HAVE A LOT OF ENTRIES.

Don’t feel as though you are not doing enough to get your story out there, YOU ARE DOING IT, AND YOU STILL ARE, AND U ARE PUSHING YOURSELF WHICH IS GOOD.
Now, I’m not good with all of this encouragement words because I sometimes mess up my vocabulary but you get my point.

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I don’t think you are offending anyone here or either me, I do agree with your points as well, and I can try to pm you on my story details if you may like. You can always let me know if you want to.

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Yes! Please do :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Well with the story I am talking about it is the one I recently published called Squad: The Gavinville Paranormal Team. I do have 6 more under my belt under my profile as well if you can check it out if you may like :blush::slightly_smiling_face:.

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I will definitely check them out, and just please never give up on your writing, okay :heart:

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Thanks Lana. I do appreciate your encouraging words for me to not give up so I do really thank you for it :blush: :grin: :cherry_blossom:. I read your entry as well and it was really good as well, especially when you wrote about Jaquan and how he lives in the bahamas doing photography and I do really like the bahamas since it is one of my favorites places that I would love to travel to one day.

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Well thanks for telling me to never give up. I do truly appreciate that :blush:.

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Thanks, and okay Im reading yr story now and its at the mini-game, how many shards are there? I’ve already found 4 n it’s bringing me back to the mini-game.

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Sorry for the long response, but well to help out, I do get people being confused with this, but I am sorry on that and Episode did say in their contest I wasn’t allowed to put additional dialogue to make it more clear, so you can refer to the response below for help on that and I also created a tutorial on instagram for those who are confused as well. Hopefully after the contest, I can make some changes to that dialogue to make it more clear. I am terribly sorry on that my bad :disappointed: :slightly_frowning_face:. :

You all I noticed that I am starting to get more people confused with the Snowflake Energy mini game but I am here to help with that, so please refer to this response below in case if you have read my story and had trouble with it, I am sorry that I couldn’t make the instructions clear enough for you all, I wish that I can make those changes but Episode said for the Squad Contest that we weren’t allowed to make additional dialogue changes until after the contest and after the winner’s shelf is released, so I am very sorry for any confusion but please read the response below:

there is a tutorial video on my Instagram and that you can always follow my Instagram at @twes2363.episode that is if you have one, however but I can post the instructions in a clear sense here below as well: The Snowflake Mini game is a 15 second timed pannable mini-game meaning that in this mini-game you have to swipe through the background zones on your device to tap on all of the shards before the time runs out. But to warn you, once you tap on one shard and it centers to the fairy character Rosalie don’t tap the same shard or more than one shard whenever it soon centers towards Rosalie or else the game will mess up and asks you to start over, or don’t tap 1-3 shards and not all four or else it will ask you to start over on that too. Hopefully, this may have helped you and if you have any other questions please notify me here at any time or if you are referring to another mini-game in the first chapter please let me know too.

The link to the tutorial video on Instagram below:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CDQey_hFYEU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Please let me know if this helps, and if you still have questions, you can always let me know in my fanmail as well :blush: :slightly_smiling_face:.

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Just dmed you. I hope everything works out for the best with your story, and please don’t give up! :heart:

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You all if you do want to read my story, I do want to warn you all that yes I am getting concerns with the snowflake mini game and I am sorry if I could not make that more clear which I feel like it is my fault but Episode said that with the Squad Contest that I along with other people who enters are allowed to add additional dialogue changes even though I do really wish that I could to make the game more clear, Hopefully when the contest is over, I will do what I can to to make the game more easier to understand. But is the excerpt of a post that I made in case if anyone is confused with that whenever they read my story:

You all I noticed that I am starting to get more people confused with the Snowflake Energy mini game but I am here to help with that, so please refer to this response below in case if you have read my story and had trouble with it, I am sorry that I couldn’t make the instructions clear enough for you all, I wish that I can make those changes but Episode said for the Squad Contest that we weren’t allowed to make additional dialogue changes until after the contest and after the winner’s shelf is released, so I am very sorry for any confusion but please read the response below:

there is a tutorial video on my Instagram and that you can always follow my Instagram at @twes2363.episode that is if you have one, however but I can post the instructions in a clear sense here below as well: The Snowflake Mini game is a 15 second timed pannable mini-game meaning that in this mini-game you have to swipe through the background zones on your device to tap on all of the shards before the time runs out. But to warn you, once you tap on one shard and it centers to the fairy character Rosalie don’t tap the same shard or more than one shard whenever it soon centers towards Rosalie or else the game will mess up and asks you to start over, or don’t tap 1-3 shards and not all four or else it will ask you to start over on that too. Hopefully, this may have helped you and if you have any other questions please notify me here at any time or if you are referring to another mini-game in the first chapter please let me know too.

The link to the tutorial video on Instagram below:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CDQey_hFYEU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Please let me know if this helps, and if you still have questions, you can always let me know in my fanmail as well :blush: :slightly_smiling_face:.

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