How do you face the end of a long-term creative partnership? Utsudo’s four-to-five-year partnership with 紅妻 came to an end at the start of this month. They met through 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》. When she was only doing print publishing and sank into a slump where she didn’t want to write novels, 紅妻 worked with her on a mobile game, taught her to livestream with OBS, and helped her fulfill her dream of self-printing the Ghost Island essays. Now she can speak for herself through social media. She’s grateful for that companionship, parts on good terms, and wishes them both a bright future.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

The end of a four-to-five-year partnership

My partnership with 紅妻 came to an end at the beginning of this month.

It wasn’t especially long or short—about four or five years. During that time, they helped me enormously; they truly were a benefactor in my life. The parting was a bit sudden and you could even say it didn’t end on the best terms, but no matter what, I’m still full of gratitude toward them.

Parting on good terms is probably what they’d want, too.

Brought together by the Ghost Island series

Looking back at our first contact, we were brought together by my essay collection 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》. Back then they’d occasionally leave comments, and my impression was “also a creator” and “draws.” Later, when I wanted to find a cover illustrator for Ghost Island, they were the first person I thought of.

For one, they knew the work; for another, their comments felt friendly. Although their profile said outright “not taking commissions,” I still believed they were the best choice, so I decided to try my luck and write to them. To my surprise, they not only agreed right away but didn’t even charge me. I was over the moon!

I remember that day I was helping a friend run a booth in Hengchun, around the Mid-Autumn Festival. My friend saw me grinning at my phone and asked if something good had happened XD

After that, we messaged back and forth for a while. I remember once when I had to give a talk and was terrified—right before going on stage, I was reading our messages for a bit of courage. After a while of exchanging messages, we went back to playing Ragnarok Online together, and that started our first collaboration, 《RO冒險日誌》.

The partner who helped me out of a slump

I remember I was in a creative slump then. Doing only print publishing, I felt the harshness of reality and fell into a state where I didn’t want to write novels at all. So I escaped into the virtual world, where I unexpectedly met some RO friends. Our playful everyday antics made me want to record them, and that opened a creative path for me beyond novels.

Later we also worked together on a mobile game of the same name. Beyond that, they were the one who pushed me to start livestreaming.

I always need ages to mentally prepare before doing anything. But the day they gave me OBS and taught me how to stream, they had me try streaming right then. I was so nervous! But thanks to that push, I gradually honed my speaking skills, as well as my ability to plan shows and invite guests.

They also helped me fulfill my dream of printing and selling my own books. Every chapter of the Ghost Island essays had an illustration, and we printed them and sold them online and at conventions. My first booth experience and three self-printed books were all thanks to their tremendous help—on my own, it might have taken forever, and I might not have done it well.

Looking back, I’ve come a long way

Looking back, I’ve come a long way without realizing it.

I’m no longer the novelist who shut herself in, buried in writing, only to be beaten back by reality. I now speak for myself through social media, have joined an agency, and am surrounded by more and more talented creators—even creators who appear on screen.

Next, I plan to map out a more detailed social media plan and may start my own company. I’ll also try making online courses, and there are many, many more things waiting for me to accomplish step by step!

Thank you for your companionship and encouragement. However hard the road ahead may be, I’ll grit my teeth and keep moving forward.

I wish you well, and I hope we each have a wonderful future.

FAQ

Further reading

• Previous: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #241: Speak Up to the World and Find Your Partners
• Start from the beginning: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #01: Utsudo’s Debut — A Road to the Dream Covered in Frost
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.