project-image

The Bright Spot: A Chase in the Aftermath of Society

Created by Redmatter Creations

Fallout meets The Sunlit Man in an eternal race against the sun. Do the survivors strive to maintain society, or do they revert to their animalistic nature?

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Locking Orders and Addresses Soon!
about 1 year ago – Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 07:42:50 AM

Hey Backers and Followers!

It's been a while hasn't it?
I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays.

The Bright Spot second draft is slowly but surely coming along. I don't have a progress bar on it, but rest assured, I'll be sending it off to an editor within the coming month or two.
I won't even get into how difficult these last three months have been for me. Since just November, my dog was diagnosed with 'prosencephaly.' His MRI showed a large portion of his cerebral cortex missing. That area fills up with fluid and causes him seizures. It's been very hard for us but he's doing okay!
I got into a car accident (don't worry, I'm okay!) which totaled out my car. If it weren't for GAP insurance, I'd have to pay $7k to close out my loan. So if you're offered it, get GAP insurance!
And of course, on top of that, we are in the middle of changing residencies! It's just non-stop for me, isn't it?

These things have brought many of my current projects to a halt, including The Bright Spot. I also just got burned out. Apparently writing 2000 words a day, every day, for two months, when you aren't used to doing that is very taxing. I'm ashamed to say that I've been avoiding it. Like a beast who cannot be tamed. Or like a dog who, no matter how many times you tell him, will not leave the poor cat alone.

Surveys will be locked soon, Likely early February. There are 6 of you who have not finished your surveys, (4 of you are my immediate family). So get that sorted before February first! Otherwise you may not get your copy of The Bright Spot when it releases!

The projected release of March/April was foolish. I had assumed that my passion would be on fire for almost a year straight with non-stop hours being put into my work. Unfortunately, I'm not Brandon Sanderson (Journey Before Destination). So The Bright Spot may be closer to releasing Q3/Q4 of 2025 and the public release would be three months later.

I can't remember if I've shown this before but here's something to look at as an apology for the delay. I created a map of the world, but it is a VERY early concept, which will be heavily revised before the full release


I know ALL of you want to see the puppy, so here is baby Oppenheimer! He turns one year old February 1st!

Surveys have been sent + Book Update
over 1 year ago – Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 02:41:19 PM

Hello everyone!

All of the surveys have been sent to every backer. Check your email for anything from Redmatter Creations or Backerkit so you can lock in your shipping address and pay for shipping.


So far only 57% of you have filled out your surveys!

I'll need to have all of your surveys filled out so I can send your pledges when it is ready!

You can find your pledges and surveys HERE

If you have any questions or issues, please reach out to me at [email protected], or contact Backerkit support.


Update

As many of you know, I have been doing a writing sprint, writing my first draft in two months and then turning around and re-writing half of my second draft. I wasn't expecting to hit a road block. With how different draft 2 is from the first, many changes and decisions have to be made. My dog, Oppenheimer, a 9 month old rottweiler, has been having daily cluster seizures. We now know why this occurred, and it is resolved, but paired with the season change and a few other things happening, the novel gets placed on the side burner.

I will be picking it back up and will provide more updates shortly. 

The Bright Spot Surveys and Digital Wallpapers
over 1 year ago – Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 09:33:20 PM

Hello Backers!

A quick(?) update for you all. 

Surveys

Surveys will be sent out soon. Be sure to check your email for any The Bright Spot links. You'll be redirected to Backerkit's Pledge manager where you can confirm your addons, pay for shipping, and enter your address.

Backerkit's pledge manager is a very powerful (and quite complicated) tool, so I wanted to spend the extra time to make sure I got everything correct.

Those who are eligible for the Early Bird incentive will be able to choose one of four stickers (or get one at random) to be sent along with their physical items. If you are eligible, but made a digital only pledge, you will need to pay for shipping for the single sticker. If you live outside of the US, shipping may be pretty high, especially for one item. You should be able to opt-out of receiving the incentive to avoid paying high shipping fees.

I will be conducting a smoke test tomorrow where very few of you will receive surveys. This is so that me and the Backerkit team can spot any issues within the pledge manager and fix them before the rest of you get your surveys.

Here's a quick look at what to expect with the pledge manager.

Wallpapers

The digital wallpapers are finally ready. There are wallpapers for both your Desktop PC and Mobile devices. There are multiple options for you to choose which one you like best!

You can download them here

Preview Chapter 1

In case you missed the last update, I am releasing the first few chapters of The Bright Spot periodically.
You can read it here. (The link may stop working in a week as I move over to a new domain.)

Draft 2 Progress

Progress is moving slower than I expected. I am rewriting the entire manuscript, cutting a ton of content, while also implementing and improving more. I can no longer write what comes to mind. Each decision made has to be carefully thought through. This takes a lot of time and energy. At the moment, the second draft sits at around 27k words at about 30%. 

A March release for backers and a June full release is still planned, but it still is subject to change. In November I will be sending off my second draft to an editor and beta readers to start the third draft in December (hopefully).

If I missed anything important, I'll probably send out another update.
Ride With The Sun!

The Bright Spot PREVIEW CHAPTER 1
over 1 year ago – Thu, Oct 03, 2024 at 07:18:49 AM

Hello backers!
I can't believe it's been a week since the campaign ended!

Preview Chapter

As promised, a preview chapter of the first chapter of The Bright Spot has been released. I will be sharing it on a website I created 8 years ago until I figure out how to upload it to my own domain. You can read it here
https://redmatteryt.wordpress.com/2024/10/03/the-bright-spot-preview-chapter-1/

Remember, this is a preview chapter from my second draft. Things in this chapter are going to change by the time TBS releases officially. 

Digital Wallpapers

Your digital wallpapers are still being edited, but you can expect to see them very soon.

Backer Surveys

I am still working on surveys. I decided I am going to wait at least two to three weeks before sending them out, just to give you time to update any payment info. Within the survey, you can choose whether or not you want your paperback signed + numbered, signed only, or unsigned. 
You'll also be able to "add-on" any "add-ons." Maybe you want another signed paperback copy, or forgot to add a bookmark.


I hope you enjoy the preview chapter and I can't wait to share more with you as time continues! 

Success! - The Bright Spot Update
over 1 year ago – Fri, Sep 27, 2024 at 05:16:52 PM

The campaign is over and we made over 300% of our goal with a final total of $1,633

On day ONE, we hit our goal of $500, unlocking digital wallpapers that you can download for your phone, tablet or computer! I will send out an update email with a Google Drive link when those are ready!

On day TWO, we hit our second goal of $1000, unlocking a fourth sticker in the sticker pack. This will also be included in the random draw for those who took advantage of the early bird incentive by backing within the first 48 hours.

The pledges tapered off until the final 48 hours when we reached our third goal of $1500. Because of this, I will be able to include a map of the world at the beginning of the book. With this map, you will be able to reference events that happen in the story and tie them to specific locations.


I am unable to express how much the amount of support means to me. It's mind-boggling that all 42 of you want to see this project succeed. As thanks, I will be posting preview chapters periodically until the novel launches in Q2 of next year.

I'll continue to chip away at my second draft until I feel like it is where I want it to be. I've already cut out nearly 30 pages of filler, so we will see how it shapes throughout October

I want to extend a very special thank you to EVERYONE who helped bring this project to life and I am VERY excited to share this piece of my heart with you all.