Power Stone Goals from now on: I always post a minimum of 5 chapters. Henceforth the following are the goals:
Every 150 powerstones, I upload an extra chapter.
If we hit top 30 in the 30-90 days power stone rankings, thats 1 more chapter
If we hit top 10 in the 30-90 days power stone rankings, thats 1 more chapter
If we are top 5...well lets get to that first. Happy readings!
Chapter 23: Social Media Platforms
Midday the following day, after finishing my morning workout and wrapping up my daily writing session for Lord of the Mysteries, I decided to check my emails. One message immediately caught my attention—it was from Nathan.
He had followed up on the video I'd uploaded with Crystal. Apparently, the team over at MTV loved it. Nathan explained that the network saw it as a perfectly timed piece of promotional content. It seemed they were even thinking of launching their own behind-the-scenes YouTube channel and would be using my video as a launchpad. It felt surreal, to be honest. Just a day ago, I was trying to figure out whether my content would even be noticed, and now it was being folded into a major network's marketing strategy.
That being said, it made me realize something. Nathan probably didn't stumble across the video by chance. It was likely part of his job to keep tabs on his talent's online presence. Which meant that if I was going to keep playing in this space, I had to take my digital footprint seriously. If Nathan was watching, it was safe to assume others were too—casting directors, producers, maybe even fans of the show.
So I decided it was time to expand a little. YouTube was a great start, but I couldn't stop there. I went ahead and created a Twitter account and a Facebook profile, instagram didn't exist yet.
I chuckled to myself when I thought about Twitter. Note to self: never tweet like Kanye. That's probably a golden rule for anyone with a public image to maintain. Still, I already knew what my first tweet was going to be. Something short, quirky, and just ironic enough to get a chuckle: "I love you Ye. Through the thick of it."
People wouldn't get this for a long time...
After setting up my profiles and adding a decent profile picture—the same one I used on YouTube, to keep things consistent.
I also got another important email that day, this time from the team at FictionPress—the site where I'd been regularly uploading Lord of the Mysteries. It was one of the smaller online platforms for original fiction, but surprisingly, it seemed someone from their team had noticed the traction my story was getting. The email was professionally worded, but the core of it was pretty clear: they were interested in offering me an exclusive posting deal.
Apparently, they wanted me to publish Lord of the Mysteries only on their platform and, more significantly, to place the entire story behind a paywall. Now, don't get me wrong—I'm not against making money off my work. Far from it. But I also know how the internet works. Once you release something online, especially something people are starting to care about, it's a matter of time before someone reposts or pirates it. I'm not naïve enough to believe that a paywall could fully protect my content.
Besides, putting it behind a paywall would be like putting a gate around something that needs eyes and engagement to grow. I'm still in the early stages of building my reputation, and accessibility is key. The easier it is for people to read, the more likely I am to generate buzz, discussions, and more importantly, entertainment points. And for me, that's the real currency.
At this point in time, a few hundred—or even a couple thousand—dollars a month wasn't what I was chasing. I had bigger financial goals in mind, and I knew for a fact that those goals were achievable through higher-traction routes like YouTube, content houses, and eventually—down the line—even brand partnerships and investments.
So I took a breath and crafted a polite response. I thanked them for the offer and expressed my appreciation for the opportunity. But I told them that, for now, I wasn't interested in locking my content behind a paywall. I added a small note saying I'd be happy to revisit the conversation in the future if circumstances changed. It was all about keeping the door open—never burn bridges if you don't have to.
In the back of my mind, I was already drafting another idea: when I finally had the financial means, I was going to build my own platform. A web novel site and app, one designed to empower writers while also letting readers explore content without friction. One where monetization was done the right way. I didn't want to rely forever on other people's platforms or policies. The goal was independence. And this was just one more reminder of why that mattered so much.
A week had passed since the break began, and gradually, each of the main cast members returned to set. We were assured that the earlier issues causing delays had been resolved, and production would now continue smoothly.
According to the updated schedule, we were expected to wrap up filming in roughly two more months, which, given the usual pace of television production, was relatively quick. The director attributed this efficiency partially to me. Although said in a lighthearted tone, there was a common joke floating around on set about how I had earned the nickname "One-Shot Wonder."
The term wasn't completely inaccurate. Whenever I was present in a scene, we often needed just one take to get everything right. It wasn't only my own performance that benefitted from this—it appeared that something about my presence, perhaps the influence of my system, had a ripple effect on the performances of the others. It was as if everyone found their rhythm more easily when I was involved, so scenes that included me usually wrapped up faster than expected. On the other hand, scenes that didn't involve me sometimes required multiple takes.
Well for me they didn't really feel like acting scenes but hey thats the problem of someone who had an entertainment system am I right...
The director, Russell Mulcahy, who was known for his experienced hand in genre storytelling and directing music videos before Teen Wolf, called the cast together one morning to make an announcement. He mentioned that MTV had decided to start recording more behind-the-scenes (BTS) content during filming. This footage would eventually be compiled and released on an official YouTube channel after the show premiered. For now, though, we were encouraged to casually capture moments and interactions that might be used later. It was a way to build up a library of material that could serve to promote the show down the line.
Russell even brought up the YouTube video Crystal and I had posted from our recent day out. With a teasing smile, he said, "I'd like everyone to take a bit of inspiration from Jace and Crystal's little outing," adding air quotes as he said "little outing" to everyone's amusement. I looked over and noticed Dylan raising an eyebrow at me with a smirk that clearly said, 'You've got some explaining to do.'
It was a funny moment, but it also signaled that our casual content was being taken seriously. What had started as a spontaneous idea was now helping to shape the show's wider publicity plan. The next two months would be intense, but with things back on track and everyone aligned, the atmosphere on set felt focused and collaborative without being too intense or overwhelming. Everyone seemed more relaxed now that the uncertainty was gone, and even though we had a lot of work ahead, there was a sense of shared momentum pushing us forward.
I was slowly getting back into the groove again—being an actor for a television show that hadn't aired yet, writing my own web novel that was slowly gaining traction online. Between workouts, shoots, writing, and the occasional YouTube video, there was, surprisingly, a sense of structure forming. On set, the atmosphere felt noticeably lighter now that everyone had returned. The production delay had made things a bit tense for a while, but with the renewed timeline and the confidence shown by the director, everyone seemed to ease back into normalcy.
Crystal and I were still shooting scenes together, and sometimes after we wrapped up, we'd chat about how our days were going. It felt natural. When you spend long hours working closely with someone, especially in an environment like this, getting close just kind of happens. She wasn't the only person I'd become friendly with—Dylan and I were already pretty close. I also found myself learning quite a bit from the actors playing the adult characters on the show. Melissa Ponzio, Tyler Hoechlin, JR Bourne, and Linden Ashby—each one of them had a solid reputation in the industry. It wasn't just their acting skills I admired, but also how they navigated the public side of their careers. There was a lot to pick up from just being around them.
One of the better developments recently was that I finally had a proper chance to respond to Nathan, my agent. He had sent me a list of quite a few potential roles from upcoming shows and movies. The strange thing was that, despite being from the future, I didn't recognize most of them. Just because I had memories of events ahead didn't mean I'd watched or even heard of every production ever made.
Still there was one thing I had my mind on...sure the listing wasn't on the list sent by Ethan but I decided it was fine for me to ask regarding this. After all, it was his job...
And simply because it was too much of a coincidence...this movie series was supposed to be finished with its shooting but I had the clear chance to join it...I simply had to take it.
When I first came into this world, one of the first things I did was dive into research. I wanted to get a sense of the timeline, to understand where major cultural moments were, especially in the entertainment industry. It didn't take long to realize that the Harry Potter franchise was currently behind where it was in my original timeline. Specifically, they were about five years behind. That placed them right at the cusp of casting for the sixth film: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Now, while most people would dream of playing a major character like Harry, Draco, or even one of the Weasleys, I had a different idea in mind. My target was a character that didn't have a massive presence in the books or movies but had just enough of a foothold to be important—and more importantly, one that could be expanded if portrayed well enough. The character I set my sights on was none other than Cormac McLaggen.
On paper, Cormac wasn't exactly a fan favorite. He was arrogant, loud, and overly confident. But from an acting perspective, that was exactly what made him interesting. He had potential. In the books, he was a Gryffindor student a year above Harry who tried out for Keeper on the Quidditch team and accompanied Hermione to Slughorn's Christmas party, mostly as a tool to provoke Ron's jealousy. His role was minor, but memorable.
In the film, his scenes were even more limited. That was exactly why I wanted to go for it. Cormac's character offered an opportunity. He was someone that, with the right actor, could be elevated—given more screen time, a bit more depth, and possibly a lasting impression. Directors always loved when a supporting character brought something unexpected to the table.
And not only that...with such a large audience base of the Harry Potter films, I would be able to gauge how much EP I could gain through this venture.
So I began the process. First, I informed Nathan Keller, my agent, about the role. He was a little surprised that I didn't want to audition for a larger part, but I explained my reasoning. If I nailed this, I could become a breakout supporting character. The internet—especially in the future—loved charming, confident, slightly insufferable supporting roles. Characters that people love to hate but defended with all their hearts.
Cormac was the kind of role where my appearance could be used to full effect. Tall, athletic, with strong features—someone who looked like he belonged on a Quidditch pitch and could plausibly go toe to toe with Ron Weasley in both sport and tension. I even began practicing the exaggerated smugness of the character in front of the mirror, tuning my voice and body language to match the tone. The key was to embody someone who was just self-absorbed enough to be annoying, but still charismatic enough to be funny.
Nathan said that he would research a bit to see whether the role was filled or not, then he would reach out to them for their requirements for the role I wanted to play.
Shooting Episode 5 was relatively easy because, you know, all I had to go through was breaking my entire arm. That's right. For this episode, Derek Hale teaches Scott McCall how to control his werewolf shifts through pain, and since my system skill makes me fully immersed in acting, I had to go through the entire process of my arm being broken—definitely not an easy one.
The rest of the episode was essentially Scott McCall and Allison Argent going on a cute date. It was kind of similar to what I had already experienced with Crystal in real life, just way more touchy-feely. There was a lot of bonding between the characters, and I was able to get through it just fine—well, relatively just fine. It was definitely a challenge, but it helped that the storyline was lighter for most of the episode.
Since the majority of this episode revolved around Scott McCall, we managed to finish shooting it in just two days. The crew was really efficient, and because so many of the scenes were focused on me, everything moved quickly.
This was also the iconic episode where Coach tells Sheriff Stilinski that he likes to be called "Cupcake." I actually opted to be on set to watch that scene being filmed, and it was hilarious. The actor who plays Coach deliberately avoids reading his script lines in advance so that his delivery is as spontaneous and in-character as possible. Watching it live was even funnier than seeing it in playback. Everyone on set was trying to hold back laughter.
Overall, Episode 5 had a good mix of emotional depth and comedic timing, and I was glad it wrapped up quickly. With only two days of shooting, I even had some spare time to focus on other things—like writing new chapters for Lord of the Mysteries, responding to emails...and soon something slightly big was about to happen.
While MTV had already agreed to promote my vlog with Crystal it still took some time to finish all due diligence and today, the Poster for Teen Wolf and the video would be promoted at the same time.
…
Authors note:
You can read some chapters ahead if you want to on my p#treon.com/Fat_Cultivator