Introduction
What is this thing even about?
Perfection's Impasse is a work-in-progress character-driven story about four average people who try to prove something to the world and lose themselves chasing the illusion of flawlessness.
This project is very, very weird, and most of the characters in it are too. They accidentally ruin each other by simply existing and doing their own stuff. So stupid.
Very important note:
I will be working on the novel alongside university, so updates may come out slowly, but the project itself will stay alive. While you wait for the first chapter, you can explore all the existing things, such as:
- This website
- The weekly posts
- The Google Drive folder
- And my social media
How to read this story?
You're not really supposed to read Perfection's Impasse. You're meant to experience it.
It's a bit multimedia, if you could call it that. There will be chapters, but not the usual, polished kind you see in bookstores. Just fragments of info scattered all over the place. The more you look, the more you find.
P.I. is not for everyone, but you might like it if...
- You struggle with perfectionism
- You don't really know who you are
- You think people are interesting
- You enjoy unreliable narrators in books
- Girlfailures are your favorite genre of OCs
- You overthink a lot
- You're into philosophy and/or psychology
- You ruined something and still can't get over it
- You just kind of exist
Some content warnings
- Toxic relationships
- Violence (implied, not graphic)
- Self-harm
- Altered mental states
- Maybe even death
But that's only if Miss Procrastination actually writes the thing.
What kind of characters appear in the story?
Mentally unstable freaks, such as:
- Someone who hunts for patterns and comes to weird conclusions,
- Someone who shapes the edges of her own reality for no one but herself,
- Someone who barely talks, feels hard, and wants things to stay forever,
- Someone who takes detached notes about everyone she meets.
All four of them are girls, by the way.
The setting
Perfection's Impasse takes place in an unspecified temperate-climate country and a high school named Upper Valley Secondary. The story is set sometime in the first half of the 21st century.
What P.I. is not:
- A cautionary tale
- A romance story
- A good-versus-bad trope
- A guide that you should use
- An action-filled adventure
- Something that offers comfort
What P.I. is:
- An example of what can happen if you're a person
Why YOU should be my fan
You get to consume weird media (Perfection’s Impasse)
I interact with my fans, unlike many other creators
I am a person and I use my own brain to make things
I have a posting schedule, so you can know when to expect me
( •̀ ω •́ ) ✧
Main cast
First, a person named Tara:
- The paranoid overthinker with a camera
- The one who sees patterns in everything
- The person who always needs proof
- The chaos creator who craves order
Then there's Ezra:
- The hyper-feminine performative perfectionist
- The one who makes things into what she wants them to be
- The biggest fan of mirrors and her own reflection
- The person who is scared of being a person
Next, Ivy, of course:
- The silent but emotionally messy artist
- The one who can't let anything end naturally
- The everything-addict
- The indecisive coin-flipper
And Simona:
- The detached human-behavior enthusiast
- The one who forgot to study her own self
- The professional boundary-breaker
- The person who wouldn't go anywhere without a notebook
The reason why
Maybe this project can spread the message that perfection isn't a reachable goal and that reality can be whatever you want it to be, but always at a cost.
Made-up FAQ
Q: "Who is answering these questions?"
A: That would be me, thanks. My name is Dana, also known as Danaduck or D.C. I'm the one behind Perfection's Impasse and all the fascinating characters within.
Q: "But who are you, really?"
A: I'm an average girl with complex thoughts.
Q: "Did you create this website on your own?"
A: Not really. I admit I have no idea how to code, and I know nothing about how websites work, so I used an app from Odoo to make this thing exist. The rest is my own work, though. I wrote all the text and added all the funny images. Didn't make the website, made the story.
Q: "Are the P.I. characters based on real people?"
A: No. They're manifestations of the things I hate and secretly strive to be, but that does not count. No. If you see anyone or yourself in the characters, it's totally just pure coincidence.
Q: "Are the P.I. characters friends?"
A: That depends on your definition of the word.
Q: "When did the project start?"
A: It started somewhere between 2020 and 2025, that's for sure. There isn't really one specific moment where I said, "I'm starting this thing." I just kept collecting small ideas and concepts until it became a thing on its own.
Q: "When will the project be finished?"
A: Never. Even if I publish the novel as a real book that you can hold in your hand at some point, the story itself will never truly be over. As long as the author is alive, the universe of Perfection's Impasse will grow endlessly across media. This website? I will keep adding things to it. The Discord server? Yeah, that one too. And even when I'm gone, the project will still be somewhere.
Q: "How many people are working on this?"
A: As for now, I carry everything by myself, including this website as well as all the social media. But not to forget, some of my dear friends helped me polish the story plan, which I am very grateful for. Even as someone who creates tutorials for writing, I need a second pair of eyes from time to time, you know?
Q: "Why did you choose a high school setting for P.I.?"
A: Because most of us went through high school. It's a common and realistic experience, so I thought it would be a great setting for this project. Plus, all the deadlines and strict rules can add to the already present stress, right? Like, a bunch of stressful things stacking.
Q: "What is the genre?"
A: I'd call it a psychological drama with thriller elements, or maybe even a character study.
If you're looking for action, you likely won't find any of that in Perfection's Impasse because we are all about slow-burn tension here. Sorry (not sorry).
Q: "Why is the website's favicon a box cutter?"
A: Take a guess.
Q: "Are there any easter eggs on this website?"
A: Probably not.
Q: "When was the website created?"
A: It was created on August 29, 2025. That's just a day after my birthday! However, the website kind of just existed for a very long time before I actually started doing something with it. Most of the stuff you're reading now was written in the summer of 2026. Before that, this place was basically empty.
Q: "Are you planning to make money out of this project?"
A: Maybe someday, if this thing gains traction. Right now it's just my personal passion project. A hobby, whatever you want to call it.
Q: "Where can I find you on the Internet?"
A: I often use Discord. I own a few small servers that are less like servers and more like a continuous therapy session disguised as teatime with a soft blanket. I also use Instagram, Threads, Spotify, Pinterest, and occasionally even things like Reddit or Tumblr. My username is usually some form of "danaduck."
(But small note: some other people might use a similar username, so I would recommend to doublecheck, because not every duck is Dana and not every Dana is a duck.)
Q: "Why are the posts on Substack?"
A: Releasing every new post on this website manually would absolutely destroy my mental health, I think. I would have to physically click through everything, which doesn't sound bad, but imagine having to do it every single week. Plus, there's an option to like / comment / subscribe, so that's pretty cool. And if you subscribe on Substack, you can get notified whenever a post comes out! That means you won't miss a thing!
Q: "When will you post an actual chapter?"
A: When I see that there is enough interest.
Once I start, I will probably release one chapter per month (or longer, depending on the situation) while keeping the small weekly posts going as usual.
Also, don't expect anything here to be perfect and polished like all the other web novels out there. This project is intentionally messy as a nod to the themes.
Notes
Big shoutout to my friend who came up with the title "Perfection's Impasse"!
Thanks for being here! I put a lot of my time and effort into this project, so I appreciate your presence!
Did you know that I also really love getting feedback?