Next Story, Ideas and Between Fic, W&W/O eBook · 11:30pm Apr 10th, 2013
That's one more wrapped up! Thank you, everypony who took time to read Twice as Bright. It's been an absolute blast to write, but I definitively need to re-think and re-consolidate my writing/publishing strategy.
By which I mean "Cloudy is a dummy who should've never broken his self-made promise not to publish during the writing process after Lost and Found nearly permanently killed his desire to write." The whole re-thinking line is a lot catchier, so we're rolling with that.
Anyway! Point is, Twice as Bright is done! I am celebrating by staring at excellent, relevant artwork--holy butts that is beautiful and I almost embedded it but I don't know if that's a breach of etiquette--and by planning more stories.
Breaks are for, um. Well. People who take breaks. I mean, I've had a two day break, I suppose, but you're not here to read about me drinking sugar, eating sugar, and eating things not made of sugar but still covered in or frosted with sugar. You're probably here for:
More Ponies
Whenever I finish a story, I like to cleanse my palate. That's a fancy word for scraping your tongue clean. When I first started writing ponyfic, I watched the entire show at least once between each fic. I find this very useful to re-center myself on canon. It probably sounds pretentious or ritualistic, but it's as simple as me valuing starting from scratch very highly.
Lately, I haven't done this. In part because there are a lot more episodes, and not-writing hurts. In part because, without going into detail, there are elements of season 3 that I did not enjoy as much as I had hoped. Still, this time, I'm going to begin by re-watching the show. The last thing I want is to get mired in my own headcanon.
It's been surprisingly long since last I watched season 1, and I absolutely cannot wait.
Second? I plan to read. I plan to read fanfiction I promised I'd read, because I genuinely want to read more fanfic. I plan to read more fanfiction to make a dent in my Read Later list. I plan to read at least one non-pony thing--probably Daetrin's non-pony book, The Demon of Cliffside. I've been wanting to get at that thing for ages now. Before, during and after all this, I'm going to discuss all the ideas I have with my friends.
And then?
We write
If I sound very, um, pompous here, it's probably for a reason. I'm the kind of pony who, in writing, makes faces. If I'm writing Pinkie making a grimace, I'm making the very same grimace. If Rarity looks arch and scoffs at something, I'm staring at my computer screen like its very presence offends me--you get the idea. That I'm writing a long piece on this is because it reflects what I want to write. I'm leaning towards something longer. Something grandiose.
That's not to say I'm decided yet, and I've said time and again I hate making promises even to myself. I'm just thinking out loud, and all I know is this:
*The next fic will feature two or more ponies.
*At least one of these two or more ponies will think that one of the other two ponies is really, really cute/swell/nice.
What I suspect is this:
*It probably won't have the majority of its action in Ponyville or Canterlot.
*It will probably involve perceived or very real peril.
In short, I'm thinking another adventure along the lines of Within and Without or Lost and Found. When I say "along the lines of," I really only mean "long adventure," and even that's not set in stone, but I will say I'm looking towards W&W/O with fond memories.
Add to list of things to do before writing: Re-read own adventure fics.
I have no details, and I have tons of other ideas that may make it into fic. A lot of authors seem to do these compilation posts of ideas for fics and such, and I don't know how interesting it is to most, but if I can mention in no particular order:
RariLuna slightly-dark/adventure/political/mystery.
Those who read my earlier blogs will remember this one. It is one of three ideas I had in my mind a while back. Also, when I say "slightly dark," you have to keep in mind how incredibly resistant I am to darkfic and such. What I call "dark" when I write probably doesn't match others' definitions.
FlutterDash long ship.
Lost and Found really made me want to explore FlutterDash on a deeper level. This is it. The problem is that I'm not sure I can write another non-adventure ship just yet. It'd be fairly intricate and emotional, but I've done a lot of those lately.
Other ships/stories I want to do:
TwiJack - I have an angle that could work. It's Ponyville-centric, so the problem is the same as with FlutterDash, but I really want to do this.
RariLight - I have some very specific unicorn-centric ideas that could be good. May even be a friendship fic. (Cloudy writing non-ship? Ha!)
FlutterDash - I have no less than three other ideas for this ship of varying length, though the goal is to use as much as possible for the fic above.
PinkieShy - Of all the "pure" ships I want to write, this one is very high on the list. Again, same issue as above with it being a pure ship, but if I could make it part of an adventure, I'd be very happy.
AppleDash - Problematic in that the ship's been done to death. That in and by itself isn't the issue, but that I don't know if I'm stepping on others' hooves is. I have two possible angles, one being rather different from the usual ship formula.
ApplePie/RariPie - I have semi-similar ideas for these, but I've written so much heavy emotion Pinkie Pie that this will probably go on the back-burner. Also, it's actually the closest to sad that I'll ever want to go. I could write an ApplePie that I'm sure would be a decent read, yet I'd have no desire to read it myself. That is an odd position to be in.
RariDash - Painful sweetness here, but it needs a framework I haven't worked with yet. One that is neither adventure nor simple long-ship. This will be a challenge, and I'm not convinced yet.
That's basically what's in my head at the moment. The two ideas I had in the last ficwriting deadspace are still very strong, those being RariLuna and FlutterDash. The PinkieShy idea has basically taken the spot of CellyPie now that that's done. Still, I am almost positive that in reading, watching and talking in the coming weeks, I'll have far more ideas to choose from, and hopefully I'll land on one that convinces me fully from the get-go.
If you've read this far, well, damn. I thought about cramming some images in here, but I have no idea what those would be. Sprucing it up with images just to make more people read it is silly anyway. I figure people will read if they're interested, and if they are--if you are--I'm flattered.
In Other News
There's a reason for that Within and Without tag other than "hey I may write something similar." If you've problems with the downloadable formats available through FiMFiction, there's an awesome guy by name of JeffersonPeters who took it upon himself to provide a superior alternative. Here is a downloadable ePub variant of W&W/O for all your reading pleasure! I don't have a fancy reading thingermabob, but I'm told it's quite good.
It's worth noting that he used alternative cover art in the .epub file, and the artist hasn't yet responded to the request for permission to use it, but there should be a link with attribution and everything in there. The real problem, though, is that the artist's dA has been taken down since, and redirects. Still working on that.
That's it! Thank you for your time. If you hate me for abusing your eyes for italics, well, at least I didn't use comic sans. I'm gonna get around to replying to comments on TaB as soon as I can, but know that I've read them all, and that I'm floored (and thankful!) for all the comments!
tl;dr
Congrats anyway.
As soon as I am writing less I will get right on reading your silly crack ship.
Nice picture to fit the story.
I was just mentioning yesterday that we need another adventure story, and I certainly hope to see one from you in the coming months.
If anyone ever has issues with the epubs available here or wants to make and or edit one, I highly recommend Sigil.
Other then the Rarilight you have my full attention for all of your other fics (and I'm not a fan of that pairing) I'm very excited for the Pinkie Shy though, and if you need any help with having a dark setting I can very much give you ideas, I been told I'm a master at writing dark stories
If you are looking for stories to read it would be a HUGE honor if you would be able to have the time to maybe look over my own
I really want some expert advice on how to improve.
Can't wait to see more of your wriitng in action, this is going to be fun, I'll be with you every step of the way
You know you can always talk to me in regards to the AppleDash. Chances are, I can tell you if there's a fic like that in the works. Plus the AppleDash group forums is chock full of activity, and if you want to sound out ideas, they'll listen, offer feedback, and eagerly await every written word of whatever you do publish
For whatever reason FlutterDash, despite being almost as old as AppleDash, is the one ship that always makes me fuzzy inside. Or at least it does when it's in your hands.
I'm still looking forward to that RariLuna though! The Princesses with not-Twilight is always interesting.
And congrats on finishing yet another fic. The final chapters are my next 'to read' priority, so I'll get to them probably tomorrow.
As for your habit of watching the whole show between stories, I get where you're coming from. While I don't write, I do read a truckload of fic, but I try to watch at least one episode every week to kinda keep myself focused on the source material. As great as fanfiction can be, the show is the center of this whole pony thing, and I like to remind myself why. That and, y'know, the show is just plain fun to watch.
Oh no! Not comic sans! Please, anything but that!
Liking the ideas for either the Twijack, Flutterdash, or AppleDash.
Reasons why:
You don't see Twijack that often, and it seems you really want to work on the FlutterDash. It's important that you do something you want to do. Also, I'm kinda interested on how you're planning to "explore it on a deeper level".
As for the AppleDash, I'm just a sucker for AppleDash
Another long adventure sounds good, but a shorter one focusing more on the relationship stuff would be nice as well.
You know, I read the original Within and Without on my Nook, as well as Lost and Found. Think they are still floating around in a folder on my harddrive. I really should look into putting that stuff back on...
Or, just leave it off my Nook to make room for the oodles of other great stuff I'm sure to pull from fimfiction...
Or both...?
*Airpunch* Cloudy Skies Adventure story!
Possibly.
Please?
Yes, Within and Without & Lost and Found are my favourite stories on FimFiction.
Within and Without is a contender for my favourite story. Competing in a shortlist with Reaper Man, American Gods, Skullduggery Pleasant, and Artemis Fowl (counting the last two as continuing series).
I really really need to get around to reading Lost and Found. I've just been so blah lately that I tend to read and reread my "comfort fics" over and over again instead of depleting my read later list like I should. Oh well, off to proofread.
Yes, do this one.
I don't suppose you made faces while writing about how you make faces while you write?
Also, I'd like to see that TwiJack story. There honestly aren't enough of those, which is a shame because it's become one of my favorite ships.
I know EXACTLY how you feel. XD
cool, now i can go read it :) then i will be out of cloudy skies again :( but your writing more XD
anyway my thoughts on your ideas, being self acclaimed as your biggest fan (how does that work? should i stalk you first?)
TwiJack - I really like this ship right now, i would recommend this
RariLight - I also really enjoy this too.
not sure if i would personally want a twijack or rarilight more :/
FlutterDash - always good
PinkieShy - fandom could use more of this
AppleDash -always good
no matter what you pick it will be good, because its you. dis gonna be guude
I like your idea of delving into a longer FlutterDash fic like lost and found. you may not want to do a non-adventure so DON'T
you are the author you can TURN it into an adventure, whether it be an adventure along the lines of L&F or a deep emotional rollercoaster adventure along the lines of remembering their filly days when they were bullied and how it affects them now and how it affected them then. I don't know - YOU have the power.
though i'd really enjoy another flutterdash fic by you
though the thing is - any other pairing of with Dash other then fluttershy(or fluttershy other than rainbow) makes me want to bash my head into my desk, really it's no offence to anyone who writes them. it's just that FlutterDash just makes the most logical sense to me.
i'm fine with all the other ships.
Well if this isn't the most convenient little blog post ever.
Here I was, logging on to begin reading Twice as Bright, and lo-and-behold, it just finished.
If that's not a coincidence, then I have no idea what is.
You know, I think it's gonna be fun reading a Cloudy fic again after all this time. I've submerged myself in so much dark and grit recently, your airy stories will be a fresh and welcome change.
I think I'm actually getting nostalgic now...
In any case:
Adventure and political intrigue abound.
If there's any possibility that you're going to do this story, then you have my support. Engaging and well thought out adventures always make for great reads, and there's always room for more in this community. The pairing sounds great, too.
Honestly, I'm just glad that you're considering another long fic.
RariLuna, yes, looking forward to that.
Looking forward to something else as well, but won't bring it up again, I've bothered you enough and it only seems to accomplish the opposite
While patiently waiting for the last chapters of Twice as Bright, I read Within and Without in two days, and though many ponies sing your praise...I will too. Twice as Bright, hell EVERY story you've written have been truly amazing. I'm still puzzled at how you somehow managed to pull off CelestiaPie. I had faith and that was rewarded in full. Great story. Currently re-reading Lost and Found.
I would ask you to keep up the good work...but I know you will anyway. Cheers!!!
I don't know why, but I enjoy reading your blogs. They're just so chock full of thought. Anyhow, adventure fics are my favorite genre and flutterdash is my favorite ship so... *nudge* *nudge*
I'll have to go read W&W/O soon, still don't know if I want to read TaB though.
One day I'll even work on the two stories I've started... but that read later list is soooo long.
Well, you know me--I'm rooting hard for that Apple Pie near the bottom of your list. But, if you don't feel like doing that one, the RariLuna takes a solid second-place for me. Rarity plus political intrigue equals a happy Esle.
Congratulations on finishing another very well-written piece of literature! I've already left my thoughts in my comment on TaB, but it bears repeating that it was an excellent read.
I'll admit that I liked "Lost and found over" "Within and Without", and it would be awesome to see some sort of sequel to Lost and Found as far as Flutter/Dash goes. Mostly because I am interested in seeing how there relationship would have gone since that experience changed Fluttershy in alot of ways. But that's me in my own little realm as I am assuming that even if you do do a Flutter/Dash it wouldn't be a sequel.
I would of course love to see any ships with Trixie, but that's me. Of what you stated, and going off of what you wrote about each it sounds like you will most likely go with Flutter/Dash, Twi/Jack, or Pinkie/shy. All sound fun, and I think Pinkie/Shy is the least used that i've seen, or at least the one I've seen done well the least.
Good luck to whatever one you eventually decide to try! : )
I see a distinct lack of PinkieDash in this post.
wow cloudy, you really want to explore a lot of shippings XD
I personally would like to see twiJack, AppleDash, Appletwi, RariLight, RariJack and PinkiShy from you!
997673 Aw, but but--all my pretty words! (Thanks!)
997675 I prefer the term "uncommon romance," thank you very much!
997691 It is, isn't it? I actually saw the picture while I was writing, and it spurred me on--and more than one person has pm'd/mailed me after I published TaB going all "Hey, hey Cloudy, have you seen this one?"
997699 Months? Bah. Was a time I'd crank one of these out in weeks! Where's my gol'durn cane? (And why isn't there a Granny Smith icon?)
But yes, seriously, months. I'll have to fill the void with smaller releases, because I'm not having a three to six month silence here while I write--if I end up writing an adventure.
997729 Funny enough, part of the reason why I want to write RariLight is exactly because I'm not a fan either. Most of my ship pairings involve what I've started jokingly calling the "mane4"--I'm terrible at using the unicorns. Sure, I've shipped them, but less than the others. My hope is that in writing RariLight, I'd make myself fall in love with that ship. I have to believe I can do that.
As far as Darkfics go, I really do appreciate the offer, but what I meant by the whole "my definition isn't the same as others'" is that I don't actually write dark. I'd call it dark to me, but others would go "Uh, that's not dark"--I'm very, very uncomfortable with actual dark stores. It's one of the tags I don't touch, along with most clop, any gore, and sad. That's also why it's very difficult for me to promise I'll read any of yours since all of them have one of those tags.
I mean, pardon the rant here, but honestly, I'm nothing special, and I'm a terrible source of feedback. I just write, but I haven't a clue how to give feedback, so if you're looking for that, I think you could do far better than me anyway. I'm very flattered, mind, and if I ever see something by you that fits my preferences, I'll certainly consider it!
997744 I thought about you when I wrote down "AppleDash." I mean, I've heard that if you say AppleDash three times in a row, Tchernobog cometh. You're like a freakin' bogeypony.
No seriously though, I appreciate the offer, and when-if the wind blows AppleDashwards, I will certainly utilize your encyclopedic knowledge of the ship if the offer still stands!
999844
Always! :
997748 FlutterDash has the same effect on me, frankly. I didn't have very strong feelings either way, but then I gave it some thought--and Hurricane Fluttershy rolled around. Now, it's one of the biggest sources of pure squee for me, along with AppleShy and PinkieShy. And--
Okay, it's one of the many sources of pure squee, but point is, I agree.
>>I'm still looking forward to that RariLuna though! The Princesses with not-Twilight is always interesting.
Speaking very freely here, that's both great to hear and also my problem. I've varied my ships a bit, but I already have to work hard to find different elements to play on for each pony in each pair. I've written PinkieLestia, three PinkieDashes and a RariPie. What do I do when I use Pinkie again? (Okay, bad example, Pinkie is deliciously malleable).
Point is, I'm worried that using Luna again will pull on too much of her characterization from my other fics. On too much of her romantic aspects from W&W/O. In short, not entirely convinced by my own ability to take Luna for a second long adventure fic, just like how, were I to write another LaF style adventure, I'd not want to use Flutters or AJ again just yet, you know?
Ah, forgive me, I rant.
997755 I never actually thought about people who don't read doing this, but it actually makes a lot of sense. I'm 100% on board with what you say, and it's the source of my frustration with excessively liberal fan-reinterpretations and constructs: the show is why I'm into this, not the fandom. I know some are the other way around, and that's fine, but I still genuinely like and hold the show as the primary, here.
997757 Fun fact: I wrote for a webcomic for over a year, and we initially used Comic Sans. I actually still think people overreact--I mean, it's a font that has a hate group the size of a small church. What the glob?
Anyway! The scarcity of TwiJack is absolutely a draw. I think they have a very interesting chemistry, at least in my head, but FlutterDash is, of these, the story I "need" to write. It's an idea, a... a conviction that must be expressed.
I don't actually plan to write AppleDash ever, I'm just messing with Tcher.
(Joking!)
997759 Did that actually work out for you? Did you download W&W/O (when you say original: from EqD way back in 2011?) or LaF through gdocs or FiMF? I'm very curious to hear if the formatting looks good when you do that, because I assume the reason people make .epubs etc is because their formatting is a little janky.
Blah, I need an e-reader too.
997789 Haha, aw, I'm not sure I warrant that much enthusiasm, but I'm flattered and glad! I've always been of the opinion that fanfiction can (or should aspire to) compete with published literature, but I'm not sure I deserve that company regardless. You are kind to say so all the same!
But yeah. Adventure in some sense is likely. W&W/O and LaF were rather different stories, and the RariLuna as planned atm is looking more like a highly localized W&W/O than anything. Combine the isolation of LaF with the mood and focused PoV of W&W/O I guess?
Still haven't read American Gods. Gah.
997834 Need is such a silly word when applied to fic, but what I will say is that if you get around to it, I'm very eager to have your thoughts if you'd care to share!
I do understand the tendency towards re-reading though. I've had a period (is half a year a period?) where I've barely read anything new whatsoever. I re-read Skittles more than I read new stories, I think. Slowly breaking out of it these days, but I think I understand the impulse; reading new stories may be pleasant, but it also taxes the brain. You're opening yourself up to a lot of new stuff, and in the same way feeling down means you might not attend a party, it's easy to leave a story untouched.
At least, that's how it works for me. I do not mean to sound presumptuous, and I hope you are well!
997852 I should make a wheel of fortune of all these ideas. Problem: Half the ideas are FlutterDash.
997902 You may not believe me, and that's okay, but I actually caught myself grimacing when I wrote that first line, no lie. There's a reason I prefer my own company here in my little loft/studio/room/cave.
If you're actually a fan of TwiJack, does this mean you've read some good ones? Do you have any ones to share? I'm not 100% sure I'll read them because it's fun to go in blind without worrying about repackaging others' ideas, but I'd love to have the option!
998052 I think a lot of people do it, I just wonder why--and why those who don't do it, don't. Curious!
998257 I hope it's to your tastes! I'll say again that writing it was a blast, but I'm still processing all the feedback I'm getting. Slowly coming to my own conclusions.
I don't know what the proper procedure for stalking is, actually, huh. That strikes me as a grievous oversight. I think that by admitting you potential stalking, you've already kind of failed. Sorry.
Fun to see someone who seems at least a little excited about RariLight though!
998629 The problem with this is that while I of course have full creative control--ostensibly, I can do whatever I want, right?--some of these ideas come bundled with scenes and concepts. I can't actually change that.
I mean, okay, yes, I can, but I've never managed to uproot and change the core direction of a fic. It's one of my flaws. The story goes the way the story goes. What this means is, the RariLuna fic can't not be an intrigue/adventure fic now. Fortunately, in the case of the FlutterDash, there is still wiggle room, so we'll see!
As far as the FlutterDash exclusivity thing goes, it's how having an OTP works, I guess! I mean, I don't have any ships that make me dislike conflicting ships, but I understand quite a few people do. My favorite pair is AppleShy, so. I can only apologize ahead of time if I end up with something that conflicts with FlutterDash!
998646 Timing: exquisite! I hope that the story is to your liking, and I'd love to hear what you think when or if you finish! I certainly try to hog my own little corner of not-dark fic, and I hate to think I'll ever disappoint in that respect.
While I'm hardly counting votes, and I think I'd do everyone involved a huge disservice in treating it like a democratic decision, it's interesting to see so many votes for RariLuna. I'm half tempted to ask why. Is it because of the fact that it's another rare/crack ship, or because the word "intrigue" is very rare in Ponyficlandia?
998658 Whup and jeez, another vote for RariLuna, huh? I have to ask the same question as above--is it the ship or the intrigue part that's interesting?
For the record, even if it's meant as a joke, I'd hate to think that anyone'd ever think I'm bothered by anything that is ponyfic-scented. I love discussing this stuff!
998819 Thank you very much! Really happy to hear the story wasn't a disappointment, and secretly bonus-happy when people re-read my older stuff, like W&W/O. I'm glad!
998908 Next fic is going to be a FoE-length fic called "Cloudy Skies: Blogpony Extraordinaire." I'm gonna be rich!
I hope you won't be disappointed if the pendulum swings towards FlutterDash. I write so many different ships, it's always interesting to hear from specialists who've read a lot of fics by a single fic. I mean, I have read one single RariPie fic, and I wrote one as well--then I hear from people who've read all of them. It's more than a little scary.
I'd love to hear back from you if you do read W&W/O for reasons I can't quite say, but I also have to ask--pure curiosity here. What's keeping you from reading TaB?
I mean, it's of course your own decision and I would never try to convince anyone to read any of mine, but I just wonder what keeps those who don't read it, from reading it. I'm not at all dissatisfied with its reception, but I wonder if those who lolnope at the door do so because of the ship or if there are other concerns. Description? Tags?
998946 Are you rooting for ApplePie as hard as I am for AppleShy? Hmh. Makes me wonder and think. People seem to jump at FlutterDashPie as an OT3, but... ApplePieShy?
Welp. That one's gonna require some thought. Anyway! It's one of the less developed ideas, but it's also an autocomplete idea. It will finish as fast as I want. It'll also need a possible sad tag, and it will deal with things that most will probably call "melancholy and beautiful." My problem with that is that I hate reading that kind of crap. How the heck can I justify writing it? Yet, I still kind of want to.
Eugh. I may have to ask you some questions about this since you've more experience than I, but it's a threshhold I am reluctant to cross. Dark? Never. Gore? Never. Sex? Undecided. Sad? Don't want to, but...
Hrmf.
Thank you for reading TaB though, and for your very nice comment!
999701 While I can't compare the two stories--it's like saying you like one of your own children more than the other--I know Lost and Found is probably better from a pure linguistic standpoint simply because it's a year and a half newer. At the same time, they're so different, I think direct comparisons are mostly about preference anyway. If you liked LaF better, then I think the idea I have for FlutterDash will be far more to your tastes than the RariLuna at least, that much I can say for sure!
And yeah, whatever I decide to write, it wouldn't be a sequel to anything else. The FlutterDash idea has nothing to do with Lost and Found. The idea is a fun one, but I figure that while I could go back and play with FlutterDash in the LaF continuity, it'd make more sense to dedicate a fic to them instead of picking up one of many threads from LaF.
Trixie, though. Oh wow. I've never even considered it, but it's a fun thought! My main barrier there is that I've read so little fic recently, my take on it would probably be old or something that's been done; I'm not a particularly innovative writer. I make up for it with shipping or interesting pairs. If I pick up Trixie, I-- hm.
Okay, that needs more thought.
999774 I still want to do that one, but it wouldn't be for the public, it'd be for you; whether you'd publish that one or not would be your call, not mine.
999788 I really, really, really want to do them all. All mane6 pairings that is. I would love to point to one fic about each pair that I've written. It's not so much about symmetry or completionism as it's a desire to prove that they can all work. My own little way of saying that love conquers all, you know?
Love to see how many people apparently like the idea of TwiJack, too!
999931 I can unfortunately only think of a couple of TwiJack stories that I've read, but I remember them being pretty good. There's Forbidden Fruit and its sequel by Vargras, and A Fact for Twilight by bookplayer. Now that I think about it, I kinda want to reread them...
999931
Fimfic gives you the option to download the stories as epub. I haven't done it in awhile, but for the most part it worked. Sometimes it would be a little wonky and delete things after italics and such, but it either totally fucked up the story constantly, or it didn't happen at all, I suppose it depends on the tags that got put in and whatnot.
1000004
Heh, you have no idea how glad I am to give you pause and consider a Trixie fic. I've said it before, but your fics are all really well done, and more often than other writer's all have a very good length to them. Plus I like that you usually tend towards teen and mature as I prefer seeing fics that delve into deeper personalities and topics *And I don't mean clop*.
While it may not be your next few fics, still good to see you might have a potential interest in one in the future. All you'd probably have to do is to re-watch the only two episodes she's in if you want to go for canon. As far as fics I could recommend some if you care to look into them, but so long as you don't have her injured and falling in love with whoever is caring for her, or her for some reason being forced to live with Twilight, you'll probably be pretty original. : )
999844 That seriously means a lot to me coming from a legend such as yourself, I'm deeply honored
Though I myself can never get into Rarilight, I depise Rairty and could never see Twilight falling for her, but I will be on board with all your other ideas, promise
I will admit, dark and tragic stories, or ideas while they seriously come naturally for myself are really not meant for everyone, sometimes people don't want to see all that bad or darkness, of their favorite pony being evil or doing something that makes them question why they would do that choice, but Equestria is not Earth so there are much that can be changed in that world that could never be on here.
I can't write rainbow and sunshine fics, personally, my mindset is far to serious and relastic for such, I love reading them, honestly I do but to write them would just be so bucking hard for me
I'm still honored that you took the time to glance towards my fics though, if they really dont suite you and if I honestly have no other choice I guess I could at least try to do a happy fic...in your honor, but then it would some how desecnd into a darker fic, it's just natural for me, I don't know
I forgot what we were talking about
I need a smoke
1000004 Apple Pie Shy sounds nice. All three legs of that have a very unique feel to them, and together the three of them would be very cute.
I understand the dilemma that comes with having a plot bunny for a genre you wouldn't be interested in reading yourself. That was precisely the situation that birthed the two [Dark] tagged stories in my story list. My solution to it was to pull my punches, throwing in a cop-out ending that retroactively turned it all to fluff. Not especially beneficial to the narrative, but I felt better about myself.
While I find the idea laughable that there is any aspect of writing that I have more experience in than you, but I would be more than honored to answer any questions you wanna ask of me, especially if it improves the odds of that Apple Pie happening.
1000004
Well, for me, at least, it's half because I kinda like political/intrigue/mystery, and there's not much of that around; and half because I feel there's something powerful buried in the Luna/Rarity dynamic, that I want to see explored. Like, I've got a half-finished vignette lying around where Luna visits Rarity on Nightmare Night or something, and there's some polite small talk, and then Luna asks: How do you do it? You make all these beautiful gifts for ponies, and yet they spurn you, call you frivolous, and your work goes unappreciated; how do you stay sane? How do you resist the urge to just grab them and make them see?
1000004
Oh, pendulum, please swing in the most favorable of directions! As for why I'm sitting on the fence for TaB, it's mostly because I know it's a Pinkie/Celestia heavy fic and I personally don't have enough vested interest for either character to make me want to jump out and read it. On the other hand, I really like every story of yours that I have read so far so I'm tempted to anyway. If I really like W&W/O, I'll probably give TaB, and any other story of yours I haven't yet read, a go just because.
I'll be sure to give you my thoughts on W&W/O!
1000004 While I can't speak for others, I'll be honest and say that RariLuna by itself isn't a concept I'd readily jump into if it weren't backed up by other factors. As it so happens, two factors are in its favor. One of them being you, Cloudy, as the author, and the other being the big sprawling adventure/intrigue element.
And yeah, adventure stories aren't nearly as prevalent as, say, sappy meet cute-esque romance fics. It's a rare sight indeed when one of them are heavily thought out and well written, too. And political intrigue just frosts the cake, because that adds another layer to the atmosphere and overall interest.
Of course, there's always the fact that "Romance" and "Adventure" coupled together is the best thing ever, of all time, but that goes without saying.
999931
I understand the thing about just letting the story go where it wants in many ways that's a really good thing because it really makes the story seem more natural and fluid(one of the reasons I enjoy your works).
in all honesty though AppleShy(other than Lunashy[but there are practically none of them]) is probably the most tolerable of the non-fluttershy w/ rainbow ships to me. it doesn't make as much sense but, it makes sense. the thing is I've seen many appleshy ships be run into the ground and then some. but if you do decide to do it i'm sure you'd be able to pull it off well!
but, I have to go against kits with this one, JUST DON'T DO PinkieDash or Raridash!
that is all. all the others choices i'm okay with and looks forward to reading
1000004
Both.
A unique pairing and court intrigue sounds interesting, especially in combination.
1000085 Oh gosh, adventure with a romance follow-up? That looks almost too delicious. Thank you for the links! I hear bookplayer's name thrown around a bit too, and that second one is more bite-sized, so there're options, yay!
1000097 I really wonder what causes this--if people experience this with some of my stories, but only some, then the issue has to be related to changes made in the Gdocs import along the line. I've used the exact same methods all the while, I think. Frustrating all the same; if you import from gdocs, too, then you no doubt've noticed the fact that some paragraphs get swallowed in transit?
1000208 You paint a pretty bleak picture for Trixie fics! If you're a connoisseur, mind if I ask what's changed since S3? What you describe with injury-and-love and all that jazz, those're things I expected (and saw!) in and after S1, but have there really been no good ideas since then?
1000232 Pft. "Legend" my arse, but hey, thanks anyway!
Pretty harsh though! I certainly had Rarity as my least favorite of the mane6 for a while after I started writing, but it's changed since--the idea of actually despising her, well, that's pretty grim! Then again, I know there are people out there who actively dislike Fluttershy. And Pinkie Pie. And Rainbow Dash. It's like people have different opinions or something, hah.
But naw. That explains it, really. Thanks for sating my curiosity!
I understand that some people tend towards the darker stories simply because the happy fics feel pointless to them, and I've also recently encountered a situation where I feel compelled to write something I'd never read myself, so it's definitively a complex area. While you are very kind, and it's flattering that you'd suggest such a thing, I don't think writing a story "for" someone like this is a good idea anyway; it's a great idea to challenge oneself and expand your horizon if you want to, however! I just can't promise I have the time to read since I have a to-read list longer than Twilight's library books combined.
(For the record, anything I write that isn't shipping tends to end up there anyway, so I sympathize. I have a half-written sequel to Ode, and it's shipping.)
1000243 I'm usually not all that interested in three way ships; I've certainly made an exception, and I don't regret that at all, but that worked for me only because of the asymmetric framework. Combining AJ, Flutters and Pinkie--it's very much tickling the "I wonder if..." part of my brain now. As you say, they're unique, and in some pairs, it's a 2v1 along many axes and opinions, but here, there're few things that lean that way. I don't have a workable idea, but it's easily something I want to do one day.
Problem with it is of course that when you say three, you may as well say four, and then you're one step closer to the six way ship.
...Which, hm.
Damnit.
Re: Sadfic, it's pretty obvious to me. You've written sad. I haven't. You and Donny are two authors whose styles I'm now comfortable enough with that I think I know what a sadfic would entail, you know? I still don't dare read them because I doubt I'd survive: even reading Donny's normal fics that aren't even sad-tagged tend to leave me a quivering heap of pony.
That said, if you generally dislike Dark, too, I'm surprised you've written it. Are we talking "it was all a dream" endings here?
1000392 Thank you for your answer! At first when I read that little description/scene/snippet there, I actually got a little worried because it sounds somewhat (not a lot) like what I want and wanted to do, in a sense, but it's probably mostly because you've reached the same conclusion as I: Any fic that has Rarity and Luna interacting would be wise to deal with creativity and appreciation, with creation and strength.
1000696 The more I think on it, the more I believe that the two fics there, FlutterDash and RariLuna, both have to be writte, hrmf.
And, that makes sense, thanks for sating my curiosity! Lack of interest in either or both members of a shipped pair is pretty much as logical a reason as they come. If you do decide to read it, I'd of course love to hear what you think, but it's hardly a story designed to convert people who don't like either or both of them. Or, in fewer words, it's very Pinkie Pie!
1000780 I hope to be worthy of that faith, and I appreciate it!
People really do seem to react very positively to the whole "adventure ship" combo, I've noticed. I haven't seen people who have something negative to say about the idea of a long adventure with romance-y bits, rather. Hm!
It's funny though. As I lay in bed trying to sleep yesternight, I realized I might have been overselling the idea. It didn't really have any huge elements of intrigue, and was more of a drama/adventure heavily tied to something specific. Five minutes later, I had to get out of bed to type out some more ideas, and now it is political intrigue, too.
1001350 On the flip side, if I'm to play devil's advocate with regards to myself here, that fluidity comes with poor planning and can (at worst) also highlight plot holes, so it's a tradeoff. A tradeoff I personally like making, but it's not a pure positive!
I don't think I plan to do more AppleShy just yet since I've already done two stories (Where Earth Meets Sky and Where They Are Joined, but since it's practically my OTP, I am almost certain I will write it again.
Now, I shall let you go attend your meeting in the battle arena. Kits vs Rain, fight!
1001606 Thanks! I'm always curious to see what makes things interesting to others.
1001774 >Are we talking "it was all a dream" endings here?
Pretty much, though not a dream specifically. I don't mind sharing spoilers here since you'll never read them, but the first one turns out to be a scary story Pinkie tells the CMC (And AJ is none too pleased with her for it, being featured in the villain role). The second one is something Fluttershy wrote as an assignment by her therapist to help her confront her fears. Rarity stumbles across it, and they share a moment of heartwarming-ness. I write Dark even though I don't like it because what I do like is pushing myself to write outside of my comfort zone.
Also, being lumped with Donny's Boy in any kind of discussion on writing makes me pleased as a pony with a punch-bowl.
1001774
Well this might might be a long post. ^_^;;
Now keep in mind we are talking about Trixie ship fics as opposed to others. 90% of what I read is shipping unless a non-shipping has an interesting idea *The Lunaverse for example*. I'd say I've read or I am in the act of reading about 95% percent of the Trixie shipping on this site *the others being second person you and Trixie ships which I can't get into, and any in which the author is horrible at English as trying to read that hurts me". Also I usually avoid fics that have really short chapters, 1,000 words or less as at that point many of the details and character exploration feels lost to me.
There are good, unique non-ship fics for Trixie out there and since she is my favorite I have read many, but not all of them. For season three "Trixie's new Life in the Crystal Empire" is a good new story, though sad in many places. "Split Personality" is a good comedy that is pretty different as well.
As for ship fics that started after season 3 there are not many, The one I sent you "Temple of The Stars', is probably the best one so far. Many of the better Trixie stories are still being written from before the season three episode. Most new fics are still only a chapter or two in right now, or are the usual one-shot clop fics.
As for originality on a whole, that depends on your view. Trixie is usually shipped with Twilight or Fluttershy. She has been put into many other pairings, but there is usually only one story that has that pairing, it was a one shot, or there may be a few of it, but they aren't/ were never finished or I consider them to be poorly done. I've seen one or two Gilda x Trixie that were done well and had a good length to them, but that's the next closest to a 'common' pairing. Blueblood is used at times, but those stories have been pretty short and simplistic in detail and characters. There is a very good Celestia x Trixie "Royal Pleasures", the only one of its kind, but it gets pretty cloppy at times. It has a well done story and character growth behind it though.
The usual basic plot is Trixie is injured or starving due to her past actions *before and after season 3*, and is found by Fluttershy/ is forced by Celestia/Luna to interact with the Mane six in Ponyville, primarily Twilight. There's been quite a few were Trixie seeks out Twilight due to infatuation or for some other reason *to train with Twilight and become stronger*, but funny enough, never the opposite.
Now the events that happen during these stories can be different, or at least locations they happen in, and every writer writes with their own unique flair; but the majority of the ship stories falls into one of the three above initially. Some of the best to break the mold over all have been "A Twixie Love Story" with tons of comedy, though it ends a bit weak to me, and "Temple of The Stars', the only GIlda x Trixie ship fic I am aware of being completed and happening after Season 3. Both I would place right now a the Cream of the crop. "In Her Blood" is a good Flutter/Trixie fic, but has several clop scenes in it, and is in line with the Trixie injured trope, fantastic story though *not against clop scenes, but if you are just giving some warning*.
Ok, I could go into more detail, but I may as well write a report if I'm going to, Basically though there are many Trixie fics, most fall into two or three different tropes and involve Fluttershy/Twilight as the pairing. While there are a notable few who break this mold, they stand on their own and few/if anyone ever goes along the same line of thought. I consider a plot unique in the fandom if its only been done a few times before *which would count for any plot asides from the mentioned three tropes*. Past season 3 Trixie ship fics are starting up, but only have a chapter or two done atm.
Message me if you ever consider making one and want to run a plot by or something, or have any questions. I'm more than willing to help, especially since you do such wonderful work. : )
1001774
I read it long enough ago that I don't remember exactly whether or not it cut anything from your story. But I did figure that it has to do with the gdocs import, specifically after something in italics.
1000022
that sounds great! all ships of the main sixs =)
and yeah, there arent much twiJack storys, and see one from you sounds great
and the appledahs one too! XD
1001795
yes, while the trade off might not be a pure positive, I believe it's what really makes your writing so enjoyable to read. although a way to help remove plot holes I find, reading through and paying attention to events and other plot related devices generally reduces them.
well, like I said I certainly not against appleshy. and will be looking forward to what-ever you choose to write next(except the two previously mentioned ships).
p.s. I wish I could write toe-to-toe with kits.(I wish I could write period
)
1002263 You know, it's almost silly just how much such a "twist" (I'm not sure variations of that one qualify for actual twistiness) helps me, and when you put it like that, I could actually probably write dark (trolldark?) too--but I still wonder if I could read. I'll have to think more on that.
Making concerted efforts to push yourself like that though, I'm split. On one hoof, I think it's admirable. In the purest sense, I mean. It's about, welp. Pushing yourself. That's great! On the other hoof, the second I consider doing it myself, part of me goes "why would I hurt myself? Why would I risk killing my joy for writing with something I don't want?"
Hrmf.
1002480 I guess I am, to some degree, pleased that there hasn't been so much variation that there's no room for another story. It makes sense though. I may not have read a lot of stories outside of my tiny little social bubble since S3, but I've barely seen any Trixie at all. Heck, the last Trixiecentric fic I read was Of Mares and Magic, and we all remember how that went.
Thank you for the writeup! If the day comes when I wish to write something Trixie-y, I may run the idea by you -- with your permission -- just to see if you've read anything like it. I don't usually worry about stepping on toes so long as I have conviction in my ideas, but this would be rather unfamiliar territory for me.
1003942 I'm of course happy if people feel it's a trait with my writing that they like, because it would be sad if some considered it a huge negative. This is because I honestly have no choice. The option is to plan everything out 100%, and the second I do that, I have no reason to write the story.
Robert Frost has a rather neat quote: "No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader."
I doubt he meant "go crazy on the paper and just write lolz", it's a quote that hits pretty close to the heart for me!
Lordy, four days for me to catch your blog post? This is why I hate the new "notifications LOL feedz" scheme- blogs ARE social, they should be under notifications.
Okay, rant aside... I don't know what to say except "More? Yes please!" The possibility of political intrigue interests and excites me, just because I think the composition style you used in W&W/O is well-suited to it; in reading that, I was constantly wondering what would happen next, when one of Luna's cryptic statements would be explained, and when we would discover what had happened to the three they set off after.
And I haven't read enough good Applejack fiction recently, and I really, really liked your treatment of her in 'Well Grounded.' That story still resonates with me.
Anyway, it's your writing I come here for, so I am just happy you've decided to plunge into the next one, and as always I'm amazed at your aptitude for generating ideas and following through on them.