Twenty stories, a look back · 8:24pm Jul 9th, 2013
I didn't think I would use that blog, but here I am. Well, I didn't think I would ever write fanfiction ever and also did that as well. I guess, in the end, it never matters anyway.
I've finished and posted twenty stories since I began writing for ponies (or that I've begun using ponies as an excuse to write). This seems like a good time to take a look back and try to understand how I came there.
I don't write this to be expressely read by any other than myself, even if it's written like I'm talking to someone else.
I just need a place to write down what I've got in mind, because that same mind is full of stuff from the work, from my studies, from my personal life and from other things.
I just wanted to warn before beginning, just in case.
***
So, let's take a look back on that sort of little adventure I began so long ago the seventh of December last year. Something like eight months ago.
At the time, the season three had just begun with the crystal empire. I was listening to as many interviews as I could find from pretty much everyone in the fandom, from the staff to the fans. And I remember quite clearly having heard Tabitha St-Germain having said: "I would like to see bronies create their own content. Not take something that isn't theirs, create their own."
That was an unexpected answer to the "evil question" and a very good moral point as well. I just think she hasn't seen how much the fandom has expanded from the original material and really created original content. Or maybe she did... I don't know.
Now I'm not sure that was what decided me to write, but I decide that it was. Because it feels like it. And now, that is one of my main reason, the other one being the "Create" poster that was offered to Lauren Faust. It sounds like an order I'm more than willing to follow.
At the time, I thought that writing a fanstory about My Little Pony would be easy. After all, I had a lot of experience in writing before and even if I wasn't (and still am not) very talented, I could do it just as well as any other non professionnal. Or so I thought at the time.
Let's take a look at every story I've written those past eight months, what I learned and what I think of them now.
***
First story: Twilight does('nt) like books
The very first story I wrote and god was it bad. The commentaries made me understand it very fast:
"this is streched out overworded and boring"
"very uninteresting to read"
"First off you need to fix the formatting. Quotation marks, dear Celestia, please use them! "
I felt so ashamed that I hid it so that I wouldn't have to take responsibility for it. And looking back, I made some very big mistakes with it:
- I tried to tell an adventure story, when I clearly doesn't master english enough to do it.
- I took the readers for idiots (my fault, I'm a jerk, I know...) and thought I hadn't to put too much effort in what I was doing to obtain a result.
I haven't read that story since I took it away. But to be honest, I've got one good memory of it. In fact, the Trixie part was worth it. It was the only thing I had really worked on and everytime I think of it, I kind of smile.
But it was a bad story altogether. Rushed, without soul and the lack of effort showed. So I decided that I could do better and was going to prove it.
Seconde story: The right to choose the path
That was my revenge. The proof I was able to create a good story if I was willing to put some time and effort into it. I created it one day after the first one, so the 8th of December. And it was more than an improvement. The story wasn't very well received, even if it did not blow as the last one did, but I was personally very satisfied. In fact, I can remember how great it felt to know that I had been able to write that story. I was proud, I was happy, I felt like I had accomplished something.
I still read that story from time to time, because I like it. I like the subject, of course, and I like the way I handled it. And of course, I received that commentary:
"So summing things up, its a good fic, but it feels a little short, or at least rushed at the end." from Matdat
And since then, I'm always very happy everytime Matdat takes the time to read one of my story, because it feels like I've worked for something more than myself.
The story was rushed in the end (even if for good reasons in my eyes) and it was going to be a recurring remark on my stories. But I never found a way to write more than I felt was necessary for what I had to say. In fact, I probably have already written too much in some cases.
But in my mind, that story is one of those I couldn't do better. It's fluid, it says what I wanted it to say (or mostly, what I want to read), still one of my favorites in my heart.
Third story: The ignored bookshelf
That story was my second revenge. But in a way more conscious way. I knew, at that point, that I wanted to prove something, mostly that I was worth something, and having heard from all those interviews, I was dreaming of becoming a great writer (yay) and stuff. So I felt the need to think about it and come back to earth with that story which mostly says: you're one in a million, but what you do is still worth a lot anyway.
I knew that what I was going to write was going to be ignored in one corner of the internet (and in that regard, I was wrong. Way more people than I could have ever imagined took interest in what I wrote).
That story began what I would explore (and am still exploring today) for the next eight months: simple stories. I was giving up adventures (the right to choose the path being some sort of adventure...) and was focusing on taking a subject and debating it.
And if I had to choose one story I wrote that I consider perfect, this is it.
Of course the english is bad. Of course there is a mistake pretty much every three words. But the story itself, even if parasited by all the references I wanted to put in, is fantastic (and that's why I wrote it. I wanted to be able to read it). If I had one criticism, it would be about that editor that isn't developed enough. Too caricatural.
But for the rest, it works almost perfectly every time I read it again. I know it's not as good as I think it is and I know it has big flaws. But for me, it's one of the best or probably the best I will have ever written. I'm really proud of it. And since then, I think I've tried to replicate it in some way...
Fun stuff, I got a comment from Regidar who is a great humorist (class sins...) and that felt good too. I'm just so human when it comes to feeling flattered.
Fourth story: The Superpinkiastrolophilosothingything
That one is weird. At the time, I wanted, as I said, take a subject and debate it. I wanted, for example, write "Polyponytricks" to speak about politic before realising I knew nothing about it. So I decided to speak about the economy, being an economist myself. And the result was... weird. I guess I published the story because the title was funny.
To be honest, the story isn't very good. It's forced all the way and the stuff Pinkie invented seems to have no purpose whatsoever. The only thing that saves the story is the ending with the "fourty-two". But that is still pretty weak.
I almost never read that story again, but I do like it, as some kind of nostalgia. I wouldn't recommend it, but I don't hate it. I learned to handle Pinkie Pie a little and that was still useful. I was defining the personality of the ponies at the time (the way I wanted them to behave, the roles I wanted to give them).
Fifth story: The sentence
That story could be considered one of the first that had some kind of big success.
First, Regidar commented it again. Yeah, I'm counting (not so seriously, but still. It's Regidar.)
Mr Tallyman said:
"I can honestly say that this may have inspired me to finish my current story, and believe me, thats not an easy feat."
The fact is: he didn't. Too bad, he had some good ideas, even if his story was kind of difficult to write (at least, I wouldn't have to be the one to have to make it work).
The sentence was, originally, a way for me to handle my emotions. The whole story was a way for me to say: "What I do is worth something. I don't care if it's bad, I don't care if nobody else like it, those are my stories, I like them, they are a part of me and that's it."
Was the story good? Yes. The concept was good. Was it that good? No. The execution is kind of sloppy. It goes a little too fast. Still, the subject covers it. I love this story because it speaks to me. I've got so many sentences in my head that I fear I'll never remember and will vanish forever, but at the same time, I felt bad that the feelings were the main reason for that story to be successful. Taking a filly and making her cry isn't writing a story in my mind. And sometimes, I feel that people were more interested in the fact that she cried than why she was crying. But I may be wrong...
Still, I didn't await one of my stories to be appreciated that much.
Sixth story: What everypony wants
Continuing with taking a subject and trying to debate it, I thought once "hey, imagine if..." and I had the beginning of the story.
"Despite the minor errors... wow, wonderful fic!"
That comment made me feel that, for the first time, the story was actually good enough to make people forget about all the mistakes I was making while writing. Or maybe I had just learned to write better.
"Execelent...I love stories like these. ones that have hearts and feelings."
That comment had me worried. It was great to know somebody had enjoyed the story, but the hearts and feelings weren't what was important in the story. I wanted to explore a subject and once again, the fact the filly was crying seemd to be more important than why she was crying.
Well, I still read that story from time to time, because it's about love (cat is out of the hat) and I like what I've done with it. It is, actually, pretty pertinent altogether. (even if still pretty bad).
In fact, it was kind of hard to make the filly act like lovers do. But the obsesssion is here, the irrationality too. She tries to impress, she tries to be noticed, she is adapting her strategy and in the end, she always comes back.
Seventh story: Pinkie's bad joke
That story got a pretty cold reception. And I felt almost relieved. Of course it was a shame that I was wasting people's time with that story, because they wouldn't be able to enjoy it, but it was good to know that I was able to write something else than a filly crying.
The whole story was just there to say: "I can't write comedy. I've got a terrible sense of humor and it's a terrible feeling."
And also, I personnally find the joke funny. At the time, I was thinking it was probably one of my favorite and I was kind of proud to have invented it out of nowhere (pretty much. I've never really created anything in my life, so when it happens, it always feels great).
I decided to put a warning on the description to make sure I wouldn't wast people's time and I moved on to the next one.
Eighth story: That what was meant not to exist
I hesitated so much before publishing that story. But I liked it so much at the same time, so I published it anyway.
What can I say about it?
"That was beautiful
I registered just to upvote..."
When you receive such commentaries, you feel fulfilled. I wish every writers (would they wanna be writers like me, or real writers) to receive such comments.
That story is a little special, so I'll let it aside for the moment... But I do like reading it again, even if, in all objectivity, it would need quite a lot of work to make it with the narrative fluidity it lacks.
Ninth story: A one trick pony
This is the only story that never got any comment. But to be honest, I could count, today, two other stories that didn't get commented in some way, because the comments had pretty much nothing to do with the stories. Anyway... I love that story.
I wrote it because I had discovered the "one trick pony" song from Jackleapp and Mic the Microphone. I wanted to write something about that song very badly, so I forced it.
At the beginning, the whole idea was to have a pony that had her special talent, but wanted to do something else and was failing at it, discovering, in the end, that it didn't matter that she was unable to do it (pretty much the story of my life).
But I drank a little that night and the story just went everywhere but still felt consistent. And I love every line, even the worst jokes I make in it. Seriously.
I also wanted to make a shoutout to "littlest pet shop" because a lot of people were criticising it and even if I hadn't seen it at the time (I have since and it's pretty good. Not as good, but good nonetheless, worth the watch. "Wolf i fied" is a must hear.) I felt like it was a little harsh. So I made the action take place in a pet shop and I used the name of one of the character of LPS, just changing it a little, which made that strange "Salt Kent" name.
I also like when the pony meets with Tabitha. This is what I wanted to read and I love reading it again. It shouts the "I don't care, let's just have fun" that I like.
Tenth story: The sugar tears
This story is kind of weird. It's bad. It's clearly bad. In fact, it's probably one of the stories I've never read again. Every trick I've tried to put in didn't work out the way I wanted to and the message I wanted to put in isn't there.
I wrote it because I was thinking how funny it was that characters like Pinkie Pie were just so crazy. And then I thought that it was terrible to laugh about madness the way we do when it is, in fact, a very serious matter in the real world.
So I tried to speak about it in a story and failed. Well, that story reminds me that I can fail, even in my own eyes, and even if I put the time and effort I usually put in my stories.
Fun stuff:
"Actually show the conversations, don't just tell us that they happened."
I'm still not sure what that "show don't tell" rule is. I mean, we are writing stuff, it's kind of hard not to tell about it and even hard to "show" anything. In some occasions, I feel it's better to just quickly tell something to explain it and give the needed informations, and in some others cases, it's better to describe something and let the reader decide what it is. It depends of the goal.
Eleventh story: The truth and the veil
I wanted to write that story so badly since way before I began writing for ponies. And it turned out pretty well, even if the ending is rushed. I've always been obsessed with the illusion and how to use it. For example, a big part of my life is to keep up the illusion that what I write is worth something. Due to the comment, I'm forced to consider that it may be the case, but I know that, in all objectivity, it's not worth much. Still, I want to believe it is, because it makes my life better.
What else could I say? Not much. Moving on...
Twelfth story: One thousand
I was beginning to get out of good ideas to write any story. Not that I didn't have any ideas anymore, far from it, but it seemed that none of the ideas I had were good enough. So I decided to try to challenge myself in order to make the writing deal going on. It was more of a joke at the beginning, because fimfiction only allows chapters that are at least one thousand words long.
But I actually like the result, because, once again, the tricks I tried to use kind of work. I like that story. But I've discovered lately that some other people have been doing that challenge before me and way better than I have.
So... well, when I was saying I need to keep up the illusion, it's one of those cases where I shouldn't have been too curious. Still, I like the subject of a ruler being the slave of the one he or she rules over. Because I've had (and will have at least one last time) to order men and I've always seen that responsibility more like a chore than a power I could have. And I've often told myself I would have prefered to be a simple soldier and just followed the order blindly and complained whenever things weren't going the way I wanted.
Story thirdteen: Art is magic
I got kind of frustrated by that story, because, for once, I wrote it more for everybody to enjoy than for my own self. I thought that, for once, I had something interessant to tell. A good and, maybe, original concept. Well, I was wrong, but that was to be expected.
The whole story came from the episode where Trixie comes back to Ponyville. Not only was the episode epic and mindblowing, but the idea behind it was great. And as I was watching quite a lot of doctor who at the time, I wanted to make a doctor who crossover with the first doctor who would have a magic duel with Twilight in order to get the tardis back.
But as I couldn't make it work, I transformed the story in my head until the idea of Rarity using her art to win a competition came up. And it made sense, because it was a tribute to all the artists I was enjoying all over the internet. They are doing some sort of magic (too bad I can't participate fully, but I'm no magician).
Well, altogether, I like that story a lot. It may seem very weak because the way Rarity wins the challenges can be considered as cheating, but that's something that has never stopped me before. But I can see how this might feel even offensive for some people.
Story fourteen: Mark my words
I wanted to put the logic of the cutie marks to the extrem. That was the last idea I had to keep on writing. I wanted to come back to "The right to choose the path" and discuss the cutie marks (because I do have an obsession over them. In fact, I consider that they are one of the key point when writing about the mlp unvierse).
So the extrem was: "What if a pony's special talent is killing?".
At first, it was supposed to be a new pony that would get that talent. But I found out it was useless to introduce a new character (it was only making things more complicated around the heart of the story) and I used Scootaloo.
Fun fact, I wrote a more than ten thousands words story about that subject, but I feel that this short version works way better. The long version was like the sugar tears. Overworded, chaotic, and the tricks I was using didn't work.
But in "Mark my words", the tricks are simple, but at least they work. And I enjoy reading that story, because it's basically a battle of will and I want to read that you can win those. In fact, the story can be summed up in "Fuck you destiny!" that I kind of want to shout pretty much all the time.
Story fifteen: The ignored Statue
It had been one month since the last story and I was feeling like I wouldn't be able to write anymore. But at the same time, the fact I had to go to one of the big city we have in my country (something like thirty thousand inhabitants) made me have to see beggars pretty much all the time. And that is a sight I still can't really accept.
So naturally, I wrote about it, in order to tell myself: "It's okay, you don't need to feel guilty or bad or anything. You have the right to ignore them, at least as long as you cannot do anything about them."
To be honest, I would like to write a story about charity, because I clearly don't understand the concept (being fascinated by the american culture), but I feel like I've got to try and understand it better before I hit a brick wall while trying. But that wouldn't be the first time I write about something I know nothing about...
The story work very well, I'm glad it turned out so well. I thought it was too obvious what the statue was, until I discovered that, in the end, it wasn't.
Story sixteen: You've (not) got to move on
That story got a mixed reception. And personnally, I need to read it pretty often, because it tells me: "It's okay to mourn and be sad sometimes, you've not got to be strong all the time."
Not that I would have much reason to mourn, but that's kind of the point.
I tried to make the metaphor more obvious, by saying why Rainbow Dash was busting clouds and by making clear it was a metaphor with Pinkie Pie to tell that there was no cloud to begin with.
I don't know why people didn't like it. Some did, but I feel like I may have been too personal with that one. I don't know. But I like it.
Story seventeen: Responsibility
This story is the prime example of a forced story. I wanted to keep on writing (the illusion, still the illusion) and I thought I had to force myself to do it (and in that way, I was following the advice Tara Strong gave about the voice acting thingy: practice, practice, practice...)
The problem? The story is too big and I couldn't master it in the time I had. So in the end, the whole thing feels like it's always about to fall. An unstable work. Why spiders? Why dragons? Why invite them? Why not asking for advices directly? Why, why, why... I usually try to answer all of these questions before writing a story. And that ends up in me not writing anything.
Here I force myself to get over it and just write the damn thing. And it feels forced and doesn't satisfy me. I don't recall having read that story again since I've written it.
But I still don't know if it was a good thing or not to force it. I mean, it asks the question: why do I write? I basically write the stories I want to read. But it's more than just that, because I feel the need to write more, because it creates an illusion that makes my life easier to live. Force myself to write a story and pry that it ends up good or give up after a few paragraphs and just wait for the moment a good idea comes?
I've got no answer...
Story eighteen: Learning in a Dash
I wanted to write that story from pretty much the moment I've thought about writing fanfiction. It just took more than five months to find a good way to tell it. But it was worth the wait.
Once again it's not a great story or the best that could be done with the subject. In fact it's objectively pretty weak. Still, I love it and I'm very proud of it. I enjoy reading it because it's simple and the payoff is great. I wrote that story in a state of transe, and it's a miracle the whole thing came out the way it did.
Oh, and the comments were good as well:
"Still, love the story. "
"You pulled the rug out very nicely there, didn't see it coming at all. "
Story nineteen: The last Pinkie Promise
This story is the prime example of a non forced story.
In a way, I thought it would be the end of the stories I could write about ponies, because it was setting some sort of ceiling I couldn't go over in tems of quality.
And relatively of the others story I've written (that I've written, because otherwise, the story is average at best), this story is very good. It might be as good as the ignored bookshelf.
I'm proud of it, even if, due to the state in which I was when writing it, it feels like someone else did write it. But all the tricks I thought of work. And I found the solutions to all the problems I was encountering. I mostly like the way Pinkie Pie reveals her sky (even if the part that follows is kind of weak, in fact the weakest of the whole story. It would need to be rewritten in order to be called a good story).
But what almost made me lost contact to the ground and prevent me to pass through doors were the comments:
"ImadethisaccountjustsoIcouldcomment."
"I'll .. hm, I'll try making a structured comment;" (and he did. Do you know how rare structured comments are?)
"im new on here and this story made me get an account. because of this story....i cried.hard." (even if the rest of the comment might (I will deny if asked directly) have made ME feel very sad...)
"This story was very good. "
I felt like I couldn't bring anything that would be even close to be as good as what I had written there. So why try?
Story Twenty: You've been drawn into it
I thought of the title after I was finished writing the story. Yes, I'm still learning english and therefore I like playing with words. It's still new for me...
I've written that story because it had been a long time since the last one and I wanted to do something. Once again, keep the illusion alive.
I've always been in the mindset that boy entertainement is just as bad as girl entertainement. In fact, that may be a part of why I love MLP so much. I mean... I did enjoy the show I was watching, but god they were mosty bad. The character were often very blend, the stories were pretty much non existent, the morals were weak and all I can remember from it is:
- You're a man. Be strong, never show emotions, violence is the solution.
- Yeah, explosion, kill everything that moves
- Blow stuff! Fucking exterminate everything
- The world is black and white. Period. Oh, and we are the good guys, obviously.
What we consider "good" boy entertainement isn't, in fact, "boy entertainement". It's just entertainement. Because "good" entertainement can be enjoyed by every human being that watches it (pretty much, after that, it's a matter of taste).
Back to the story, I imagined it because I once offered a drawing to a girl to tell her I love her. She decided to ignore the message (consciously or not). I moved on (or so I want to think I have), but I still find funny I actually tried to pull that one at the time. And I'm a very bad drawer.
That gave me the introduction of the story. And then, I decided I would use a simple trick, by having a missunderstanding at the beginning based on the concept that boys like explosions and adventures (we have feelings too... at least I have) and making that missunderstanding actually be real (the treasure map really leads to a treasure).
And it works, at least I think it does.
I like the pirate ship battle, I like the dungeon, I like the way the map is handled. Basically, I like reading that story.
***
So, those were the twenty stories I've written, all in a nutshell.
I've told myself I would write thirty stories before stopping. I will see about that. I actually think I've been able to write that many stories at the beginning because very time an episode of the show was being showed in the air, it gave me the will to create something in return. So season four might be a new trigger for me. But it's hard to imagine what the future will be (I know that way too well due to my situation).
I'll continue to try and explore some subjects, but I think I'll try a more light approach and try to have fun. Just simple fun. I've got way too many serious stories in mind that don't need to be told. The things I will probably use to write are:
- mystical creatures. Those are very useful to incarnate a concept. So I'll probably write a new story about some strange creature and having to deal with her.
- Ghosts. Because I'm kind of used to do it. In a way or another, I'll write a ghost story.
- Shipping. Because I promised myself I would try to write a shipping story at least once. I don't really like the idea, but this is kind of a challenge for me. But it might never happen, because I've never really described sex before, not even in french. And I cannot even think how it might work with horses. Still not the worst or weirdest thing I would have done in my life :P. But it might be interesting to discuss the whole "fantasm" thing.
- An ode to life. Basically, I could translate a story I wrote in french with humans to a pony story in english. Probably won't do it, but thinking about it makes me find out about the limits of the stories in the mlp universe, because there are limits. "An ode to life" may not fit into that universe.
I don't know what I'll write. Looking back, the best stories I've written are the ones I didn't predict and didn't thought that much. The ignored bookshelf was pretty much already alive in me. Learning in a Dash, even if the concept was old, came out of nowhere in a matter of hours.
To be honest, I mostly need to find out why I'm writing. And be honest to myself about that. Which could threaten the illusion. Which might be a bad thing.
Oh well, let's just go to sleep.
***
But before that, let's rank up the stories:
1) The ignored bookshelf: just my favorite. Period.
2) The right to choose the path: sums up everything I wanted to read at the time.
3) A one trick pony: I enjoy reading it so much!
4) Learning in a Dash: turned out way better than expected.
5) The last Pinkie Promise: It was that or the sentence. But The last Pinkie Promise is more complex and handles a more serious subject.
6) The sentence: Just a filly crying, but the reason makes it a good story. (relatively speaking)
7) You've (not) got to move on: It speaks to me, even if it doesn't for others.
8) Art is magic: Art is magic b***ch!
9) That what was meant not to exist: Too serious to be higher on the list, but I love it nonetheless. Just too serious.
10) The ignored statue: Handles the subject quite well. Simple, but efficient.
11) You've been drawn into it: just a lot of fun, even if it's just a simple story
12) Mark my words: Fuck you destiny!
13) One thousand: Rulers are nothing but slaves. I didn't want to be in charge.
14) The truth and the veil: I'm surprised it's not higher on the list. But it has some weak points and... well. No, it seems at its place there. Still like it though, it was a complex story to build.
15) What everypony wants: even if it's mostly a filly crying, there is a good reason for it. The story works well. Not the best, but still good enough.
16) Pinkie's bad joke: Not a "good" story of mine, but not a bad one either. I've got no sense of humor, I've got to deal with it...
17) The Superpinkiastrolophilosothingything: Because 42. The story actually has a sense, even if I discovered I had put one in it that I hadn't thought of at the time. Because let's be honest, it's not very subtle...
18) Responsibility: The story is forced, it doesn't really work.
19) The sugar tears: The story just doesn't work. Oh well...
20) Twilight does(n't) like books: The worst thing I've written. Ashamed it exists, I've clearly put no effort into it. Fun stuff, my pseudonym comes from that story: TwiwnB = Twilight with no Books. But I still think Rarity is best Pony (and like Rainbow Dash the most).
Yay! I'm mentioned in a blog po- Nah, I won't do that, that's silly! heh.
But. whoa, 20 stories. I've got some catching up to do, I checked now, and I've [just] read half of those you have available right now.
I'll say that since I've followed you, I've looked at each story you've posted. Not always read it, but at least checked out description and theme. You write interesting stories, that are pleasing to read, or that require some thought and analyzation on the part of the reader. Of the latter, I'm not very experienced, but it's fun reading stuff like, say, The Ignored Statue. I do not always connect the dots, what the story is about, but such stories are really thought-provoking, and that's a good thing.
Our early discussions about Cutie Marks also formed some of my 'headcanon', or what to call it, about how important the marks actually are, and how a ponies' life can be affected by such.
If I was to choose a favorite fic of those you've written (and I've read), I'd say The Last Pinkie Promise. Like you say yourself, it's well written and has a great storyline.
The Ignored Bookshelf would be second, I guess, I've never liked ranking stuff against eachother like this. Say, those two for example, are two very different fics, with different stories and emotions.
So I won't rank more, just saying that I've enjoyed those I've read. Some I have liked, others also faved.
I've really enjoyed your replies to the comments I've left, when you break down your own thoughts, and give a, well, let's call it, "backstage view" or something. How you thought when you wrote this or that. Reading these thoughts are fun and interesing, and shows how much you've thought about the world you're writing.
So, well, thanks for great replies, heh.
And now I leave you with another wordy comment rambling, I guess I'm bad at short comments, heh.
As always, thanks for putting great stories up for everyone to enjoy!
M
(And for the sake of nothing, the 9 stories I've read are: The right to choose the path, The ignored bookshelf, That what was meant not to exist, One thousand, Mark my words, The ignored statue, Learning in a Dash, The last pinkie promise, You've been drawn into it.)
1199500
I'm not expecting from you to read everything I've written and will write
. I mean, it would take a little too much time.
And stuff like "responsibility" or "the sugar tears" are probably more of a waste of time than anything.
I've ranked them because I had lost a general view of what I had done so far. I was under the impression that half of what I had written was bad in my eyes (as always, relatively speaking), but it appeared that only five of the twenty stories are some sort of "failure" and two of those I kind of like anyway.
I usually judge my stories through two criteria:
- how much the tricks I used did or didn't work (because I try to use a lot of them... something I'll maybe also take a look back over)
- if I enjoy reading it again
Which is probably the best flaw you could have. I can only hope you make those wordy comment rambling with others (and I think I remember you do), because they most certainly appreciate it.
And I tend to make long answer anyway.
Heh, time can be found when doing something enjoyable.
I try, is the best answer I can give here I guess. I comment like that when I have an idea what to say. I've tried once "forcing" a comment, without really thinking through what I was supposed to comment on. It got chaotic and pointless.
Anyhow, the idea of structured comments is something I've kept since the first (second really) time I read something here, and had no good idea how to comment on a fanfic. I think the authors that write here are (at least) worth a comment telling them that I've enjoyed what they've invested time and thoughts into, so that's what I try to do.
And it got wordy again, haha.