A Progress Report, and In Her Blood info! · 10:24pm Aug 10th, 2013
Bonjour peoples.
Obviously there's been quite a long silence since my last blog, for which I apologize loudly; these last weeks have been packed up with everything from learning to drive to personal statement writing. However, they've also been filled with writing of a more poni-ish variety, so here's a quick blog to keep you guys informed as to where and what I'm up to with my stories. I know I've not posted anything new since the last blog, but I've written about 25,000 words of various well-on-the-way projects since then, so the time has by no means gone to waste.
3 ongoing projects at this point, really, so I might as well trot them out in the order they're likely to appear.
Firstly, that time-skipped Rarity and Twilight story I mentioned. I can finally drop out a title for that, which will be 'The Shadow of a Doubt'. Set roughly 10 years after the first episode, when the Mane 6 have begun to go their separate ways, it follows Rarity taking a down-in-the-dumps Twilight out for an evening in Canterlot. It's a bit experimental; hopefully it works out. It got a little out of one-shot territory and is currently floating at about 18,000 words, so I may chop it up into two or three chapters, although it was written (and should be read) as one continuous chapter. In any case, it's about 95% done, and should be baked, seasoned and ready to serve up soon enough.
Next, a project I discussed in quite a lot of length with the AppleDash deity Tchernobog more than half a year ago... It's an AppleDash story (naturally!) and is set shortly after Dragonshy. The first chapter of that is about 80% complete. I wanted to write something a bit more lighthearted after my recent spate of dark/psychological stuff, and an old-style Season-1 AppleDash romance-comedy seemed just the thing. It's given me a chance to write some dragon lore, which was fun.
Now, finally, In Her Blood. The hiatus on that one has really gone on for entirely too long by now, and to tell the truth, it was because I didn't know where to go with it. Don't get me wrong; I know exactly where the narrative is headed, but I couldn't figure out a good way to make the next couple of chapters work, plus I wanted to make a bunch of changes to Trixie's character which may require a bit of early-chapter editing. As a result of a whole bunch of little worries combined with the great big sense of 'well damn, how do I make these chapters work?', the story got shelved and, quite honestly, I've procrastinated getting back to it.
However, I'm about to get back to it now. I've figured out a much easier way of making the new chapters work, and I finally feel motivated to pick up the keyboard on this one once again. I'm going to be away for another week from tomorrow, although I'll have my laptop meaning I can make progress while I'm away. So expect a healthy fix of TrixieShy in the near future! 
So now y'all know what's going on! Sorry once again that I've not dropped out any new writings since May-ish, however the writey dry spell will soon be over.
Pony on, etc.
You flatterer, you.
Squee!
I still remember the details of that. It should be awesome, I can't wait to see it :D
Hazaah for mor trixieshy.
Also, again im sorry i havent been on skype the same time as you recently. Can we set up a time for us to both be on?
Ha, just finished reading 'in her blood', and I was dissapointed to see it on hiatus. So I popped over here to see if their was an update, and low and behold if I don't find this! Glad to know that I'm not going to have to wait forever.
I'm seeing a lot of good shit here in this blog! The Biker is HAPPY!
And then the biker looks over to the right of the screen, sees a couple stories... OH HELL YEAH! More good stuff to read! XDDDDDD
Finally! I just got down re-reading In Her Blood yesterday. Bring it on.
So the author who can capture romance better than anypony in the history of ever is going to do an Apple/Dash?
I hate you, Tchernobog. I, hate, you.
I always thought too that Rarity and Twilight would make a fantastic couple. They are the intellectual powerhouses of the show, and if you write Rarity anything like you did in Bluebird, I could see her working wonders with the purple ball of adorableness.
I haven't read In Her Blood, and will get around to it someday, but I am very interested to see where you take Trixie. I haven't read any stories that focus extensively on character other than the mane six, maybe because I'm mostly interested on our favorite fillies, but by you? I am interested. You have my attention.
Gimmie dat TrixieShy. You said something about SnappleFast and Charity, or something, but I was listening to the TrixieShy more.
Good news good news! Ardensfax is back! Very happy that one of the best damn authors on this site is back in action. Can't wait to see if Trixie and Shy get there happy ending! The other two sound good as well! Be looking forward to them.
1275780 I do my best!
And thanks, it's definitely proving fun to write so far! 
1275792 Sure! Sorry I've not been on lately, life hasn't really been letting up in terms of free time. I should be on some of the evenings this week, although I'm not 100% sure there'll be internet. I'll be at a hotel, so there definitely should be!
1276301
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But seriously, thank you, that really means a lot!
I've always been a huge fan of the Rarity-Twilight pairing for exactly that reason; I've always seen them as quite evenly-balanced intellectually, but with Twilight being a lot more nervous and stumbly in terms of the romance. I'm trying to make Rarity almost a 'mentor' figure in the new story, not just in romantic terms but generally, in terms of being able to 'read' ponies empathically and just in general experience of the real world. It's a lovely dynamic to write for, to be honest.
I must admit I always used to stick to mane-6 stories until I came across Kindness's Reward by AveryStrange, which got me into the wonderful world of TrixieShy (really, that story is incredible.) Hope you enjoy In Her Blood if you do read it!
I've actually been intending to do some edits on the earlier chapters to tweak Trixie's character a little; I'm generally happy with how she's portrayed, I'd just like some of her less obvious traits to come out a bit clearer, to prevent her 'normal' self (makes sense in context) from coming across as a little two-dimensional.
1276301
To quote somebody on the appledash forums:
1277006 The moment I stop complimenting you is the moment I stop logging into this site. You were the main reason I even got into fan fiction. So my compliments will continue ad infinitum. As Hagred once said. "Deal, with it!"
But exactly: They both have IQ's relatively within the same ball park, with Twilight focusing on science and Rarity focusing on social intellect. However, I can see both getting each others interests and neither being bored by the others thoughts on a subject. They both simply have too much to say and think a lot. They could talk about philosophy for hours. While snuggling. And then commencing in your famous make out scenes. I call front row seats!
So she's kind of like a betazoid, in the completely nerdy Trekkie that I used to be/still am? She is half that like, and so is Fluttershy, in a different manner. But I would say that if any of the mane six know what love is in theory and in practice, it's our alabaster ass kicker.
Trixie... Shy? What is this!?
Nor do I mind it being sllghtly cloppy, as Xenophilia/my own venture into it has well, only reconfirmed that just like in reality, sex and love tend to be relatively important. But how do you make them both work. Ohh when I finish E.E.E I'm taking a week or two off...
Still hate you Techernobog. You made ME write some. Hatred. Infinite.
1277006 OK. Hopefully youll be on around 12 at my time or the weekends :)
Would it make you feel awkward if I said 'I love you'?
1277079 Well, there's only really one way to respond to that, and that way is by saying 'yay'. So I shall yay.
In fact, I feel this situation even warrants a squee! *Adjusts Fluttermonocle* 
Exactly; they both seem very keenly interested in the world (albeit different parts of it). They seem to both be naturally quite peaceful and serene, although they both have that tendency to obsessively stress out over minuscule things because of that perfectionist streak. I'd actually quite like to write a story with them in an established long-term relationship, because I can see them kind of 'balancing' each others' obsessiveness and acting as a check for one another. Plus flustered-Twi is ridiculously cute which makes it worth writing in itself! Oh good grief, 'talking about philosophy for hours while snuggling' is basically my idea of a perfect relationship.
Not sure what that says about me as a person, but hey!
And yep, if Star Trek existed in the ponyverse, I'm sure Twi would be first in line at the cons! (And Flutters would probably be behind her but in a massive costume for fear of social interaction...)
*Passes popcorn for makeout scenes*
(EDIT: In context, I probably should have thought a bit better before choosing that emoticon!)
Sorry, my last reply was completely in the wrong order, meant to mention the TrixieShy story (Kindness's Reward) after talking about In Her Blood, otherwise it seems like it came totally out of nowhere! I fail at putting things in a logical order!
I know the default Trixie ship is obviously Twixie, but I love the Trixie-Fluttershy dynamic because of Flutters's compassionate personality playing off Trixie, whereas I've always seen Twixie as like a less physical, unicorny version of AppleDash, insofar as the rivalry-romance dynamic goes. Agh. Sorry, I'm a shipping nerd. 
About the slightly cloppy stuff in In Her Blood, it was kind of a toss-up as to whether I should include it or not, but in the end it actually felt necessary for highlighting certain bits of character development, and as you say, it sometimes seems silly to try and depict a realistic romance while skirting around the more intimate aspect, particularly in the kind of relationship they have in In Her Blood (I won't drop any spoilers here, obviously!)
Oh god sorry for the stupid-long wall-o'-text reply, I have a way of over thinking shipping dynamics and that sort of thing!
1278073 Not at all!
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I am so ready to work on IHB again.
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1278238 But mother of Celestia's mare nectar if they both ever have a combined OCD freak out, either one of them is grabbing the dildo, or the other Mane four are grabbing dildos and pushing the two unicorn's into submission. Oh... dear. I was innocent once.
But exactly. It's kind of why I like Rare/Dash thanks to Third Time's a Charm. It turned an impossible combo possible. And why you nailed Twi/Dash. Twilight has that Deccard Cainness that Rainbow Dash needs to reach a higher way of thinking, and you captured it. Twilight and Rarity would bounce world views off of each other and hopefully help them see the world in another light. Open up each other to new experiences. Snuggling and philosophy? My two favorite past times. I mean with Rarity's excellence in using ten different items at once and Twilight's construct spells-so how about them Bulls?
The only pony cuter when flustered is Rainbow, because her ego is compromised and the way she squishes her snout into her neck, sputters, looks around and tries to cover herself up. Twilight is just the 'opps' kind of shy. But it's adorable in its naivety.
And I would sorta disagree on the Trixie/Twi. Rainbow is... Rainbow. Maybe because I crank up her vulgaries/punkness/sarcasm. Twilight is more of a deadpan snarker. I really haven't studied Trixie much, so I can't really judge. Dash is my favorite pony, and well, you kind of show her at like, her spiritual ideal by the end of Bluebird.
And come on about the clop. You have several moments in Bluebird that are and then they had sex! N-n-not that I minded!
Because your make out scenes might of slowly perverted me a tiny bit to clop because dear god sir you make kissing an art form but don't say anything.Rainbow has a very healthy sex drive, and Twilight... has been repressing a lot. So when two ponies love each other very much....And please. I read and drool with your responses. Pst. I sorta worship you. Just a bit. I'm a good puppy Dash.
As for Star Trek? Well we have Twilight as Janeway, Dash as Paris, Applejack as Torres, Pinkie as Neelix, Rarity as The Doctor, Fluttershy as Tess.
1278644
Bullshit.
1357211 I woke up this morning so tempted to write a 10K Rare/Dash clop story. Don't make me do it. I'd write five thousand words of them just rubbing each other off. I have the power now, I can do it.
1357651 You don't have the stones.
1357662 And I'm not sure I want to be known as a clop author who can spend two paragraphs explaining how sensually Rarity can rub a labia. If I was going to write real, honest to god super clop, I'd do that.
And I'd add as much sloppy mare cum as possible. A mug of filly nectar or Get Out.
...
...I. Hate. All of you.
1357664 Y'know that was supposed to spur you on.
1357666 Bluebird Song: the deleted scenes.
You know damn well as I do Ardensfax put in massive signs, "AND THEN RAINBOW DASH AND TWILIGHT SPARKLE SHAGGED FOR THREE HOURS STRAIGHT." So you can blame him for being the first person to ever put the thought of ponies badonkingdonking in my head.
... you're not supposed to like clop!
1357668 Wait, we're carrying on a stupid conversation in someone's comments... again...
1357670 Just note me your thoughts on things. I'll be back in half an hour after breakfast and cake you perverted buck.
1357651 Do eeet.
1357668 Don't tempt me, it may happen...
Actually it almost certainly wouldn't with Bluebird but there may be an epilogue of The Butterfly Catchers coming at some point, which would most likely be RariPinkiTwiShy... This could only end interestingly. 
1358070 ... Now that you said I must, I must.
1277013 You might of convinced me to do an Apple/Dash, but Ardensfax has powers above you!
Well really it's Razed Rainbow who got me into Rare/Dash. But...
... sigh...
And why did Twilight get pulled into this!? What did she do other than have an adorable purple pudgy puffy puckered butt? Well that alone...
STOP IT! Rainbow Dash is the anal freak!
...
1359045
Note how this post also says that I managed to talk Arden into AppleDash too~
1359053 He hasn't done it yet.
Ponies can't handle how much Rainbow Dash squirts. She can shot a good ponies length away and fill a mug. Although Applejack can fill a mug and a half, but Dash can drink it more like a slut.
... Jesus Fucking Christ you guys are making me sick.