Flutterlich Post Mortem · 4:17am Apr 20th, 2012
So, chapter four of Flutterlich is (finally) done. As I've been reading the comments through the day, I realized a few things might need clarification - I don't see this as what it usually is, which we'd call a pretty straightforward weakness in the storytelling. Rather, I think it might be that people are seeing or aren't seeing things to suit their preferences, or maybe they're just having trouble discerning the intent of the narrative. Just wanted to clear a few things up in that regard, as well as some more general stuff in regards to writing and the future.
Chapter Four is the final chapter of this story. When I originally envisioned it on behalf of the requester (so many months ago I can't even recall the timeline correctly) it started in my head exactly the way it ended up finishing. Fluttershy encounters a dark energy, it takes over her life in a way she never intended, and ultimately in a war between the light and dark in her own mind and in reality itself, she falls to the darkness. The ending was the pivotal inception of this prompt - there was never a happy finale intended.
I understand this means there are loose ends that haven't been tied up, primarily relating to the involvement of the rest of the mane six or Celestia, as indicated by Twilightp; this omission is intentional. While I could easily write a storied epic on the conflict between Fluttershy's new dark form and the good but belaboured intentions of her former friends, I have no interest in doing so. Any material in that regard would be entirely ancillary to the intent of the story, which is now exactly what it was supposed to be - it is a tale of tragedy, loss, and failed hope.
I don't believe I've seen the original requester of this story in some time, and at this point I probably never will. Like one of my earliest works that I think best typifies all the writing I've done for this fandom going forward, what originally started out as an off-hand 'can you please do this' turned into something I probably put far too much thought into. That's not a slight against either of the requesters mentioned above - it just means I can't believe, standing at the end of the longest and most arduous story I've ever written, that it was all birthed from a single writing prompt in a 4chan thread over half a year ago.
I made a journal post a while ago about my intentions for posting stories - I don't think many people noticed or cared, but I did get a few people asking me when or if chapter four was on its way, which is understandable saying I promised in a week over a month ago. It's done now, and I guess that means I can get on to writing other things.
It feels strange. With the whole world of potential choices in front of you, it's easy to feel paralyzed sometimes. What I'd like to do is probably the question I should be asking myself. Do I want to do more requests, just like old times? Do I want to go back to being a useless twat who procrastinates on every story and only does meaningless oneshots that mire in mediocrity and too many big words?
I think I'm going to clean up and post that Gilda story I talked about a while ago - I finished it some time ago, but due to feedback its been in the garbage heap for some time. May as well throw it up so that people here can judge it for themselves.
The collaborative project I talked about would be very similar in tone to Flutterlich, only with a good deal more Lovecraftian influence, and anything Obsidian, my creative partner, could come up with. But, he's busy almost constantly, and I think that if I dived into the story, my enthusiasm would quickly burn out working on it alone. Which is a bummer, because I think the only thing I'm good for these days is writing grimdark bullshit, and that has a pretty big potential to be the pinnacle of everything I've ever done in that regard.
If you have any ideas for what I should do next, whether its requests, taking a whack at my ancient backlog of potential story ideas, or if I should give up writing forever, I'd appreciate your feedback.
To everyone who was along the ride for all four chapters of Flutterlich (small in word count though they might be, they seem quite big in my head), I hope the ending was worth reading. It's nice to see the mental pictures I've had for so long finally put in front of me.
Cheers to everyone who's following as well - maybe I can come up with something in the next little while to make it worth that button click.
too many words, stopped after 'So, chapter four'
It was a good story, and I enjoyed it very much. Though you already said it wasn't going to happen, it still is a little saddening to hear that it's ending... I would've loved to see Fluttershy turn into a pony version of Arthas, the Lich King. Her hordes of animal undead sweeping across Equestria like a plague of death. Which, it would be. While Celestia and Luna do what they can to stop her, only to have the powers transferred, as the kingdom Fluttershy has built up must always have a ruler to guide the undead, least they rampage unchecked.
I think the reason people didn't feel like the story had concluded was that it didn't feel like a conclusion.
Fluttershy using the power in the fourth chapter didn't feel like a breakthrough, it felt like her giving in. She let a disembodied voice and zombies push her onto a certain path.
The central conflict presented was Fluttershy's internal feelings, and she didn't really progress in those. Sure, she became a necromantic abomination, but that was her trading one set of problems for another, and all at the behest of outside forces. She didn't earn it, and so it doesn't feel like an ending.
it ends like that? i am dissapoint...
76886
I too would have loved to seen something like that. i think i also agreed with you back on chapter three as well.
76940
I thought about it for some time. Fluttershy from the beginning didn't "want it." the power was always there, she just refused to grasp it. it took a great deal for a pony like Fluttershy, the element of kindness to give in and accept the darkness had won. had this happened to any of the other 5 i'm sure they would gave likely given in sooner. one may argue they also would have sought help sooner, but given the power that could be their's i think they would have grasped it with much less coaxing. so i feel the ending is acceptable, also great in my opinion. it does have that feeling of being left open, but it also feels as if it was intended to be so. you the reader is left with questions and "what if's?" i wouldn't say that's necessarily a bad thing as it leaves the mind to wander.
I Like your dark writing. Flutterlych is one of my favorite stories i have read. the bittersweet ending left me feeling sad, but it was a good sad. on one hand Fluttershy is "happy" but on the other, shes no longer "Fluttershy," but something much darker.
It's really stirred my emotions. i love a story that can make me happy or sad, or even upset. a story that does all of those is a great story in my opinion.
This happens all of the time, and all I can say is that I understand where you are coming from.
One of my stories was supposed to be about the family relationship between Spike and Twilight. A lot of people assumed it was me moralizing and they responded as such.
When an creative person releases a work, be it visual or written art, I can't help but feel that they lose the right to tell the viewer or reader how they "must feel" about the work. You went the extra step to try to explain you intentions, but in the end people still can only honestly feel one way or another about a story.
Take comfort in knowing that you created a complete narrative, one that was engaging and unique!
Get a bat and a helmet, and get cracking on your potential ideas. Can't possibly hurt you too much.
If you really will end it this way, I hope that someone else will pick up on this story and expand it. (I'm a lousy writer, or more like, I don't write at all, so I won't even though I would like to).
It was a fun story nonetheless!
keep up the good work
77173
Same hopes here - this setting is just to good to left like this and think the (un)holy forces of fandom will do something about this :).
I really loved this story - actually this the story that brought me to MLP fanfiction (yes, I'm still new to this). I love that kind of dark stories connected to necromancy, dark forces etc (and I still think Celestia and Luna have a third sister that governs death and guides souls of fallen ponies).
Since this is a clarification post, arnt lich's supposed to have a phylactery? And arnt they also supposed to be undead?
77588
hey thats awesome, and still, welcome XD
if you like stories like this, you might also like blood is thicker than friendship.
it's a HUGE story. for now 9 chapters long (10th chapter coming very soon) and its about 160.000+ words.
If you have any stories you liked a lot, would you mind sharing them with me please? :D
thx, Kladdos