Story updates · 1:06am Nov 22nd, 2013
So, at the advice of a commenter on my previous blog post, I've decided to try one more episode of MLC before calling it quits. It'll be one I was/am looking forward to do because of all the "Changelings are evil because of the pod ponies" comments that Episode 1 garnered--I was hoping to provide at least a little extra context that would have built up across a few other episodes.
Also, another new story coming, or rather a collection of short stories. "Changeling Sympathy" will take common "good Changeling" tropes and put a twist or two on them. First up: "I'm the real one!" - The spell that throws the Changelings out of Canterlot also reveals Prince Blueblood, who swears he never knew that he's been a Changeling. Is Princess Cadance, determined to save her brother and filled with hate from her recent experience with Changelings, about to make a terrible mistake?
MLC: Episode 9: Sidle Gossip - 1725 (15%)
Changeling Sympathy: "I'm the real one!" - 1832 (15%)
This is when I take the time out of my day to call you a moron. Now, before anyone gets annoyed, hear me out.
You should be writing because you enjoy it. If it gets poor feedback, so be it. However, if it's enjoyable to write, who gives a fuck what people say?
That's all. Just a friendly reminder to write stuff because you want to, and only stop writing a story if you want to. Ignore it if others complain.
1527864 Friend, I could not have said that any better myself! Well put, indeed!
Also, you have made me feel better about my own opinion on this subject. Myself, I write because I like writing, and I enjoy what I'm writing, even if I'm the only one who (currently) reads it.
And if what I'll be submitting gets poor feedback, reviews, or what-not, I'll remember your very wise advice. Thank you, from a fellow writer.
Well hey, that's cool. I can't blame you for giving it one more shot.
But yes, a story should be fun to write. Something that some people here might not understand is that: sometimes it's fun to write precisely because of what your readers think of it, and how they react to it.
You know, writing Last is a pain in the ass for me, but it's all worth it when I get people that tell me I've brightened their day by posting.
People were upset over the pod ponies?
I mean, OK, I get it. Subverting the free will of a thinking being is pretty evil. But the alternative is starving. And the ponies in question were clearly well cared for, and seemed to be extremely happy.
Given that the setup of the world implied that changelings cannot freely mingle above ground, this is literally the only thing they can do to survive. It’s pretty evil, sure, but I would argue that not doing it, thus dooming an entire race to extinction, is at least as evil.
Besides, memory serving, I don’t think we were ever given full context behind those ponies. For all we know, they’re terminally ill and would otherwise be in excruciating pain every moment of the day. If that’s the case, I would say that not putting them into pods is pretty evil, while preventing them from feeling that pain and giving them a happy existence for what remains of their days is, if morally grey, pretty noble.
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I know... I've always tried to tell myself that popularity doesn't matter, but the sharp loss of (apparent) interest really got to me. The writing itself is still fun, yes, but the reactions and guesses and excitement for the next chapter really, really help. I mean, Time Tuner may not be as popular, but I keep my expectations reasonable, and at least it gets consistent amount of comments.
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IIRC, there's at least one comment about how the pod ponies makes the Changelings "irredeemably evil", and another stated that the creepiness of them made the story unreadable.
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And yet Discord subverting the personalities on the Mane 6, something that is inarguably worse than the pos ponies, somehow didn't make him irredeemably evil?
It's fine if people want to apply this kind of metric to the world, but if they do, it must either be applied always, or applied never. Not only when it doesn't sink their favorite ship.
1530040 Well... write it if you want to, I suppose. Is it that you expected it to be more popular than it is?
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Oh, I agree, but one shouldn't be so quick to assume those commenters don't think Discord is also irredeemable...
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Hmm? No. As I said, it was the abrupt drop in interest. Note this:
Episode 1: 88 comments
Episode 2: 21 comments
Even more comments about "Changelings are (more) evil because of x, y, and z!" would have been welcome...
1530872 Dude. Is that all? Comments are always like that. You get a lot on the first chapter, and about half for the next chapter, and then the number stays about the same for consecutive chapters. The only thing is that you're at about 25% instead of 50%. But overall the comments are still positive on the second chapter. You should definately try one more chapter, perhaps consider sprucing up the second chapter before publishing the third. And like I said, I still haven't read it. Maybe I should, I think you need a good third-party opinon on this matter.
But all in all, according to my math, if you get 21 comments on the 3rd chapter, and assuming they're all positive, you've done good.
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agreed