Status and things. · 12:44pm Jan 16th, 2014
Firstly, I wish to apologise profusely for the long delay on the next chapters for Solitary Pinion and A Stranger Among the Voices. For some unknown reason when I sit down I am initially eager to start writing but my enthusiasm wanes quickly and I find myself growing dissatisfied with anything I write. This has been going on for weeks, but so far I have managed to get roughly 11k done for 'A Stranger Among the Voices' Chapter 5. Alarmingly, this is even before the events of AVAtS Chapter two happen from Twilight's perspective. Well, at least mostly.
Still, I am mostly happy with what I have written and shall strive onwards after many tweaks. Solitary Pinion is a struggle, primarily because I have to be very careful with how I write it. I don't want to pace it too slow and have people get bored, but I don't want to race through it either!
Still, I should, fingers crossed, have something done by this weekend (Monday and Tuesday for me), to send to my editors. I have said this before, but this time I promise it. Part of the reason I guess is that I grew disheartened with the whole thing, wondering why I should bother when I don't seem to be improving. Secondly, I feel a little... I guess, limited in what I can write. It's a retelling, and I enjoy it, but at the same time I am confined on what I can write. AVAtS was fun as I got to write whatever I wanted, and it was all new and exciting writing my first ever story.
Don't get me wrong, I do love AVAtS and I feel it's a stronger story than the previous, at least in my eyes. Solitary Pinion I enjoy too, but I am hamstrung by another issue entirely. I want to progress to a certain point and play around from there, but I have to reach that point first. I love Viktoria's struggles (I really hate my protagonists it seems), but... Hmm, well I don't wish to give anything away.
Needless to say, the entirety of Solitary Pinion is planned from start to finish and I intend to finish that. I also wish to do the same for ASAtV, and wish to complete it before I do other things. But, the thing that got me out of my funk is perhaps something rather silly.
I discovered I love my characters and, if I don't write about them, they no longer exist so to speak. I love Ebony's snarkiness and pragmatic outlook on life. I enjoy Jessica's obliviousness and how she perseveres. I love Viktoria's developing personality after her trauma going back to the tom-boyish teen she was. I love what I have planned for her, for the others. I enjoy the guards, I absolutely love Mayari and Tala. There is one more I am missing, and that's Minder. I find it funny when people say that Jessica or even Ebony is my 'author avatar', but it's actually the quiet, timid, yet steadfast Minder who I guess is the closest to anything of the sort in the story.
In short, I love all of them and wish for them to continue existing, if for no other reason than I want them too. I lost track of why I started writing. Well, actually, I started because of a cheap bet, but I continued because I enjoyed it. I lost sight of that for a little, and I may have taken a few comments to heart and tried to alter how I did things to try and appease those people. Please don't get annoyed at them or try to find those comments, they are entitled to their opinion and I am happy they voiced it!
But, I want to go back to how I was. I want to write for me and share it with others. Even if one other person enjoys it, I will be happy. I never want to be the best author, or fanfiction writer, I just want to write what I enjoy and share it with people. ^-^;
And now I am rambling again, sorry. x.x
Long story short, I will return to writing because I want to. Ironically enough, or not, depending on the interpretation of the word, this will also mean my updates will be coming faster again. Why? Because I hate disappointing people and as such I enjoy getting something out weekly. The Xmas rush is over, and now I can relax some and try getting my update schedule into place. It may not be immediate, but after the next update things should definitely start flowing closer together!
Okay, with that out of the way I do have something to show people. While it's nothing major, it is the side stories and the sequel I have planned. If you don't want to have anything spoiled, even just the small synopsis of what I plan to write, then I wouldn't scroll any further.
Okay, I assume those that are still here are curious so...
Well, consider this a preview of what I have planned. I haven't been entirely idle this entire time I swear! Some of these are actually partially written, be it 2k, or even 4k words done. All will be around 10k or more in length, and will be one shots, excluding the sequel. There is also the Guard Story planned and another one exploring the changelings further, along with other 'hives' and perhaps even the Qilin. But that is far down the track!
Anyhow, I have rambled far, far too long so here it is. Consider it my apology gift for taking so long with the current chapters and to see just what I have planned! The order they are in is more or less the order I will focus on getting them done as well, just as an FYI. ^-^
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Nightmare Night - Jessica and her new family enjoy their first holiday, during which Rainbow makes it her goal to prank a changeling queen. Of course, tricking a trickster is easier said than done. A light hearted tale about not only enjoying what you have, but also how to harass royalty.
(Slice of Life)
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Winter Wrap-Up - Once again Spring has come about and it's that time of the year. Of course, now Twilight faces a new challenge. Not only must she again lead Ponyville on the way to spring, but also a village of changelings to clean up winter without magic. Seems simple enough on the surface, that is, until Ebony is taken into consideration.
(Slice of Life)
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Hearts and Hooves - Minder and Bastion's desire to spend the day together leads to Mayari and Tala questioning them about the holiday. On learning the truth however, Jessica's adopted daughters both make it their mission to have Ebony and their mother celebrate Hearts and Hooves together. With various other ponies and changelings getting invested into the idea, will the foaling's wish come true, or is it just simply never meant to be?
(Slice of Life) (Romance)
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Hearth's Warming - Jessica finds herself homesick, the holiday reminding herself of Christmas spent with her friends. Yet, with the help of her new family and friends she will be shown that even on another world, the spirit of Christmas always finds a way.
(Slice of Life)
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Magical Mystery Cure - Something has clearly gone amiss with the weather over Pagasa. Changelings are being subjecated to all seasons, sometimes even in one small patch of land! However, when Jessica and the others go to Ponyville to get help, they find that the problem may be more widespread, not to mention far more serious than they could ever have suspected.
(Slice of Life)
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Strangers Among Us -
A sequel to A Voice Among the Strangers.
Two years have passed since the incident that brought Jessica to Equestria and in that time she has gained not only new friends but a family and also a new life. Yet, regardless, she still longs to see her old friends. A creature now of two worlds, she neither belongs truly on Earth, or Equestria with bonds keeping her tethered to each. Despite this, she is happy, and to some extent, content in her new life on Equestria.
Still, when an event brings new visitors to Equestria the stakes are raised. Now, not only has Starswirl's Tome finally made it back home but others now seek to make it their prize. An old foe returns desiring not the tome but the world of humans itself. But when disaster strikes a new crisis arises.
Flung into a strange world, two Equestrians must find not only the culprit, but also the tome so as to return to their own world. Will the others manage to follow them? And, what world does Jessica truly belong to now? For at the end of it all a choice must be made.
When you bet everything you have, you always risk losing it all.
(Adventure) (Human)
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I hope this makes up a little for any delay, and now I will get back to diligently working to get the chapters done! I just wanted to give some form of an update given how bad I felt for taking so long. ^-^;
Plus, I had people asking if I was okay, hence this blog post!
YAY Writers Blocks sucks ^^
Apology accepted, we all have our bad/unproductive times.
Also, a small tip: when you do something for hours, take a 10-minute break every hour. It supposedly allows you to not burn yourself out. Never tried that, though, as I rarely do something for hours on end.
Slowly and steady forward, Tystarr, slowly and steady forward...
Tala and Mayari? Sounds awesome!
Also, that Hearts and Hooves story will be amazing. I just know it.
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It originally said which ponies, but I changed it so not it isn't spoiled too much. ^-^
Nightmare Night hooray. I know that will be the best side story, or possibly Magical Mystery Cure, can't decide.
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Well, it's just a guess. Hardly anything else makes sense from sequels' point of view for me. But no more talking from me, it's already spoiling too much...
You need effort hugs....there's no damn hug smiley
Take your time. No stress. Enjoy life.
When you write it, so it will be. Those who are normal, they understand the writers blocks.
I'd rather wait a few months to more quality chapter, rather than a patchwork.
I wish you a nice day.
That is how I feel every writer should write.
This is what writing should be about, so I'm glad to see you make this decision. I'm happy to have gotten a detailed status update on you and I'm relieved to see you're doing well, Trystarr. May your "Stranger-verse" grace this fandom 'till the end of days! ^_^
I will be waiting eagerly for every one of those stories.
Every time I see you made a post or a story update it makes me smile.
I'm sorry! I promise I'm alive!
I've gotten your chapters and have started giving feedback, but...well I was being really lazy for the first several days and then I suddenly have a lot more on my plate than I expected. I am working on it though, and I will get something to you ASAP!
And in another note-you are getting better as a writer. I can promise you that. There were mistakes that you used to make all the time and I'd have to correct them, and now I never see those mistakes. Sure there's more learning to be done, but don't discredit yourself for the work you have done.
Oh, and don't be afraid to take breaks. They help you not get burned out, and then when you come back to your work you can look at it from a new perspective. It really does help.
Anyways, best regards and I'll have something for you by tomorrow night. I'll do some work on what you've sent me tonight and then finish tomorrow. (Err...MY tomorrow night I'm afraid)
~Treil
I guarantee you that I will enjoy every story you write and I can't wait to read every single one of those stories that you have planned.
This blog post makes it very clear to me that your heart is in the right place. You should write because you enjoy it, not because we want it. You can use us for inspiration or motivation if you want, but you should never let us drive you into doing anything besides what you want to do (with the exception of typos, they are just evil
).
Also, sadism is a good writing tool so you should not feel bad about beating up on your characters. Expressing your love for a character through abuse is a great way to force them to grow and show the audience what they are really made of. Sure the cute and fluffy moments are great as well, but it is the trials the characters overcome that really stick with both the character and the readers so you should not feel bad about it.
Oooh! I like the look of those sequels, particularly the last one on the list...
Glad to hear from you!
I was starting to get curious as it had been a while. You know how it is -- most of us just want the best for our authors and are happy with whatever you can give us. I personally love your style and wouldn't want you to change it (other than self-improvement of your own chosing, of course). And, yes, I have to concur with Treilacl, your technical skills are definitely improving.
I have to ask, was "subjecated" a typo or a bit of too-many-suffix humor? Because even if it was just a typo, I totally approve of being subjecated to serendiperous humerosity.
GLaD to hear that you are Still Alive!
And about your ideas:
Nightmare Night - I can't wait to read it! Who will be the winner in the Great Trixter Contest? RD or Ebony? Or somepony else? Somepony great and trixy enough to win?..
Winter Wrap-Up - never understood how Equestria physics can work such strange, so seasons can't change without little hooves of ponies. Why Celestia didn't just make Sun a little warmer, so snow will melt? And to winter - make Sun little colder. This whole "winter wrap-up" seems so useless and pointless... but in spite of it I look forward for this story - it's you who'll write it, so the story can't be bad.
Hearts and Hooves - wat?! I hope it will not be f/f shipping story... pleasepleaseplease, anything, but not this!..
Hearth's Warming - I think it will be warm and magical Christmas story? I like such things.
Magical Mystery Cure - interesting idea, how everything will be with Jessica's interference. Look forward for this story.
Strangers Among Us - yupeee, sequel!
I hope that Jessica will find the way to walk between the worlds, so she'll keep friends on the both sides!
I'd like to stamp a big green 'YES' to each of these stories.
And don't worry about the writer's block; if you haven't already, try and make a rough outline for the chapter. Once you find one you like, fill it up from there.
Well I am looking forward to seeing these updates as time goes, they all look very promising, and Tystarr take as long as you need for updates I don't mind waiting your A Voice Among the Strangers is what got me hooked on reading again so I am willing to wait as long as needed.
Glad to hear you are still among the inspired. But holy heck, so many good little gems to look forward to. May your muse be done when its done, you can't rush quality. But please don't risk the burnout.
Awesome!!
And I'm curious to see where the Hearts&Hooves story will go(I have no problem with f/f or human/whatever pairings).
No... Not f/f shipping. Not a big fan. If the kids are pushing it but the two don't swing that way it could be funny but no true f/f please.
Also love the other ideas.
[Excitement Intesified]
// Sphex
All of my YES. These must all happen.
Commuting for the win!
look forward to your work
Thanks for all your hard work. I greatly enjoy your stories and am looking forward to both updates and new stories.
(Last blog) "Oh and one last thing. When the heck did I get 500 followers?! O.o"
Well, I at least favorite all of your stories, and just now realized I forgot to favorite you. You have a full language barrier fic, which is uncommon. You have a ponified child (or teenager) in Equestria fic, which is also rare. Both are well done as far as I am concerned. So, I am not really surprised by this reputation.
"Alarmingly, this is even before the events of AVAtS Chapter two happen from Twilight's perspective. Well, at least mostly."
Well, I might disagree. Unless that is before Twilight saw Jessica for the first time, A lot of stuff happened offscreen. So it is reasonable, at least in that case. Pretty sure, that since Jessica and Ebony already escaped, that Twilight has already seen Jessica. However, My memory of story timelines tend to be less than reliable.
"I really hate my protagonists it seems"
Yep, if you don't hate your protagonist, insofar as making life as difficulty as possible (or reasonable) then you tend to end up with a poor story, due to everything being too easy.
'Story ideas'
Am looking forward to them. However, I at least currently value Solitary Pinion highest when it comes to hoping for updates.
Pagasa? I've heard that before, but the meaning I know doesn't make any sense here.
These stories will be very much worth the wait. Take as much time as you need.
Also, while reading AVATS, for some reason, I kept thinking that Mayari and Tala's personalities reminded me of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo, respectively. Is that weird?
All the shorter holiday based ideas could probably be slotted into a single fic. Just need one underlying thread to bring it all together. Perhaps a journal Luna is keeping to follow the development of Pagasa?
I agree, you should put all these holiday one-shots into a single title.
I'm glad to see that you are getting ready to release more chapters. However, more importantly, did you have an enjoyable holidays?
Eep, thank you all for the comments. Was not expecting so many, as I did this just before bed. ^-^;
I may actually go with the idea of putting all the 'holiday' themed stories in one, not sure if I keep the MMC one separate or not. I am also glad for the positive feedback about my plans. ^-^
The only thing I will bring up is the Hearts and Hooves day one and the concerns some people have brought up. I know, fundamentally, I can not satisfy or appease everyone. But what I said before still stands. I will write what I think is fun, and tell the story I wish to do. Trying to alter it to make others happy is what was slowly killing my drive to write in the first place.
I will also point out that the romance tag is on there for a reason, and Bastion and Minder are quite likely the cause of that. As for Jessica and Ebony, I have always stated what their relationship is, but things grow over time, or they don't.
It's meant to be simply a fun idea of two daughters wanting what they think is best for their mother. Will it blow up in their faces? Most likely! But is there a chance it could work out? Quite possibly! I am curious if it still counts as lesbians if one of the creatures is a creature capable of shifting its gender at will. What does that make Minder and Bastion? O.o
Anyhow, I wont change my mind on how I plan for it to turn out, but at the same time I wont reveal how it plays out. It could be just a fun little activity while Minder and Bastion try to enjoy their day. Or perhaps, it could end up something more for two others. Or perhaps I am just rambling again, I do that a lot.
I can give a spoiler that a couple of the stories will involve 'Needstolearnhowtoknock' or 'Nee' for short, and Bastion's Sister, Sunlight Remedy, will play a part too. If you don't know who Nee is, she is a changeling who had the distinct honour of being named by Ebony, for... some reason. I am sure you can figure it out and it will be revealed in the retelling of 'ASAtV'.
And no, it doesn't involve what you think it probably does. Or maybe it does, depending on what you're thinking! For those who have read al of 'A Voice Among the Strangers', I am sure they can have some idea of what it eludes too. ^-^;
However, again, and I ramble... Some people have been chomping at the bit for Ebony and Jess to get together, some despise the idea. Whichever way I go, I hope people can still enjoy the story for what it is. ^-^
As for asking how I have been, relatively fine! All things considered that is. ^-^;
Sounds like a good plan to me. The story should come from the author, rather than the fans. After all, the author knows their story better than anyone else does.
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I second this. I would comment, but it would just be a repeat of your comment. In my opinion, writing that you didn't enjoy creating isn't good work.
-C.Storm
All these awesome stories coming soon out of nowhere!
We're a patient bunch, don't feel bad. We rather have a well done chapter than a rushed one.
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Need-stole-lalala~ - is that the one who stole Jessica from camp?
Trust me, you've improved a lot. I've been rereading AVAtS and the differences in grammar are palpable. As for writing, I can't really tell. I don't set my standards terribly high for fanfictions, so just about everything you write is off the scale by comparison. It's hard to tell which of two mountains is taller when you're using a meter stick, so to speak.
Also, you're right in not trying to appease us. Fan meddling is just as bad as (if not worse than,) executive meddling. If multiverse theory has any truth behind it, trying to appease us would literally destroy a universe. And that's terrible.
I completely understand what you mean about characters existing when you write them. There comes a point in a character's development where you're no longer making up information about them, but learning about things that were already true. You know you've done a good job in developing a character when you ask a question and they answer it for you.
The moral of this story; listening to fans will destroy the universe, so just say no.
I enjoy your writing, to be honest. Having only recently found (and devoured in reading) your initial story about Jessica and her arrival in Equestria, as well as what you currently have up for the "other side" of things, I look forward to even more of your work in the same setting. More of Jessica, Ebony, Mayari and Tala, and just getting used to everything, as well as the potential misadventures you have ideas for already.
I have to say, the idea of a full on sequel is exciting, and I hope you can get past the writers block and work on it as you want to. Thanks for sharing your writing with us in the first place!
May have only registered, but been interested in you writings since I found out about them from AkuOreo's page. Keep up the good work.
Just a little tip, when you write something down on your computer, but you don't think it will work, save it into a separate document, and use it for reference. After enough attempts are in there, you can review your own work to find a solution. It works for me, at any rate.
No problem with you feeling like that at all. While I really only follow Pinion, I ca easily tell that your other stories are just as good from the other fans of them.
Now of to read Pinion again for the 5th time.