The Dreaded Post · 2:43am Jan 21st, 2014
Dear fans of Last...
...It seems that every author has to make this post at least once, doesn't it?
My flagship story has been on this site for almost one year now. The night I first published it, it received almost instant acclaim, and I was so excited I remember I couldn't sleep that night.
That was a lousy winter for me. Things felt dreary and hopeless. I found a great deal of comfort in knowing that my story was being read and enjoyed by a respectable number of people.
This winter, things are different. I'm in school, like I was last year, but I've pulled my life together a lot more, and things seem in better perspective. I'm not going to say that I regret writing Last, but I definitely put too much time and energy into it, because at the time I was suffering severe anxiety and depression, and Last was the only thing in my life I could apparently succeed at.
The truth is, I've been thinking about Last almost every day since about October of 2012, when the idea first struck me, and at this point, I'm bored with it. I've watched each episode of MLP seasons 1 and 2 at least ten times, and I'm bored with that, too. I'm bad at hobbies for this reason.
So I can't force myself to write anymore. The only logical thing I can do is shelve it for awhile. I can't tell you how long it will be before I can turn my energy to it again, and it may be the case that I will never be able to. I'm saddened by this, because I really wanted to make a point with my story, one that would have unfolded in what I thought was a nice way.
But I am who I am, and I thought you ought to know. I'll still be hanging around the site.
Thanks for the support.
But you see, that's the key, isn't it? To writing good shit. You need something... particular in your life to put you in the right mindset to write something awesome. Be it a deep and dark depression, or a joyful celebration of some sort. You put your life in perspective, in other words, it's become routine, but not boring. Nothing special. You needed that anxiety and depression so that you could pour in onto the pages.
It's the same here, but I power through it. It takes me... sometimes 6 months to write a chapter of my Last, but I can do it. I can summon the sad and philosophical parts of my life and use those to write with, but yea, it does take a lot of concentration and being in the right mood.
Shelf it. But don't forget it. Let it be in the back of your mind always, and maybe, just maybe, some day you'll get that little spark of inspiration once more.
As for the show, I will say I'm not the crazed, drooling fanboy I was last year, BUT, the show continues to keep my interest. I mean come on, Pinkie's an Apple now, Daring Do is real (or is she?), and Spitfire is a bitch. Among other things. There's a whole slew of new things to ponder and figure out. Like we got 3 new griffons. In the Equestria Games. Does this mean the griffon country is annexed by Equestria, or perhaps it's an international game, like the olympics. Or maybe there's a city of griffons in Equestria.
My point is, don't tell yourself that you're done with either the show or your story. Just go do other things, it's the same as playing a game. You get bored of it, go play something else, and eventually you'll want to come back to it.
I understand man. You know I really understand that feeling.
You can walk away for a little bit, just so long as you promise us you'll come back. We've put a lot into this story of yours, just like I'm sure your editors and proofreaders have too, and I for one would leave to see Last completed for everyone's sake. People, I've helped Alan here through a good portion of the process, so I've seen quite a bit of what he has planned, and let me tell you, it's real good. So don't abandon ship, and give him all the support you can: he's put a lot of blood and sweat into this, and it's definitely a story worth telling. We'll wait patiently for you man. At least, we'll try.
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As you know, in Last, Equestria is in Europe.
Two interesting geographic facts about my story:
- Gryphons come from France
- Changelings come from Australia
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You're a good man, Tom.
1743218 Perhaps it's the Equestrian Union then. lol.
Take your break. You clearly need it...
But please don't forget us?
You really got me emotionally invested in Simon!
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Now how did I manage to do that?