Nov
12th
2014
"The First Time You See Her," complete! · 2:57am Nov 12th, 2014
...Finally! The story that was only ever supposed to be a one-shot and turned into a huge campaign exploration of Cadance's history is finally over.
So, serious question: this is a bridge story. It's all it ever was, really; just a glorified way for me to shift the story cycle from here to there. It obviously holds up best as part of a greater whole, with its precursors supporting it, but just to get a consensus, do you folks feel like it's a strong and worthwhile enough story on its own merits to make it worth the time to submit to EQD as a stand-alone piece? Still pondering the idea and looking for input. Thanks in advance!
!!
A bridge story?! What witchcraft is this?
Well... they already have a running list of the main Cadance in Cloudsdale stories: http://www.equestriadaily.com/2013/01/story-how-to-remove-unicorn-tooth.html - they would probably be happy to add TFTYSH to the list and bump it to the front page.
I was so happy to get another chapter today. :P I even heard someone utter the actual phrase "mi amore" while I was out adventuring today. The stars align!
I think so, yes.
Never read it myself because I have a large backlog of stories to read, but I don't see why not. Given that it's written by as good of an author as you, it almost certainly won't be a waste of someone's time to read it, so by that logic you should share it with as many people as possible, and submitting it to Equestria Daily will help accomplish that goal, and I don't think the submitting process is that painful.
Absolutely I would try submitting it as a standalone. Like I was saying before, I think the work you've done sells this story in spite of its inherent... well... bridgeiness. And IMO, the work is the sort of thing EQD cares about.
Also, technically since I'm an EQD pre-reader (just don't tell anyone or they might remember and chain me back to the grindstone), I do actually have an informed opinion about their process. (Though I'm also not the only one here with an informed opinion, and I'm probably not going to jump back into the queue to take this up since I figure everybody in the fanfic side of this fandom knows I'm incredibly biased toward Skywriter stories.)
ETA: And now that I have dinner, let me actually go read the last two chapters. Be good if I had an informed opinion about the story, and not just the EQD process...
Obviously!
By the way, how did you know about Carrom?
I have to say that, given the giant looming monoliths of foreshadowing in re: Cloudsdale (also in re: crayon drawings of cowboy colts), that this story doesn't really stand alone.
I mean, in spite of the unified theme of the previous chapters and all, I was completely expecting some Cloudsdale-based shenanigans.
Woo! Time for the reading of greatness.
This left me happy that you completed it, but sad that it won't continue. It is a wonderful story all on its own.
What 2589209 said. Whilst written in a somewhat fragmentary form, the story itself is lengthy enough, and possesses a sufficiently substantial self-contained narrative arc so as to qualify for submission as an individual piece. That, and it's a darn good story.
It's an amazing series of interlocking vignettes unified by a common theme where the whole is far greater than the parts. And it's impeccably written. I'm sure they'd love it.
Is this even in doubt?
I would definitely try to submit this to EQD man, I've personally enjoyed this story and find your ability to describe settings and food to be particularly impressive.
Go for it man, show em what ya got. Worst they can do is say no, at which point you go back and fix up the things they had a problem with and try again! if your really committed to getting it on there.
can't wait for the next story in the cycle man. Keep it up!
...
I seem to have forgotten to fave this. I did not know it ever went past one chapter. I have been waiting for more Cadance in Cloudsdale stories ALL THIS TIME.
Aaaaahhhh I've fallen like four chapters behind I feel so bad
And who cares whether it's a bridge story or not? Submit it anyway! I'm sure a good story is like a cup of water on a parched tongue to the prereaders, so I'm sure they won't mind. Besides, it'll lead interested readers to the other stories already out, and who doesn't want more fans?
So yes, absolutely, submit it.
Regardless of quality, and of the fact I still haven't read the last chapters because they haven't been posted, I'd say that this should be considered a standalone.
Especially since, at its core, it's the narrative of how shining and cadance first met each other.
I liked it as a stand a lone, but you did a good job as a whole story.
I believe that it could be it's own story. One of the many how Cadence and Shining Armor met.
As for the snob at Equestria Daily? I don't know.
I've never submitted any thing to them, but I know plenty how tried and many had great story. They still were rejected, for the most absurd reasons. Like one was reject because the writer made a reference to Pink Floyd.
But if you wish to try I wish you good luck.
Yes. Definitely a yes.
2589195
Yes, I think that might be the best option. I appreciate the opinions from those that are for it as a standalone, but rolling it over a little, I do want people to have some context. Putting it in an update doesn't give it its own highlight post but it does get it to the front page, and I think that might be a good compromise.
2589223
My neighbors had a carrom board back when I was growing up. I wanted a parlor game that seemed a little more foreign than billiards; ponies kind of map to Western civilization so I thought it would be apropos to map griffons to a more eastern-hemisphere society. I don't know why a Canterlot airship has a carrom board in its lounge. A testament to its air stability, at least, because carrom would be hell in any kind of turbulence...
2589195 Yes, putting it in as a story update to How To Remove a Unicorn Tooth is the way to go. I had much the same issue with Diplomacy by Other Means, which is kind-of-almost-a-sequel-makes-more-sense-after-reading-previous-stories, and EqD had me add it as a sequel to the first Traveling Tutor story. Timewise, the difference was amazing
Submitting a story - Up to 6 weeks of waiting, then an entire list of 'How did that sneak in there' typos to fix before posting.
Submitting an update - One day.
2589363
On the bright side, now you get a bunch at once!
I'd say "you won't know till you try!", but because I have read all the related pieces, I feel like I can't really judge that.
2589961
This is true!
Does the fic stand alone?
Heck yes. The last three chapters were beautiful. Not that the chapters before weren't. But they were outstanding.
Clearly I need to go be the troll under the bridge-story, and complain about disjoints or something silly.
2589678
Carrom would handle turbulence better than billiards, though; and the table weighs much less.
It used to be a fairly popular game here in Finland, too, although known as "korona".
2606549
Very interesting, thanks! I wish I had known about the more northern European version since Auric eats gravlax earlier; it would suggest a closer and more coherent geographic origin. I might still change it before I close the edit wall on this story...