Patch Notes: The Eternal Song — 2/4/15 · 9:46am Feb 4th, 2015
Yes I'm still alive blah blah etc.
Major point-to-point rewrites are in progress, as is a relatively large plot overhaul. The biggest things I'll be changing are below, for your viewing pleasure. (Spoiler warning if you haven't read TES I guess? Though all of this stuff is tentative anyway so it's not like it matters that much.)
-The gods are gone. I realized trying to balance an elemental/mystical/religious subtheme with everything still being based around music was a conflict on interest and also dumb, so I got rid of it. To compensate for this, there will be much more music-based stuff to fill the gaping plot void created by their absence, since that's what the story's supposed to be about anyway.
-Octavia's god-blade is gone, at least in its current incarnation. That's the kind of thing that should be an arc unto itself, not dropped onto a character within the first chapter of them arriving somewhere.
-The duel with Windsor in chapter 4 is gone. Can you say "contrived?" Actually, now that I think of it, most of chapter 4 is basically gone for several reasons, another of which is listed below.
-The FUCKING guidebook is gone. Here's a tip: if you're going to base a story in a strange, magical world with all sorts of hidden wonders and dangers, for the love of all that is good and holy do not give your main characters a macguffin that serves literally no purpose other than to spout convenient exposition about anything, thus totally shattering the illusion of mystique. Seriously don't, it's awful and it's practically the textbook definition of writing yourself into a corner.
-Vinyl is no longer an abused child, just a somewhat neglected one. The whole 'MY DAD IS EVIL!!1!' backstory thing risks going into angst-for-the-sake-of-angst territory even when it's well-executed, and I'm not bigheaded enough to believe that I executed it well at all.
That's everything major I can think of right now; there's probably more but it's verging on 4AM and I am a mortal who requires sleep. I hope this is of interest to anyone who still cares about my multi-year slow-motion trainwreck of an adventure fic.
Stay cool, party people.
-Sub
Awww, I liked the snarky guide book. I take it you're focusing less on the comedy?
I am still super stoked for this story. Like, super duper stoked. The stokage level is over 857. Good luck!
Oh yeah, I knew I forgot something. Since the gods are gone, Varra and the Heralds are gone too, as (most likely) is the whole zombie aesthetic and assassin side story. Expect new, less shitty antagonists!
I am glad that you decided to chuck the abused Vinyl angst thing and recognized that it was getting into "angst-for-the-sake-of-angst".
2774603 yeah, better late than never, i guess.
Years later, still checking every couple of months for an update.
I'll happily commission the remainder if need, even.