Three Years... Badges, Story Commissions, New Story! · 4:42am Sep 13th, 2015
Wait a minute... something doesn't add up.
So, in exactly eight days from now, I'll have been posting and reading on this site for exactly three years.
My god has it been that long...
Anyway, while I would love to suprise you all with something amazing or maybe a new story--
There's no new story?!
That's so sad...
Pinkie! I'm trying to set something up here, do you mind?
I guess she's gone. While I don't have much planned, I can say I have some stuff planned for the future, specifically my future. I've had so much free time to think about what I want to do. Writing, making games, lots of other things I didn't try but was very curious about. But I did spend a lot of my time writing stories that none of you got to read because they simply didn't make it. I have an archive full of crap that hasn't been read by almost anyone. I had tried to submit them to an archive for public viewing, however almost no one bothered reading so I stopped that.
Regardless I do think they all taught me lessons on writing, so I don't see them as a loss. I do, however, see them as wasted potentials for writing. I think that's been a common theme for me in the past five or so years. I am jobless, as people keep reminding me, but I do continue to polish skills that could be used for employment or even self employment. But I don't do anything about it! Mainly because the job market sucked for so long and it's not that much better despite what people may tell you. I don't think I was being lazy, just focusing on things I wanted to do in life, only without making any cash off of it. 
I need to start doing that. Even if it's just a basic job, it's not the end of the world, but until I can find one it would be a good idea to try some other things. I have lots of ideas, one is kind of risky and the others really just take up more of my time. If they fail, they fail and there's nothing I can do but move on. It's the same for the commissions and even the game I've been working on (I heard platformers aren't even that popular, but I love them!) Uh, anyway, let's get onto what I'm getting at here:
I am opening my account for story commissions! The details can be found here: Fimfic Story Commission Guidelines If there's any details on them that confuse anyone, just let me know. The details of that page are subject to change based on mistakes that crop up or new rules I have to add, etc...
Okay, so why commissions? Why not a Patreon, they're all the rage, right?! Uh, they are, but I don't think the original idea of Patreon has really worked out. It seems to be a tool for helping people who are down on their feet. Who are jobless and are in risk of losing their home or maybe something that isn't as drastic. It's supposed to be a tool for tipping people on their free work, but I don't think people see it as that.
So then why do I need the money if I'm not in risk of losing my home? I have several projects in that works and both require actual money. So, what are they then?
The first is something new; I'll get to my video game in a moment. I had an idea that I want to show off here. I go to conventions a lot and I see lots of custom things for sale. I always think to myself: "It would be amazing if I could come up with something to sell!" But even when I do, it's not like I have the means to make a product, so I give up. That was until I got to help out at a booth, for the first time, and it got me to thinking on what people haven't tried yet. What product could fill in a gap, basically what would people want to buy that they haven't really seen before? Keep in mind this idea didn't just spring up from nothing. My mind is a complex ocean of fleeting ideas and forgotten realms (basically like Pinkie Pie). I noticed that nots lot of things light up now days. I mean they do, but it's 2015 and even expensive toys don't do it!
You can't light your horn?! What good are you?
Seriously, I see so many things that could easily light up, but for the sake of simplicity -and keeping a product dirt cheap for the producer - they don't.
So, why not badges? Why can't convention badges light up?
They're just samples, but I wanted to try and sell custom badges like these. The basic idea is you get to pick an image and text to place on your badge and I will etch them out using a CNC Router machine. Then you pick a colored led (or white) to be place behind them (still working out the details on that) and you can wear it like a regular con badge! Custom Light Up Badges 
The current two you see were made by my co writer on Feather Steel, Metal Pony Fan. He's awesome with jobs like this and his current job gives him access to a CNC machine. All the details are still being worked out, but for now he will provide me with the printed out badges and the materials to construct them (after I learn how to do that) and then I will send them to anyone who's ordered one. I don't have any page or FAQ set up because, again, all the details are still being worked out.
Sales from Story Commissions and these badges will go toward getting me my own CNC machine which I plan on using for these and a few other ideas I've been tinkering with (in my head). They will also go toward some costs on my video game... maybe. The game is a bit tricker because I've been working on it for so long that I'm not even sure if it will work out anymore. That's not to say I haven't learned anything from it, I've got plenty of experience now and I'm confident I could finish a game if it were another genre. But platformers are very tricky and are just such a pain to put together; I don't know how Nintendo does it! 
I have most of the code prepared for the game and it could probably be an okay platformer. Right now I really need some art assets drawn up from a professional while I finally work on some finished levels. My real goal is, at least, ten finished levels for that game which string along simple plot. The thing is my game has been through so many changes that I'm not even sure what the story would be and that's a big problem. The more I work on it the more I sort of wish I was working with another game genre, something that would be pretty easy for me to work on. I still may start over, but that's all up in the air. For now I'd like to focus on this badge project.
If I can get my own CNC machine I can, hopefully, work on plenty of other projects while I improve my badge idea. Right now it's pretty basic, but imagine multi-colored leds or even ones that change with sound-cues maybe? The skies the limit, so long as they are comfy to wear.
All through this I'll still be working on my stories, including a brand new one!
...Is she gone? Okay. I've been writing up a new one that I wont post until it's finished. It's a multi-chapter story about the Cutie Mark Crusaders who are learning about their own race's magic. The conflict of the story is kind of a surprise, so no spoilers there. So, in addition to writing story commissions, continuing my current stories, writing new ones and a whole host of other projects... I've been trying to keep busy. 
So what do you all think? I want to hear opinions! You know what's the worst part of all of this? I've been behind on my reading! 
Still, I've had three years here, I think I'll take another three while I work on these ideas and catching up on a few... hundred story chapters.
One can only dream...
Whoa you have a talent for crafts. If only I have money to pay you to make one for me.
3389306 For the badges? Well, we haven't decided on prices yet. For stories I have, but another issue is finding customers for both. I'm afraid my blog was very much ignored by almost everyone. So, I'll have to try again soon.
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3389949 Money = Problems
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I'm starting to want one of those badges myself. Having my mustachioed top hat icon on one would just be awesome. Though I don't know what I'd use it for, but who cares, it's cool!
3389975 Your hat would work perfectly in one of the vector programs we would have to use.