Regarding conflicts with canon · 12:24am Oct 11th, 2015
(Reposting because I forgot to tag it before and I don't know if it's retroactive)
So, without spoiling, the latest episode (Crusaders of the Lost Mark) introduces a fairly significant conflict with canon and some aspects of this fic, probably a bigger one than any other so far.
This is an inevitable (or at least extremely likely) issue with any fanfic that begins while its base work is still evolving, and there are a few different ways of handling it. Mine is going to be to keep going on exactly as planned. It's not that I think this plot development is bad; I can even think of how to edit the story to accommodate it. But it's just not practical to edit and rearrange the entire fic every time something like this happens. Once Friendship is Magic comes to a conclusion, I may (*may*) go back alter the story to be more canon-compliant. Until then, I'll just stick with my plan.
As for when the next update will drop? Well, I got a new job, so that's been occupying a lot of my time, but I should have some routine and spare time back soon. But as long as I make it in under two years, I'll beat my previous record ;). Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this long. This has been a really significant project for me in a lot of ways, and I plan to stick with it until the end.
I think the story works better as it is now, rather than saying that sometime in the future, the CMC just drift apart and Applebloom is stuck at home, despite the emotional scene at the end of today's episode suppose to be encouraging us that the future is so bright.
3459564 I tend to agree with that.
It's ok (and sometimes even preferable) to let your fanfic be AU, it's what Pen Stroke did to help resolve canon issues he had with his story Past Sins.
I never understood why fanfic writers care about canon on ongoing fics. In a way every fanfic is alternate universe since there is no way you can capture the personalities of the characters as the original writers can. You can come close, but in reality the world you create is going to be different and you should just do what you wish. The show introducing something new that you haven't included or opposing something that you have in your story should mean nothing. Usually when people try to forcibly integrate something canon that shouldn't be in there into the story, it feels sudden and awkward. No offence to Pen Stroke, but that is the reason I haven't, or will read, the newest adventures of Nyx from him. He chose to go along with Twilight becoming a princess, in I can only assume the way it occurred in the show, and that did not fit, to me at least, with the new life that Twilight had. Sure she would still love to discover new things but, her daughter should have been her new priority and different decision should have been made. The point is that that particular aspect of the show did not exist at the time of the original Past Sins, and if feels forced in to appease those who must have direct correlation between their fanfics and the show, which, as stated previously, is kinda dumb in the first place since all fanfics are alternate universes at their core. Just continue the story as you envisioned it. Please. I look forward to the next chapter and no sweat about the 'when', mate. You and many others do this out of choice with zero forced obligation and we, the readers, have no real right to demand more that what we already get.
Eh, just stick an author's note saying "this diverges from canon at this point" and you're fine. I don't even think you need an AU tag at that point; to me AU is when there's a divergence that's either prior to the entire canon of the show (ie, Luna was actually Celestia's daughter, not her sister) or otherwise changes one of the fundamental rules of the show (the sixth element is Music!)
I wouldn't change that much seeing as you had the same idea they had just set a few years into the future. Another option is let it be just add the Alternate universe tag