Some news about The Weed · 11:27pm Oct 21st, 2015
I've been stuck on the current chapter. I have, really. See, I don't want the story being dark. I really, really don't. But something real bad is supposed to happen in the upcoming chapter. The first go at an outline was definitely dark. So... I scrapped it. About 3k words were tossed aside, ditched.
The second attempt didn't really feel like consequences at all. Something bad was supposed to happen. Instead, it felt more like a fireworks show with a few ponies standing around going 'ooh!' and 'aah!' but it lacked the feeling that there were real consequences in the world. So... I 86'ed the file, all 2.7k words of it.
The third attempt was killed off at about 1k words. Somehow, it felt darker than the first attempt. I swear, the black plot bunnies were trying to hijack me. I'll have to deal with them later. 
Fourth attempt went kaput at about 1.2k words. It felt wrong. All kinds of wrong. I can't even put my finger on why. It lacked any sort of emotional impact at all. There were consequences, but they are all so soft edged.
So... here I sit with a blank page and an empty brain. I can't seem to find that sweet spot in the middle. It's very frustrating. I think that for the first time, I have a horrible case of writer's block as I don't know what to do. It's terribad.
maybe should take a small break from this story, maybe work on another story a little or make a short story while your muse doesn't inspire you with this one
Here's a silly idea which may help - write the polar opposite of the chapter and then reverse it.
I mean, take all your ideas and counter them, if something is to happen - make the opposite thing happen instead.
After finishing, look through it and have a laugh.
It may help quite a bit.
Cheers.
3487552
I kinda did that with the first and second attempts.
It... sucked.
3487573
oh..what about winging it and going random?
3487586
See forth attempt. Blergh.
3487591
I guess 3rd attempt was hitting keyboard with your head?
'cose that's the next idea, rly ><
Skip this chapter, flesh out the next one and return?
3487598
Third attempt was to try and show the consequences in detail. The lights went out. Everything went dark. Too dark.
That is why i prefer bittersweet endings to a degree. Balancing the light and dark is a far more difficult, and powerful, thing than most.
You'll figure it out.
Though you could jsut blow people up. Having someone blown to multiple tiny little bits is far more pc than them being shot, stabbed, or punched XP
3487605
Get some sleep/take a shower/eat smthing tasty/cuddle Princess Erroria and it'll come to you.
3487624
Because of Princess Erroria, I've become a dyslexic agnostic. I lie awake at night in bed wondering if there is a dog.
3487631
Here's one for you.
i.imgur.com/l9e3vEH.jpg
3487631
Just don't sell your soul to Santa and you'll be okay.
Hmm have you prayed to your local eldritch being lately?
3487739
I am the local eldritch being.
3487827 You got me there. That made me giggle so much ha.
When it happens to me, I just walk away from writing the story for a time, up to two weeks or so, to see if anything comes to mind day to day, and just force out the mental constipation regardless of what falls out. Have you considered trying to mix together some or all the previous attempts? Perhaps what you were after was mixed in all of them and just needs some remixing of the puzzle pieces to get the picture?
And for no reason, I thought of something else Maud and Tarnish could happen across. A minotaur cursed to do something like dance or cartwheels every fifteen minutes or so. Absolutely arbitrary, though perhaps it could happen from accidental exposure to unstable magic having weird effects.
Also wondering if Discord is going to drop in at some point. Oh! He could be sitting on a lounge chair basking in the chaos magic at the Crack of Doom and completely throw off any pervasive dark parts.
*Huggles* I kind of like dark fics...
You could just shoot the first one at us. A little dark every now an then is good.
Now I haven't read it (yet) but based of what you're saying, it doesn't look like it will truly be resolved otherwise.
To be honest if any of us had issues with the dark plotbunnies we wouldn't be reading a kudzi fic ta start with :p. It's a tad late anyway :p we've had Hanging, death, mantinookie, speciesism, and massive environmental destruction, not to mention icky icky spiders :p, and many many corpses. Methinks that ship has sailed
3487994
But it's not dark... bleak, yes. Grim, maybe. But dark? No.
Tarnish tends to emerge from his difficulties a little scuffed up but wiser.
3487998 true, sorry for the misunderstanding there
Awwww, I wanted to read the dark! Don't throw away darkness, gives it to ussssssss!
3488013
It wasn't even good dark. It was just dark for the sake of showing consequences, but lacked depth and meaning. Blech.
3488019
Fair enough. I'm just glad it was writer's block and not something more serious.
There was like, a whole 12 hours without some kind of chapter from you and now that's pretty much one of the signs that the End Times are neigh.