• Member Since 20th Oct, 2011
  • offline last seen January 28th

Tchernobog


Complete AppleDash fanatic!

More Blog Posts207

Jan
21st
2016

So, what's going on. · 12:05pm Jan 21st, 2016

Ahahah. Ahem. Right.

So, as you can tell, Just A Couple Of Ponies hasn't updated in... quite a while, really. Why, you ask?

Twofold, I think. I spent quite some time and effort writing that TwiJack fic of mine. And unfortunately, it didn't do all that well. Which is a shame, but oh well. But seeing that much time spent on something end up barely being a blip on a radar was just... demotivating, I guess?

Secondly, and most importantly in the case of JACOP, is the rest of the story itself. I have it planned, I know where I'm going with it... but I don't quite particularly like it anymore. That, or I don't find it interesting enough to write. So my motivation to do so is quite nonexistent at the moment, hence my absolute lack of any writings.

I've been suggested to rewrite the last chapter - or, rather edit it into cutting out what is essentially a 'hook' into the second part. Having looked at the chapter again, that's the last part - the scene where the three are sitting together, discussing how their dynamic works, and how they should 'test it out' more.

Either I remove this entirely, and use that as a beginning scene in a potential future sequel, or leave it there as, again, a future sequel hook. Which, I'll be honest, I don't even see myself coming back to/actually writing. (I'd be more than willing to let someone else do so, however, if they want - and I agree on their writing quality. I have plenty of notes for the direction I was heading!)

But right now, though, I see JACOP as finished, and can't summon any desire to continue it.

Which doesn't mean I want to stop writing! On the contrary - I still have that changeling appledash idea I had in one of my older lists, and I really, really want to work on that... if I can actually sit down and start writing (motivation, what's that?). And not get distracted by the thousands of games and tv series that I have access to.

On top of that, I'm starting to spend somewhat more time outside of computers. My current job as video game customer service has me sitting at a computer for 11 hours a day... then I get back home to more computer time. Why I'm not fat, I don't know. I'll blame it on a warp 10 metabolism. I've also lost my interest in the video game industry, and have instead, of all things, changed it to a grand desire to get into acting. I've taken lessons, been in a short film, have done a play, and am actually getting monthly acting coaching from a hollywood coach. So yeah, I'm quite vested into this at the moment. I'm sick and tired of where I'm at, and I need a big change in my life - which is acting.

This doesn't at all take up the rest of my free time - which these days is actually taken up by gaming, really. Too many games to catch up on (and not enough flexibility in my work schedule to get the roles I want). All of which leaves me little desire to write, despite WANTING to write... if that makes any sense at all.

I've also strongly been considering this conservation project in Peru. Something my parents actually paid for when I graduated high school about... oh, 14 years ago. But I got cold feet, and decided to get a college degree first, etc etc. 14 years later, I finally remember about that project - call them up. Shockingly, they'll still honor the payment they made, even after 14 years. Now, I just need to plan this all out, and pay for a plane ticket to do this. Anyone got spare 1300 euro they could give me :rainbowwild:?


So, yeah. That's what it boils down to - I don't feel like working on JACOP anymore, and rather work on another idea, if I can motivate myself to work on it at all. What do you think I should do with the last chapter/scene of the last chapter? Edit it out, or leave it as a hook?
And since I'm likely not to come back to it, I can tell what I had planned - which isn't anything strange/grand, really. Unless someone wants to continue it in my stead, which I'd definitely like to see.


(now if only i could write this much text for fic, rather than just talk!)

ps: Skeets, I still wanna see that cadance/shining story!

Comments ( 30 )

Just put it as cancelled then! It's disappointing that you had to scrap a good story for a bad one, and don't even have the decency to tell anyone or label anything as just plain done. :ajbemused:

3702147 That's... not what I said at all? The TwiJack is not a bad story. I was just disappointed in its reception. That was only a small part of why I got to this point.

I've been struggling with motivation this entire time, because the more I look at what else I had planned for JACOP, the less happy I was with it. It would've made the story *worse*, I feel. Nothing about this 'not having the decency of labeling'. I thought it could continue, I'm finding it doesn't.

I enjoyed the story and am sad to hear about it ending like this. But I understand the uphill feeling of trying to write something while lacking the motivation for it. After re-reading the last scene, my suggestion would be to leave it. As you said it is a sort of sequel hook and I think it is a fine place to end and a good place for another story to start be it the unlikely chance it's yours or someone else's.

Ya know if it's complete it's complete. Who are we to argue.

Well, that kind of sucks, I mean you could always write a finally chapter, nothing long just something light. and do a sequel later if you every decided you have inspiration again.


Or not....

That's cool too

That feel when I still haven't read it and probably won't until I've finished Princess Twi to avoid subconscious influencing. Maybe I should get on that, huh?

Shame about all that, though, 'cos you're a damn good author. As you know, if it wasn't for Mood Wings, I'd probably never have written anything myself.

Guess we won't be seeing Mood Wings 2 and the hinted at TwiDerp, then? :rainbowwild:

3702529 More than likely not! A sequel to that is also something I have some ideas for, and would be neat, but not really all that passionate about. There's only one idea I really want to work on, other than that... meh?

Sad, I like JACOP. I'm also one of the people who really liked Minor Details, and it's in my favourites. Oh well. You do what you gotta do, I suppose.

3702885 I still like the fic, and I do still like the story I was gonna go with. I just... can't really motivate myself to write for it, though. I feel it's just better to cut it loose and move on.

Wow, hadn't realized Minor Details had a poor reception. D: I thought it had done fairly well. :fluttershysad:

3702989 Well, this is admittedly by my own standards. Apart from the collab I hosted, all of my fics are over 1000 upvotes. Minor Details is doing okay at 260, but... 260 vs 1000+? Doesn't really quite hold up. Not that I was even *looking* for 1k, but definitely more than what it got. Just didn't get an impression of much interest.

I don't even know why I'm writing here. Or... what the heck I'm going to write, anyway. Guess I'm making it up while typing.

I don't know the story you're referring to. Why? Because it's labeled as unfinished. But, you being you, I probably have it in one of my "still incomplete"-shelf's, desperately waiting for the day that status changes. I don't know about the second story, too, since I'm not into TwiJack. (Maybe I'll give it a shot. Someday. When I've burned through my whole "gonna read that later"-shelf. Which, at the moment, contains something-something-about 140+ stories.)

I read what you got to say and the comments, too. (First one was... rather... harsh, or is it just me?)
You're a talented, awesome writer and if you'd ask me, I'd say: You should definitely continue to write. On whatever you want to write. (Even if it's Twijack. :trollestia:) Concerning your question, though... if you aren't going to write a sequel... please, please, pleeeaaase don't implement a sequel hook. (Or rather, take it down.) Open endings and sequel begs always feel like some kind of modern poison to me, and it doesn't matter if it's about a fanfiction or a movie or whatever. A good story should have a beginning and an end. An actual end. Leaving questions unanswered is still something different as a sequel beg. Those always feel... kind of cheap.

If you want to write a sequel someday or if you find someone to write it, fine - unanswered questions are a fine point to take up the story-thread again. But if you don't, it's fine, too - because the story is 'finished' in it's own right. And it feels that way, too.

All that rambling is, of course, still just my opinion. Which usually isn't worth much anyway. :rainbowlaugh:

(While I'm writing this, I still have that first comment above my text-box, with that creepy pony picture and that harsh comment... just... wow... :applejackconfused:)

Anyway. Enough rambling.

I wish you the best of luck for... whatever your next project will be. (I'll obviously hope it's something pony-related.) Have a nice evening!

3703063

What about the story that shall not be named? :trollestia:

3703292 Around the same, actually, but I completely lost any desire to work on that ages ago and it was essentially just on the 'first chapter' so to speak, so eh. Took it down.

>Sadly groans in spanish<

I should check that Twijack story. When it came out, I had recently read a 'sequel' to Hard Reset that was utter dissapointment to me...and that sounded a tad too similar, so I just ignored it. :applejackunsure: My bad!

*Sees an update on JACOP.
*Squeals in all the yes because of twidash + apples = pretty awesome
*Sees it basically getting cancelled
*#sadness
*Sees it being cancelled for appledash
*#sadness cubed
:raritydespair::raritycry:

Comment posted by VcSaJen deleted Jan 25th, 2016

3703063 The fact that you call 260 likes a blip on the radar is so disheartening to me. Even three years in, I'm still thrilled whenever a story breaks 100 likes, but for you that's a disappointment. Like, the story I consider to be my best completed effort so far has less likes than the story that did so poorly it put you off writing fanfiction.

If you'll excuse me, I have to hit the cider.

Note: I'm not being negative, just amused by our wildly divergent standards of success, and slightly ashamed that my own standards are so low.

3711799 When you consider my other stuff is 1500 to 3600, yeah, I'm kinda used to somewhat higher than 260! I mean, I don't consider myself the greatest author either, but I was more hoping for 500+, even. 1000 takes time, but 200ish, with my follower count... is rather subpar.

3711810 Okay. Take three. I've written two messages that were deleted by the errant brushing of my hand against the mousetracker, one of which was several paragraphs long and rather personal, while the other was... Well, it was much like this one. Mostly explanatory, but also agreeing with you that a lot of it comes down to perspective and what you've gotten used to. For me, 1,000 likes would be utterly mind-blowing, and I'd probably take a few drinks to celebrate, because I'm used to camping out in the lower hundreds, and only seldom see the feature box.

I could go on, but instead I'll stop before I have to write this message a fourth time. Seriously, my kingdom for an undo button.

3711852
Clearly you need to write more appledash! That's the solution to everything, surely!

>_>

<_<

3711856 But you already filled that niche so well. Plus, Only in Manehattan is probably my least liked story in the Orchestra-verse, which is a shame, because I thought it delivered a fun little twist on AppleDash. Then again, that twist might be why I'm not an AppleDash writer.

3711893 I'll comment on it once it's out of judging!

Though being part of an existing verse might be an issue with it too. A standalone might attract more attention - the 'oh, i don't need to read X other stuff' thing.

3711901 Very true, but (insight into my writing process and discussion on why I included it in the Orchestra-verse spoilered in case that might influence judging) I have a pathological inability to write outside the Orchestra-verse, especially since I realized the core story paralleled a lot of the same things Sweetie was dealing with before making the decision to include it in the Orchestra-verse. It was a decision I mulled over a lot, but I'm happy with it, even if it might have cost me some readers. Because at the end of the day, right, it's a first-person story about love, doubt, revelation, and all the other things I think are kind of core to Sweetie's half of the Orchestra-verse. It even has a surprise parentage revelation in it. Passing up the opportunity to have my Sweetie reflect aloud on something very similar to what happened to her at the end of Unbearable Lightness proved to great a temptation to ignore.

Sorry to hear this, Tcherno. JACOP is, in my own opinion, one of your cooler stories (though I tend to love them all, and it is probably one of my fave AppleTwiDash fics. I'm sorry to see it won't ever be completed. (By you, anyway.)

Now, that said, I totally understand the motivation to write it leaving you. Honestly, that happens to us all at some point, and, while it's very sad for us, your faithful readers, as I said, we understand it happening.

And as to the way you should leave that last chapter, I say just leave it as is, even if no one takes it up in your stead and runs with it, and the possible sequel. That chapter is lovely just as it stands, and I think you should just leave it the way it is.

Also, as to this:

And since I'm likely not to come back to it, I can tell what I had planned - which isn't anything strange/grand, really.

I, for one, would love to see what you had planned for the rest of the story.

Send this to me in a PM, if you don't want to post the details here.

And much good luck in your future endeavors, Tcherno. As I said at the beginning of this, you are, and always will be, on pf my fave authors around here.

3728657 I'll do that when I get home from work in an hourish!

:applejackunsure: I'm sad to not see it continue, but if you're done, you're done.

I'd vote for splitting that final "hook" scene off as an Epilogue chapter, with an Author's Note at the end explaining your decision. It may not be the ending we wanted, but it still ties things off nicely. Then mark it Complete and move on. And one day, hopefully, someone will take you up on that offer and pick up the reins.

Minor Details wasn't even on my radar, but I'll be giving it a look!

Good luck wherever life takes you, dear.

3826972 That might be what I end up doing, seems like the best path. Feels like a punch in the gut though to leave it, though... Ah well.

Hope you enjoy Minor Details! :pinkiehappy:

I'll be honest I haven't read the story you refer to... yet.
But I would recommend (if you haven't already, This is an old blog post) that you just leave an author;s note on the story explaining that it's over and that someone else can write it, or whatever just make it clear that the sequel is a distant dream and not a certainty.
If you want to edit the hook out of it, well first ask yourself if it adds anything to the actual story or if it is entertaining on its own, if the hook has no merit other than just being a hook then remove it.
That's just my opinion, on another note; damn, you are one active person. Take the world by the horns and don't let go.
Enjoy yourself:pinkiehappy:

Login or register to comment