Why Undead Robot Bug Crusaders Took so Long · 10:24pm Aug 5th, 2016
Alright, I mentioned I'd might post this, so here it is: my long winded explanation of why it took so long to publish the next chapter.
Be warned, this is mostly me just whining about it, and I'm leaving out most of the IRL complications that came up as well.
Anyway, right after I posted chapter 2 I got started on the next chapter. I was on a roll and wanted to keep going, so I did. And then, after having written a bit, I realized my current script was awful.
I usually write my stories by thinking of key events I want to happen, and filling in the blanks between said events, making changes as better ideas come to me or the scrip starts to sound too forced. The problem was that my current draft was basically a text retelling of the episode with a single difference to the ending. I realized this was just lazy and did nothing with the premises that I wrote this story to expand upon in the first place.
So I scrapped my first draft.
Next, after spending weeks trying to brainstorm a new script, I started again. I had figured out how Apple Bloom being a zombie could have a more dramatic effect on her first meeting with Babs, and was eager to see what I could do with it.
But then, after a few more weeks working on it, I found I'd written myself into a corner. While I liked the direction thing were now going, I notice that my dialogue had become painfully forced and almost OOC, which is something I wanted to make every effort to avoid. And despite my best efforts, even taking a few days off to brainstorm a solution, I couldn't find a way to make it sound more natural without tearing apart the new script.
So I had to scrap my second draft.
Now frustrated, I decided to take a break. I glanced through my to-read list, and foolishly decided was high time I read Fallout Equestria. I then proceeded to fall in love with it and binge read the whole thing. I loved it so much that I immediately started reading spin off fics, including Pink Eyes, Project Horizons, and a few others. I even have a library of Fallout fics I want to read at some point. This ate up all of my free time for a while.
Finally, I came down from my Fallout high and decided I'd put writing off for long enough. I opened up a new document to start my third draft of the Babs chapter.
Only to find out I now had some pretty severe writer's block.
I didn't help that after reading so much Fallout I'd almost sub-consciously started thinking about how I could write my own Fallout fic, though I quickly decided that if I ever were to do such a thing, it would be a short one at 5 chapters max. And even then, only if I started making serious headway with URBC.
So I dabbled with that idea a bit, worked on the last act of my zombie series, and tried my hand at writing something stupidly over the top, though no one read that one when I published it.
Finally, after months of trying to come up with something, I was struck by inspiration and got cracking. Sort of. I found Babs' dialogue still incredibly difficult to write even when it did come together properly. So I spent ages struggling to finish the third draft.
On top of that, I had just graduated, and had to start looking for a job.
At last, I was almost done. I had everything important down, and just needed to write the final scene.
And then I realized I'd overlooked a plot hole. A painfully big plot hole that broke the entire chapter and made the whole thing seem forced and painful:
I'd forgotten that at this point Sweetie Belle had only been a robot for about 4 days, and I was now going to have her go a whole week without even going full robot, let alone trying to find any answers!
So, on the verge of tears, I had to scrap my third draft. The one that I had spent months working on.
Plus, because I'd already planned to give Sweetie Belle a whole chapter on the matter, I had to write the next Sweetie Bot chapter before I could work the Babs one again.
At least I can say a lot of the third draft is still usable, though I'm going to have to rework the whole thing. Again.
On the bright side, the Sweetie Bot chapter came much easier to me, so I'm positive I'll be able to update much faster once the Babs chapter is finally done.
So yeah. I've spent the last year scraping drafts, overcoming writer's block, and reading Fallout to get over my wounded pride as an author.
I'm not sure if any of this qualifies as a good excuse, but I feel a lot better getting this off my chest. Either way, thank you for your patience, and for hearing me whine.
That is a good reasoning. No wonder it took long... Writing is hard
Btw, have you read project Horizons here at fimfic?
You should read it if you haven't already....
Happens to the best of us. I haven't gotten anywhere on this Ghostbusters story in AGES.
Oh, I'm sorry that you've been having such difficulty.
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Rest assured, I have. I still haven't decided how I feel about it, though.
Fallout Equestria and company, huh?
Yeah, I get that. No hard feelings.
Apology Accepted!
Yaper-Rony!
First off, grats on that graduation and I wish you the best in finding a good job.
Second off, don't worry too much now that you are able to share your experiences and expressed the will to update the story. I read the fic back when you first put it out, and I liked the idea behind it. Been waiting patiently ever since for an update, and now my patience has rewarded me with seeing it being brought back.
Real life just likes to take up our time so don't feel too rushed in trying to make up for lost time.