Leaving FIMFiction for Time Management · 6:53pm Feb 21st, 2017
So I’m typing this now, September 7, 2016, but I have no idea when or if I’ll post it. I’m three weeks into college and, although many say they have more free time, I’ve seen the opposite. I’ve been considering the idea of stepping out of the community for a while, since I’m starting college and I understand that I won’t be able to be as involved. I’m already less active, and the last FIMFiction editing assignment that I took that wasn’t a “night before” thing was months ago.
On editing, I’ve already seen many of my friends here move on to other things. It’s a sinking feeling, from seeing familiar faces commenting on stories to working alone or with unfamiliar people. And as the writers that I have worked for slowed down or stopped or moved on, I’ve found myself floating around uncomfortably. I don’t seem to have that one-to-one connection anymore with any FIMFiction authors.
So the current date is February 21, 2017. I’ve been in college for about a semester and a half now, and I have to say I do think I need to focus on classes.
I don’t really find enjoyment in editing here anymore. The projects that I’ve received are good stories, but I find myself always overwhelmed by deadlines. In high school, I could stand to have a turnaround time of twenty-four hours. However, here in college, I have an engineering calculus exam every single week, and it really builds up a lot of stress.
I would say that editing used to be my stress reliever, since it was a very calm and fulfilling task to edit something and make sure it was as good as I could get it. Now, though, I can’t remember the last time editing didn’t bring me stress. One example I can think of is working on Aragon’s Sunsettle story. I really do like working on it! It’s a great story! It’s just that I also feel an obligation to slide it into priority one: getting it done in twenty-four hours. Aragon certainly didn’t tell me to get it done in that time, but I know I would have felt bad if I was the bottleneck for the story.
I remember back in high school, I was working on Anzel’s Memoirs of a Royal Guard, which was more than a hundred thousand words. I actually was able to manage it with working in free time. Now that I don’t actually have free time, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to work on a project like that ever again—at least not in the next four or five years. I wouldn’t find joy in it.
I do still intend to work with JawJoe, however, since the projects there are spread over a huge timeline spanning years, where I have plenty of time to work stuff. It didn’t help that he had the final cutoff days for editing of Seven Point Star right at finals week, though. That was very torturous.
I’ve already been petering off for a while now, but I do know that I want to leave with a notice and not just slowly disappear, the “last online” timer stretching longer and longer. I don’t know if this is going to be a hiatus or if this is just simply the end, after four years or so. It's a pretty unfulfilling end to it all, but I think it's probably the same for everyone.
I’ve read a lot of great stories, worked with great authors, and had many wonderful friends, but I think I need to step out and focus on my life for a while. I’ll certainly be around still. I may be back, though I don't know.
It's been lovely working with all of you, bye bye for now.
I expected to feel a sense of regret when I posted the blog, but I don't. After all, I don't think this blog really changes anything.
Whelp, I guess this is so long and thanks for all the... uh... words (fish just doesn't work here). Here's hoping you can have an easier time going through college after this.
Kudos on recognizing you've kinda grown apart from things and being able to let others know. I'll miss seeing your face on stories but I really hope school gets easier for you this way. Wherever you go, may the road open before you and the clouds part.
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Good luck in college! :)
I don't recall authorizing this.
Take it from someone who self-banned due to FIMFiction's drain on real-life events: This site ain't that important. Yeah, definitely fun. Yeah, definitely a place I enjoy being. No, it's not my life. It shouldn't be yours, either.
Your future is more important than words on a page, silly. Anyone who considers your choice in any way a difficult one is sorely misguided. You're choosing "being the person I want to be" over "fixing words on a page for the rest of my life." No one will begrudge you that who cares about you and your well-being.
That being said, this site is a fun place. Just don't take editing tasks and come here to have fun. In between engineering calculus papers, we will still be here, and you should never feel like editing is a requirement to come here and enjoy yourself. This site allows people of all shades to come here and read
shittyfanfiction. There is no time constraint on when or how you're allowed to enjoy it.Just relax, eh?
We'll all still be here, for fun or otherwise, and you can focus on your life for as long as you feel is necessary. I did the same thing, and I am still doing it. Just don't forget to have fun in between real responsibility.
No! But... what will you do without Aragon being all like;
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