Decisions · 1:33am Jul 19th, 2017
You know, I like science fiction more than anything else. It comes with this built in method of realism, the genera defining question of "how does the existance of X impact the world?" You can have science fiction without having high-tech devices in it. If you ever read a story set in a mideval world with elves and dwarves and the like, but the story put emphasis on how the development of a healing potion impacted society, you've actually read science fiction, not fantasy.
Sure scifi has stories and plots, but there's the extra layer of fun that comes from how the 'trappings' and 'decor' of the story is made into something more. In fantasy, a hover spell would be used to make the wizard character's trunk fly, and nothing else. In sci-fi an antigravity device small enough to fit onto the bottem of a footlocker would be used in freaking EVERYTHING! You'd see jetpacks, and floating chairs, and vehicles, and phones that float when dropped, and self lifting palates... All kinds of stuff that makes the world feel more alive!
Sometimes, when I go to write something, I just can't. SO I write some sci-fi instead to keep myself in shape, so to speak. It happens a lot, but last night I decided to share the night's writing exercise with you guys. I'm going to ask you something about that short story, so it's important you read it and form an opinion about it. If you haven't read it, here you go.
Done? Okay, good.
Notice in the comments how a lot of people want me to make that short into a thing. I'm totally cool with making that a thing. I could easily start writing a new universe within the multiverse I have going, and that would even be kinda fun! I wouldn't be committed to a lot of stuff that I'd do differently now if I could do it again. Heck, a lot of folks have suggested I do a new thing anyways. I want to do that, frankly.
But here's the thing. I write to entertain you guys. What I want matters, but the same goes fro what you guys want. After all, you're the audience, and I want to have an audience. Thus compromises must be made. Which means if you would prefer I keep writing my current story Bat's Academy, I can't do anything with this short.
Sure, other people can work on more than one project at a time. But I can not. Also, once I commit to something new, I don't usually enjoy going back to finish older things. 99% of the time ether I finish something or I drop it. Is that a problem? Yeah probably, but it's just how I am.
Here is what I want to know. Would you guys like me to keep writing the fic I have ongoing, or make a new series in a new branch of the Equisverse? I have a poll set up here, and while your opinion won't be the sole deciding factor, it is weighted rather heavily. After all, I can't remember the last time multiple people asked me to do more of something because they liked it.
I'm mixed. That's an interesting story start, but I'd also hate to see Sherbert's story go on hiatus, never to return.
4605805 What will happen is the same thing that happened to Long Live the Queen, Beneath the Sea of Sand, and Through the Sea of Sky. So keep that in mind. This story would for sure be left incomplete, and we may not see Beta anymore. Everyone needs to be aware of that before casting their vote. I know Meep made an adorable little short, but if people want that, then they have to be ready to lose everything else.
I really love Beta, so even if my own opinion of BA at current isn't the best. I cast my vote firmly in favor of its continuation and the continuation of Beta.
4605805 I could bring her story to an end. But well, if people would rather I write something else...
Okay so I'm still a couple stories behind on being fully caught up with everything. But I did cast a vote for BA because I have been enjoying the current universe and am generally in favor more of seeing it progress forward rather then starting on a new universe.
However that being said I do think a fundamental aspect of a person being able to write good stories is to write what inspires them. And I most of all want to read stories that it's clear that you have been enjoying writing. If you think that you're feeling equally inspired by doing either that I would chose BA for sure. But also I DID think the little story was very good and very interesting. So for me if that's what you really wanted to do then that is what I want to see you do.
If you like Sci-Fi I highly recommend this, [ Legacy by Nfire]. He has Keith Laumers' Bolos down pat.
4605850 What I realy want is for more people to comment and let me know what they liked and why, and what they disliked and why so I can improve as a writer :P I can easily write a story in Beta about aliens. That's an option too. What we have here is a lonely girl fishing for a responsive audience for use in data gathering. And something got a nibble.
4605870 NFire and I are friends :P I'm fully caught up on his... Long uninterrupted work that realy should have been split into several volumes XD It's great though.
4605873
Ahhh....I see then!. Well I'm a little bit behind to leave any type of comment on BA. I was actually literally right this second writing out on a document some of my thoughts on Cataclysm. One thing I was noticing about myself is I have a much much easier time pointing out things that I find are negative. Even in stories that I like or love. It's easy to come up with a broad feeling of.."I like this" but to say the exact thing that I liked about it is much much harder.
Like in your short story...I liked the jury rigging. that was interesting. Also the personally of The Flame of Meti was really enjoyable to read!............I always like the idea of aliens meeting ponies.......And that's honestly all I can come up with without going back and reading it again with only the idea of seeking out little things I liked. That is not to say that there weren't other aspects that I enjoyed. But it's really hard to put into words. Especially ones that aren't simply things like "I like it when this person said that thing" And I think a comment like this would look flat out silly if I just read though the story and wrote down every line of text that I enjoyed....
I don't actually have too much negative to say about it because I did think it was really really good I suppose I'd only say that a lot of the things of this story don't really seem necessary unless it was part of the AU you've already set up. Things like the Emerald Hive and the radon in the atmosphere are details that don't fit as well as they could if this story was suppose to stand on it's own.
4605893 Heh, perhapse to most it would look silly, but I'd 100% reply to every single individual part of a comment like that... As you probably know if you read my comments. I like to reply to each one ^.^
As much fun as it would be to start fresh, or simply expand more. I have to say I'm going with letting the current story finish up first. I'd like to see more stuff (which I can by reading more and actually catching up), but it is always... saddening to see a story not ever get a finishing.
While the end is/can be sad as well. Ultimately I see it to be much more saddening when the story doesn't even get to end. Also I haven't yet read that short story you put up... I was far too busy (procrastinating) to do much at the time. But I'll go do that now. See you there~ :P
4605896
Heh. Yeah I bet you would do that!...I honestly think a doing something like that sounds fun even. But I suppose there is a fundamental aspect of...shyness? hmm... Of not wanting to be a bother perhaps is putting it better. I mean it would feel very very odd to do something like that in this format.
Thinking about it if you really did want me to go over any story in a line by line fashion. It sounds a lot like the pre-reading I used to do. And with that we just used google docs and that didn't seem strange at all.
Honestly while the short story was good. I didn't find myself as invested in it as I have found myself in Bat's Academy and you Equiverse Beta in general. So while I liked the short, I probably wouldn't stick with any expansions that spun off of it for very long.
While the short was awesome, i'd prefer for you to finish your tale with the beta timeline first. Because i don't want to see happens to it the same thing as the Alpha one. I loved it, and i was sad when it went in indefinite hiatus... i really don't want to happens to this one too. :c
So yeah, my vote is cast : i want to see Sherbert adventures continues. I love you stories, and i'd hate to see one of you books unfinished again... :c
What — But —...
WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?!
I don't wanna decide this why would make us decide this it's not fair—
Okay.
Okay.
One of the saddest things on this site is when stories are canceled, especially the ones I like (of course). So, please don't abandon Bat's Academy. Maybe you can come back to Flame of Meti, just this once? Or, you said you write those things as exercise so maybe do something like this after Bat's?Oh God, why...
Maybe... I dunno...
I like Meti...
Y'know what? I say go for the new Universe. I vote for the new Universe. I love the whole Beta-line but I will not be afraid to try something new. Especially since it's very promising and still closely related.
So yes, do your thing and expand on that Universe. You already created it and really, you want to do this, too, so why the hell not?!
Yes, I'll be missing Sherbert because I like her and her supporting cast and wanna know where their story leads them and get to know them better and...
Anyway, I just don't wanna miss out on something potentially just as awesome or maybe even better.
UGH! Why'd you have to make this decision so black'n'white?!
UGH!
4606114
Beause this
s1.postimg.org/4if1ensyn/20170719_154959.jpg
makes it very hard to shift back to a previous storyline after I've changed things up. I write by keeping everything running in my brain like one big ongoing universe, and then I just sort of write down what happens. If I write something of length, I have to drop what I was doing previously, because I am never going to get all the pieces back the same way to keep the previous thing going.
And trying will piss me off beyond belief. Because I SHOULD be able to revert my imagination to that previous state, but there's always a few flaws and fixing them will make something else wrong and so on and so forth.
And no. I can't not care about that. I've tried.
4606737
Yeah, no, I get it. *sigh*
But, well, it's not like I'm sad that Bat's Academy continues, quite the opposite, really. I just wish we could've had both. But, as always, that's not—
...
Yay! Silver lining!
Though that link doesn't show anything to me.
4606752 Wierd o.o I snapped a quick picture of my physiological diagnosis for ASD.
The thing is, the world is set for a new era of Harmony now. The beta universe is going to become boring if Meep doesn't create new villans, and the list is already long. They've defeated Discord, killed Chrysalis, killed Dawn, a literal God, who was also manipulating events for eons to cause the end of the universe and start his reign. Who else will step up? Honestly any other villan will get steamrolled if they're not at least 3/4 of Dawn's power levels and cleverness.
A new elements of harmony would be nice, as in a new story set after Twilight's friends have died (not twilight, cuz she's immortal).
4606900 Oh you silly ^^ Sure, that planet might be fine. But that's the thing. It's a planet. One. Singular.
4606905
Oh. Shit.
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