The First Author Update · 8:46pm Dec 26th, 2020
There’s some author updates, naval-gazing, and altogether too much rambling in this blog post. Feel free to skip it if that doesn’t appeal to you.
So, Decaf, you made this account in 2012, and haven’t used it until 2020. What’s the deal with that? It’s a straightforward story. I got into the fandom back in high school, was pretty involved for a year or so, then got embarrassed about the whole thing and moved on with my life. I didn’t think about it again until 2017, where I had what I can only describe as a “pony relapse.” I caught up on the show and the most popular fandom stuff for a couple months, then got embarrassed about it again and moved on.
I had another sudden interest in the show during quarantine this year, and again, caught up with everything. I assumed I would get over it relatively quickly, like last time, but that hasn’t happened. Instead, I’ve gotten deeper into the fandom than I ever have before.
It would seem that I like my life better when there are ponies in it.
I’m a habitual lurker on websites. I have never really created my own content and shared it with others. I had a few fandom friends back in the day, but for the most part I haven’t directly interacted with anyone on the internet, pony-related or otherwise. The two main things that have changed for me that made me decide to start writing fanfiction are that I have more maturity and confidence in my skills as a writer.
If I had started to write on this account back when I created it, not only would the stories have been terrible, but I would have been such an obnoxious little shit. I’m happy I didn’t have the motivation to write back then and subject people to whatever drivel I would have come up with.
As far as writing goes, I’ve actually written an entire novel, joined multiple local critique groups, and worked on the craft for a few years now. The only writing of mine that is available publicly is here on this website. I’ve tried pitching my book to agents, and I’ve received some very nice rejection letters, which is a better reception that I expected. A short story of mine almost appeared in a compilation with other authors, but ultimately didn’t make the cut.
There are a handful of people who have read my unpublished works and said they were good. All of these people are fellow authors who are not afraid to tell each other when their writing is terrible, so I take that as high praise. Still, these are all people who have read my stories out of obligation. Here, on this website, is the first time that strangers have chosen to read what I wrote because it sounded interesting to them.
By every measurable metric I have, I’ve been successful here. My like-to-dislike ratios are much better than I expected, and most people who have left comments have been generally positive. It’s a nice confidence boost to me, to know that in certain circumstances I can write stories that are generally agreed to be good.
For this, I’m incredibly thankful. I’ve been doing more writing and reading since I started working on fanfiction, both of which are things I love. I’ve even been making progress on my original fiction, which is something I’ve struggled with this year.
I had this idea in the back of my mind that this would be a temporary thing for me. I’d write a couple of pony stories, then move on with my life. I do not foresee that happening anytime soon. I’ve had a great time on this website, both as a writer and a reader, and I like having it be a part of my life. You can expect more stories from me next year. I’m almost certainly going to stick with one-shots, but I won’t discount the idea of putting out a longer story at some point.
I’m setting a personal goal for myself to have at least one story out every month. This isn’t a promise, and it might not actually happen, but I’m going to work toward it.
Thanks to everyone who has read my stories, commented, added them to bookshelves, liked or disliked, and/or followed me. It means a lot to me that there are people out there who have read and enjoyed my stories. You can expect to see a lot more from me in the future.
Have a happy new year.
Well, I'm glad you're enjoying the site. Having been very active here for over five years, I can say that this was a pretty great time for a skilled new author such as yourself to show up, as much of the old talent has either gone dormant or left the fandom completely now that the show's over, leaving folks like me starved for content. (Not to mention the site drama last summer which basically ripped the community in half that you luckily skipped over.) I mean, I'm not posting much lately either, but that's 'cause I'm trying to finish an original novel. Hopefully G5 will reinvigorate things somewhat, and not end up as the equivalent of the third Star Wars trilogy for us.
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We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds. Thanks for all the support. I appreciate it.
I love seeing author updates. Happy New Year!