I've been racking my brains for the past couple weeks and I've had a few thoughts about my writing coming to me. I know that popularity takes time and I may just be a little impatient, but I can't shake the feeling that I may be out of touch with how things go down on Fimfiction. Just recently, I added a few new chapters on my story To Equestria And Beyond and I feel really proud of what I've done so far. But recently, I can't help but think that I may not be as good as I think. As of last week, I've been looking over my stories and my two most popular stories are Luna's Bad Day (My first attempt at a one shot), and Princess Pregnancy (My first true M rated story). From what I've seen, those stories have one thing in common, no overarching storyline or lore whatsoever. And they seem to be doing much better. Maybe it has to do with certain demographics or maybe it's just a matter of quality and promotion, but I just can't stop thinking that I may be out of the long run when it comes to my longer main story. I could honestly use some help with this constant bug in my brain. Could I be a good writer or am I just so inconsistent with my work that my viewership and like ratios are a result of lack of skill?

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Hello! If I may be allowed to bring up my own struggles, I too have found it difficult to become popular on this site. It's likely because of the fact that I only write in an on and off basis much like you, and It's even gotten to the point where I no longer write for this site. Writing here has become a chore for me purely because of how hard it is to find ideas. But if you want some help, then I can say for certain that you're not a bad writer. There's no such thing as a bad writer. Only someone who's still learning. Of course, there may still be bits and pieces to pick up here and there. If your one shots and less intensive stories are grabbing more attention than your other works, then focus on those, and if you would rather focus on other genres, then put those genres in those formats. You get to do what you like in a way you know will be seen. And if you're just having a problem with getting your work out there, then try submitting in the afternoon rather than the morning, as doing that will prevent your stories from getting buried by other new works.

I've done a bit of experimenting on the matter and, well, you have to keep in mind FimFiction is not just a story site. It's also a social media platform. As such, it has its algorithms and it has its exploits. Good stories aren't necessarily the ones that'll get traction, and popular stories aren't necessarily well-written. Shorter stories or oneshots have a leg up on the competition, based purely on the social media angle of it: it's easier to get through and click on 'Like' immediately.

Are you a bad writer? Always possible, but I doubt it. Statistically speaking, most normal people don't know how to write a good story. Hobbyist writers who've done it once or twice and improved, then, will be leagues ahead of any dilettante. At worst, you might be an average writer who's bad at marketing.

Also keep in mind, the pony boom has come and gone. Big hits today will get far lower numbers than big hits a few years ago. Heck, that's not even counting the niche audience factor: if your intended audience happens to be small, then you won't get the numbers no matter how well you write. So I wouldn't worry too much about it. Take stock of what you've learned, keep in mind marketing and writing are two different skillsets, and proceed from there.