Quick heads-up for anyone who missed my last post - while ranting on and on about how much of a dick I am, I also said that I'll be re-writing Hearts Aflutter.

Another quick heads-up - some comments on this post are liable to contain SPOILERS! HOH MY GAWD, THE SPOILERS!

(I doubt anyone reading this hasn't read the story, but whatever.)

Now that that's out of the way, I'll begin. There are lots of things I don't like in Hearts Aflutter - there's a number of things I'm going to change, a couple of things I'm likely to remove entirely, and also one or two things that I'm going to keep no matter what. But I'll be frank - I've been writing this story for me, pretty much this whole time, and look where it's gotten me. I've decided to change that up a bit, and ask you guys for your honest opinions.

I want you all to tell me about Hearts Aflutter, and tell me all of the things you like, - all the parts you really want to stay, especially the parts you want to stay almost/entirely unchanged, and I'll see what I can do.

But also, and much, much more important (to me anyway) - I want your honest, brutal opinions on everything you don't like about Hearts Aflutter. Any scenes you hate? Hate 'em here.  

Example: Rainbow Dash hitting Fluttershy with the Sonic Rainboom. Out of all the places she could have hit in the entire sky, she happens to hit the pegasus who's about to ask her out? That is clearly a plot device, and also absolutely stupid. Gone. Bam. I'm changing the heck out of that, and there's nothing you can do to stop me.

Example 2: Rainbow Dash's suddenly eidetic memory. LOLPLOTDEVICE! Seriously, that's even worse than the Rainboom. What was I ever thinking? Seriously!

Do be brutal. Don't even worry too much about being constructive, I reckon. Some of the things in this story deserve to burn. As long as it's honest, I reckon I'll be able to use it when I re-write the story, and if all goes well it will be a LOT better for it.

- MS

P.S - Again, don't forget to check out the little snippet of the new Chapter 1 if you haven't already.

*Peeks out from behind a wall* Uh... hi, everyone! It's uh... it's been a while.

So... three months since my last update of pretty much anything, huh?

...

Screw it all, I've got no excuse. I've barely said a word since the last HA update, and that's really not nice. Not nice at all.

I'm gonna be honest with you guys and lay it flat. You're probably not gonna like me for it, but I really deserve that. I've been a dick.

Chapter 11 has absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing. I've tried to write it, but nothing I do seems to fit anymore. Everything I've tried to put down for it is just swill that will bore the crap out of you - it's nothing more than a denouement stretched out way too far, and that is also my fault.

I've also tried to read through Hearts Aflutter, to find any ideas I could use, to just get back into the flow of things and still be able to write a story that doesn't contradict itself, and to my shock and horror, I couldn't even force myself to read through the first chapter. It's like going through the Train Wreck Explorers' featured fics, except I couldn't even laugh at how bad it was because it is mine.

All in all, the early chapters SUCK - and that brings me to my next point: I want to re-write Hearts Aflutter again. To you guys who've been following me since the beginning, and indeed all of you, I do so apologise. But to be frank, there's nothing else I can really do. I can't push the story forward without dragging it out needlessly, but to try and end it here will mean that lots of stuff gets left out and you guys will be incredibly dissatisfied with me.

Obviously, re-writing the story is a bit of a dick move itself - it means you guys get no story progression for ages, and probably have to read the whole story again because of changes that I'll have made. But there's no other way to do it - I honestly can't finish the story the way it is now. It's just too unwieldy, and it'd be boring for both you and me - the ending I have planned is probably somewhat perfect, but getting there is proving to be a trek through hell.

So it's really unfortunate and stuff, and I'm really sorry - I really am - but due to stupid amateur mistakes on my part, Hearts Aflutter won't have any new material for... a while.

Again, I'm sorry.

- MS

P.S - To you guys who are waiting on O Night Divine still... well, 8 months is even worse. I do hope you'll forgive me come Christmas time.

P.P.S - On my userpage you can find a short excerpt of the new Chapter 1.

(P.S - I'm speechless, if you can't tell. Got dude number 100 )

Ig8ashcgv7hqw3bklsdfhggyawyhasvuna90sdhgioashdf90j eysdfh sdhaw er9harb 090artiofn asdfas0pdfao0s7yigv9jhaseroyht6ngfviousadtkluhboadfi odfu ghsdfoisai draoealjyt=sdfiohsdofihgeriosthdfiognfyhows9odjfghonioshfg90asuhdfiognoaiht904 ahtoahfgoihsdfgiohaeorhiidfogiohsdfotghasdfovasdt0fdohuvbaonsduihrtouhfg o0sruh hr0ag 9afhxg9panfsvb99agh095rthat9taerg-8dfvb9yh8aw55yjnopdfgvb h80sdgoaeru89jwrajadfnkl.

P.S - HOH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH~~~~~~

P.P.S - HOH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH~~~~~~~

P.P.P.S - GUYS COME ON SERIOUSLY! I HAVE 99 FOLLOWERS!

---

Okay, so I get really excited when I'm on the precipice of awesome things. I'm one person away from 100 followers. Now I know I was moping for a while about not being able to do something special for it, and I still am. But come on! So many people, just for little old me? That's got me excited. You're all the best people, seriously.

Also, if you want to know, I just had a major fangirl-moment where I squealed for a while and slapped my keyboard. Now I know I'm a guy, but I think the way I just described that really is the only way to do it justice. It was crazy. And that was all gonna be in the title, but I hit the tab key by accident near the start.

I love you guys. I really do.

I don't think I've given you guys a decent run down of all the fics I have planned in a very longtime.

I suppose I should - you'll want to know what I'll end up doing. It also might give you an idea of why things take so long for me - it's not an excuse at all, but rather a demonstration of just how much is going through my mind all the time - and that's only the pony stuffs!

This blog post is probably gonna be rather... big.

Here we go.

Oh, Colour-Coding.

Green is a large multi-chapter project, potentially greater than ten chapters.

Orange is a short multi-chapter project, hopefully under five chapters, definitely no more than ten.

Blue is a one-shot.

And Just for Mare Do Well, I'll go with Red, for DUCKING HUGE

Priority One (What I'm Actively Working On):

       Hearts Aflutter: [Romance] [Sad]  (Heavy Revisions in Planning Stages, along with Writing Chapter 11)

It all begins with a night spent above the clouds…

Overnight, everything changes for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash as they at last begin to realise; they’ve always been a little more than just friends.  As they unravel their                                        newfound feelings, discovering more about each other and themselves, a single question runs through their minds – “Does she feel the same?” But after Rainbow Dash makes a mistake that could take a lifetime to mend, can she and Fluttershy ever be together - or will she lose her closest friend forever?

Cover Art: Mornin' Sleepy Head, by Kiyoshiii at DeviantArt

       O Night Divine: [Sad]  (Heavy Revisons In Progress, along with Chapters 2 and 3)

It is Hearth's Warming Eve, and everypony in Equestria shares the joy and cheer of the wonderful holiday... Everypony, that is, except one. The legacy of Nightmare Moon continues to haunt Luna - ponies are still afraid of her, still distrust her, leaving her alone on a night like no other. Will anyone help Luna find the happiness they share with each other, or will the shadow of Nightmare Moon prove too much to overcome?

(Even the description needs revision!

       Secret Belated Birthday Present for Ariamaki: [Comedy] [Random] / [Mature] (The mature depends - Not sure if it really counts as clop for the two... 'characters' involved.)

Like I said. Secret.

Priority Two (Stuff I work on when I need a break from Priority One):

        Today's Last Delivery: [Comedy] [Slice of Life] (Heavy Revisions in Progress, removed from site for... no reason really.)

Ditzy Doo is having a really tough day - first she breaks Ponyville Town Hall, then her Boss makes her mail route all windy - then she has to go all the way to Marelin?! By the end, even her muffins seem to hate her! Can she get through the day with her spirits up, like the mailmare we know and love?

Cover Art: Today's Last Delivery, by Kiyoshii, at DeviantArt.

(Another terrible, terrible description. I can see why I took it down while I work on it.)

         Father Said (Louder than Thunder) {Work-in-Progress EVERYTHING}: Uh... [Slice of Life?] Why is there no [Action] genre? I dunno. Adventure...? No. Whatever.

Rainbow Dash has waited for this moment her whole life - the moment when she proves once and for all that she is who she says she is - the best flier in Equestria, and no failure. But she's not proving it to her friends, her teammates, nor even herself - she's proving it to the one stallion she ever cared for, the one who left her mother and her in the dust - the one that said she'd never amount to anything.

" Look at me now, Dad."

         The Mysterious Mare Do Well: [Dark] [Tragedy] [Sad?] [Adventure (For lack of mystery or action tag... or maybe adventure anyway. Who knows.)

Equestria has changed; a rising tide of darkness pollutes everything we once knew - light shines, but is quickly lost in the abyss we have become.

Few ponies have the strength to stand against it anymore - worse, a few succumb to the corruption, doing nothing but spreading the cancer. Harmony has been ripped to shreds, brought low by the very ponies it protected. But there is one mare who has the will to act, to defend her friends and fellow ponies - there is one mare who has the power to protect those she loves, and to battle those who threaten them.

There is one mare who can do this, and she will not let this world go without a fight.

Cover Art by Rautakoura at Deviant Art  

(You know, I'm gonna stop telling you when I think the descriptions suck, because I'm sure you can tell.)

Priority Three (Stuff I work on when I really just need a break from everything):

         For Whom the Belle Tolls: [Romance] [Tragedy] (I don't suppose sad HAS to go with tragedy? Also romance is too romantic for this - it's like friendshipping but with kisses. Romance? That big word? It really doesn't apply here... much.)

Sweetie Belle gets a letter from a colt she's barely spoken a word to in her life. He regrets that he never got up the guts to be her friend, and now he might never get the chance. His letter changes her life, and from it stems a friendship that lasts a lifetime... or at least, the time that he has left.

           Cutie Mark Crusaders, Forever!: [Slice of Life]

It's finally over - after so long trying, so much hardship, effort and tree sap, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo managed to earn their Cutie Marks... and now, they're worried about what's going to become of them. Rather than worry too much, they make a time capsule, filled with all their treasures, all their memories, and a letter to each other from the future - even their own future selves! Wherever they end up in life, ten years from now, when they open that capsule...

           Mare VS Wild: [Adventure] [Comedy] [Crossover]

Rarity has been living a double life - in one, she is a dress-maker and top-tier fashionista, focused on nothing but her looks and reputation. In the other... She isn't much different. Nevertheless, she finds herself constantly forced into survival situations in the Equestrian Wildlands, fighting against monsters, the forces of nature and even her own sense of beauty in order to escape back to civilisation, recorded the whole time by Pinkie Pie, her cameramare who is absolutely no help at all. In the meantime, can Twilight Sparkle and co. save Rarity from her dastardly producer, or will she be forced to keep surviving, again, and again, and again...?

Priority Four (Stuff I have Ideas for, but nothing to actually SHOW yet.)

           Rebels & Rejects (EVERYTHING WIP): [Slice of Life...?]

Rainbow Dash is, simply put, the MOST awesome. Or at least Scootaloo thinks so. But when the older pegasus brushes her off once, twice, every single time, she begins to lose hope in her long-time hero. Depressed and in need of a new role model, she find a kindred spirit and a golden heart in one incredible griffon... at least, Scootaloo thinks so.

What does Gilda have up her sleeve for the little orange pegasus? And if Scootaloo finds out... will she care?

You may be surprised to know that that's all I have for Priority Four right now. As if I don't have enough other things to work on though.

Also totes don't steal my ideas. That would be really mean. And I'd probably go off and cry for a while, because they're all my babies and you've kidnapped one and forced it to do your dirtywork.

Don't steal my ideas, k?

       Your Faithful Author-Slave,

          Midnight Specter

...Huh?

When in the seventeen candy-hells did I get nearly one hundred followers? Seriously, wat?

W-when did this happen? Why did nopony tell me it was happening?

I wanted to do something special for when I hit 100, like a story or something dedicated just to it, but now... I don't think I'd make it in time

...

Maybe if I'm really fast...? Or have it just be belated maybe? I dunno.

...

I guess... We'll see. Maybe I'll do something for 150 instead - 150 is also a nice number.

---End Sadness---

Holy scrumpmuffins! I have nearly 100 followers!

You guys are just amazing. Maybe I can try and get something together for you before I get three more people stalking me - it won't be the next Hearts Aflutter chapter or anything, but I dunno. Might be alright. Could be a little late to the party, but I'm sure it'd be something fairly decent at least.

What do you think? If I was gonna write something awesome for you all, what would you want - some crazy awesome Dash doing awesome stuff? Rarity being a prissy, stuck-up little- (wait no, that's Diamon Tiara mostly.)

Something?

Should I let person 100 decide? Should I do BOTH?

Sweet globules of gelatin, why have I never done this before. "Should I let person 100 decide?"

Should I start doing requests? I should totes start doing requests. Maybe I will take a few requests for one-shots after the next Hearts Aflutter chapter comes out and I go on break - Nothing huge, because school and stuffs, but I need to keep my writing skills up with SOMETHING other than essays.

What do y'all think?

   Love always,

   Midnight specter

I'm getting really good at making my titles ask my questions for me.

But then I do the dumb thing and ask them again anyway.

Warning to all readers - if you have not read the entirety of Hearts Aflutter, I strongly suggest you ignore this blog. Spoilers lie in wait.

And here, I'm just gonna write a whole bunch of stuff so that whoever might not be up to date doesn't accidentally see any plot points that I'm about to mention, because that would really suck - I hate seeing spoiler tags really big but accidentally skimming over them regardless.

So everything in this space is actually rather pointless. Just in case anybody's actually reading this particular pointless paragraph, I would also ask this question - what do you think of the story so far? Everything about it - writing quality, style, plot, structure, whatever.

Be honest, if you'd like - I take well to criticism as long as it isn't insulting - and I'm not easily insulted either.

You'd have to... I dunno, somehow bring my mum into it. I don't even know what relevance that would have. Also no religious flame wars or anything, because those things really happen here a lot. No organising jihad attacks, definitely no planning parties and not inviting me...

The comments should stick to Hearts Aflutter, I think. That'd be for the best.

Okie dokie, I think anyone who saw that spoiler tag should be alright by now - I'll begin.

---

Where do you guys all want to see Hearts Aflutter go? Besides a happy ending, of course. I have plans, ideas and the like - I also have a few unresolved plot points even, such as Fluttershy's whole guilt thing, Fluttershy's recovery, Scootaloo learning to fly, Fluttershy learning to fly, that surprise party that Pinkie (didn't) mention, Rainbow Dash taking 'Shy on a date, the beginnings of a TwiShyDash love triangle (No way in hell) and also the actual death of Fluttershy, because the way things were going it was just the obvious outcome of everything. Maybe she'd be hit by a balefire bomb next time, I dunno.

(That was a lie - I promised I wouldn't hurt Fluttershy again, and I won't. Her death will be painless.)

{I'm lying again - actually, no I'm not. Her death will be painless. Also in her sleep, peacefully after living a long and fulfilling life for however long ponies live for.}

Regardless, there are things I've got upcoming, some of which is already written. But the fact is, I've never actually taken any ideas from you guys and what you want - it's my story, but there's no reason why a little fan input can't help. I'd really like to know. Where do you think Hearts Aflutter is going, and where do you want it to go? What do you want to see happen that I might realistically be able to do?

Should I have more Mane 6? Maybe a little more CMC, now that Scoots is in here? Some Spike? And are there any background characters I should give a part to maybe?

Should I turn it into an epic adventure or grimdark? (No.)

Maybe they should get married at the end. Anyone like to see that? Who knows. These are my potential ideas, not yours.

I really do want to know what you all want to see from this. Obviously I won't be able to accept all of your suggestions, because that would just be silly and the plot would go all aflutter too - off to la-la land to play with the Teletubbies and sing with the Happy Tree Friends and explore deep space with Captain Picard. Or maybe just some OC alicorns

(Believe it or not, that isn't a lie. Way back when that was actually an idea I had FOR THIS FIC - I had an OC alicorn who ruled the dreamscape who Fluttershy was gonna chill with for three months or whatever while Rainbow Dash basically killed everyone. Yeah, that's how bad at writing I used to be - read still am.)

Yeah, I'd say that's about it. Where do we go from here, guys?

- MS

Uh, yeah. Hi everyone~!

I know most of you probably like Hearts Aflutter a lot, or you likely wouldn't be reading this. Expect chapter ten in maybe a day or two? Something like that anyway.

Anyway the purpose of this post is to ask you what the title of this post asks you.

What do you all think of the chapter titles?

Thing about it is, I'm not changing the first chapter title. Ever. That's there forever. But with all the other ones, I went with this weird idea that maybe I could reflect the overall mood of the chapter via weather, or maybe light? Anyway while chapter 5 is this weird anomaly, the whole thing sorta follows that. The thing is though, I'm running out of synonyms for cloudy and rainy and stuff. Hearts Aflutter is way too much of a rollercoaster for anything like that to be efficient at all.

I kinda want new chapter titles, simply because I suck at making them up and I'm running out of ideas in this system. But what do you guys think? If lots of you really like these ones, I'll keep at it and try to come up with good names for it. If you don't, it's like I said. I suck at chapter titles. Any suggestions would be most welcome. Serious ones at least. And non-spoilery ones. I'm not calling chapter three "Fluttershy is asleep and Rainbow Dash goes nuts" or anything like that. Or chapter ten "Scootaloo gets pwnt and it turns out that Twilight likes Rainbow Dash too." Or chapter one "Pinkie Pie tries to commit seppuku."

Titles like that will be kept for a later fic.

Oh. Oh crap. Did I just spoil something?

Actually, you know what? Hit me with titles like that anyway. I might not use them, but I could use a laugh.

I APOLOGISE IN ADVANCE TO ANYONE WHO HAS NOT YET READ HEARTS AFLUTTER AND READS ANY OF THESE POTENTIALLY SPOILERIFFIC TITLE NAMES.

   - Yes, I'm still doing this. What of it?

Also, hurr-durr - Didn't tag Hearts Aflutter people. WhioopshieZ!