2023 Updates · 12:08am Jun 10th, 2023
Well, it's been a long time since I posted a blog. Three years, three months and nine days to be exact. Yeah, I'm not really for blogging. I don't feel the need to clutter up your notification box with details from my life. However, I do post when I have news to announce, such as today.
As you've probably noticed, my output has been rather low over the past year. I know what you're thinking:
Dreadnought is giving up writing.
Dreadnought has run out of ideas.
Dreadnought is leaving the fandom.
And you would be...
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Dramatic pause....
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WRONG!
I have not left the fandom. I visited BABSCon this April and it was a blast! I got to watch The Owl House finale live with Sarah-Nicole Robles and a whole bunch of fans! I got autographs from SNR, Katrina Salisbury, Charlotte Fullerton, and G.M. Berrow. Also, I'll be visiting my first TrotCon this July and plan to attend my fifth Everfree Northwest this August. So, I have not left the fandom.
Nor have I run out of ideas or given up on writing. I've got more ideas than I know what to do with. Two factors have severely constrained my output over the past year. First, I've been in nearly constant training for the past nine months. The military has been running me ragged and I am exhausted! I was out of the office for a planning course in September. That was followed by six weeks of training in October through November. December saw me registered in two DAU courses. And from the beginning of January through the end of May I was on temporary duty going through another course. Even though these courses were Monday through Friday, my nights and weekends were mostly filled with studying for tests, writing papers, preparing presentations for leadership, or working projects. To reiterate, it's been exhausting. Now I'm preparing to move across the country for my new duty station, further limiting my time to write.
A second reason that my writing has been limited is due to a new approach. Though I will continue to put out a new chapter of Applejack's Trial (see the new chapter posted today) on an at least yearly basis, my new stories I'm trying to write completely prior to release. Rather than setting self-imposed deadlines for new chapters that I can't keep, I'm trying to give you a complete story. This is what I did with Deathbed Confession. On that note, I wanted to let you know that I've got two stories in the works that I'm quite pleased with. I won't spoil my stories, but I will give you a peak. The first is a Rarity-centered story that will be a comedy-drama. The second will focus on the Apple family. Further, I've got an idea for an Apple Bloom/Celestia story, a pandemic comedy story, and another installment in the Rainbow Dash Comes out of the Closet series. My plan is to deep dive back into writing once my move is complete. I think the wait will be worth it. In the meantime, enjoy the latest installment of Applejack's Trial and new chapters of Robot Pony.
And of course, I'll respond to PMs and comments.
Thanks for your patience.
V/R,
Dreadnought
I’m jealous. Lucky.
5732627
Yeah, it was pretty awesome. She said that because of the pandemic, she hardly had a chance to interact with the fandom. The finale pretty much lived up to my expectations. Definitely one of the most satisfying series finales I've seen.
5732628
When my love of MLP dwindled and I stopped writing, I transferred all my obsession and energy towards The Owl House. Such a fun show. Sad it ended a bit sooner than it should have, imo.
5732632
Yes, I discovered The Owl House in March 2020, when I was still mourning the end of Friendship is Magic. It was a great cure for the depression of that time. Now what will help me get over The Owl House?
Happy you enjoyed/are looking forward to those cons. Good luck with the writing!
5732632
5732633
I wanna say I showed up in earnest right after "Yesterday's Lie". I recommended the show to my sister after a couple Season 1-era YouTube clip compilations convinced me it was right up her alley (this was a couple months before the season made its way to Disney+ IIRC), and she roped me in with a vengeance shortly thereafter. Needless to say, I'm glad she did; I was hooked every step of the way.
I'm kind of in a weird spot when it comes to the shortening; I obviously wish we'd gotten more, and the reasons it was cut down are an infuriatingly perfect storm of bad luck and oh-so-close calls, but the fact that the entirely of 2B onward's storyline was directly influenced by the limited timeframe — most infamously, the Collector's role being boosted up to 11 — means it's really hard for me to fathom how else it could've gone (the fact my entire tenure's lay beneath its shadow probably doesn't help either TBH). I'm sure it would've been just as great, if not greater, but it's hard for me to say I was "robbed" when I can't identify exactly what was stolen, if that makes a lick of sense.
At the very least, I'm just glad it got to end on as satisfying of a note as it did, especially under the circumstances. Kinda a basic conclusion to come to after all that rambling, I suppose, but eh, if it comes out in the wash, it comes out in the wash! :P
5732633
Same. Gotta find a new thing to pour my ADHD-obsessive self into lol
5732636
I came in on "Through The Looking Glass Ruins", and I was also satisfied with the outcome, despite the shortened third season.
5732636
I got into The Owl House with "Once Upon a Swap." I didn't have cable at the time and was in a hotel when I just happened across the show. Didn't see much of it, but my interest was piqued, so I downloaded the first episode when I got home, and the rest is history. It is rather ironic, though, because that particular episode is my least favorite of the whole series.
Yeah, I think everybody agrees that they would have liked more. I certainly fall into that group. But I do reflect and think that the early cancellation did lead to a great Season 2. I don't think that S2 would have been as great if they had been allowed to take their time. S2 felt rushed, in a good way. It cut out any frivolous sidetracks and kept the plot tight and focused. Every episode built upon each other, making it feel like we were riding an unstoppable train towards the season finale.
As for the specials, I thought that they were equally well done. I do wish that we had been able to see more of the crew in the human realm. The montage was a great tease, but I feel that there were so many things that could have been explored:
But what a rollercoaster S3 was. Watching and Dreaming was incredibly satisfying. I hope that people's efforts come to fruition and we get more Owl House content.
Dreadnought
Doomsaying like that is a self-fulfilling prophecy; it causes people to give up writing.
5732667
?
I'm not trying to be negative; I'm trying to be honest. I have no intention of giving up writing. I find writing to be a relaxing pastime. Lord knows that I need some relaxation after the last nine months.
Good for you, man. Good to know some of the 'old dogs' are still hanging around here