And now a minor dilemma. (actually a VERY BIG dilemma. please read!)

Should I make an MLP-specific version of Fractures to post here on Fimfiction?

I know that I've set up Splintershard's ending to heavily suggest that I will be doing so.

But, at the same time, especially in its current state, Fractures is 100% original fiction.

I don't want to leave this website. Since 2015 it's been my proving grounds for new ideas. I've interacted with so many people through the comments of the works I've posted and the discussions I've joined. I know people look forward to what I may write next, even if it's only a small drop compared to the hundreds of thousands of folks on here.

I don't want to leave them behind.

If I'm to take on Fractures solely as an original fiction project, then I'd have to start from scratch. Square one. The very beginning.

Yes, I'm on Offprint, and yes, Fractures at least in its single-chapter story pitch format has already been posted there. But the userbase remains minuscule, and site activity is at a minimum. It may be years before the site reaches a level of activity even a fraction of what Fimfiction sees, let alone other general fiction sites such as AO3 or fanfiction.net. Or even Wattpad. Man has it been a while since I've thought about my account there.

All three of those sites are well-established giants in the world of fiction. I'm not sure if it's fully applicable to them, but experience here on Fimfiction tells me that even with a following of hundreds, it is quite easy to go ignored despite your best efforts.

It's happened with Splintershard, so, so many times.

Heck, to an extent, I feel like it's even happened with Fractures, when I posted it as one of the handful of original fiction story pitches that I occasionally put into What If.

And that brings me to my next point.

Fimfiction is effectively my home. It's my go-to place to post anything I write, pony or not. I've already been straining against the limits of what can be considered fanfiction or not for a long time. Pony-Me for example was written modularly, specifically designed so that the entire underlying lore that ties it to MLP can easily be swapped out and replaced with minimal tweaking beyond character names. What If, for all it does as a comment-driven story, in the end is just that. A comment-driven story. It remains tied to the show because that's what readers ask of it.

And What If would be all I have left here if Fractures remains wholly original.

It's a little scary to wonder if I'll have to join a site with a fresh account just to give Fractures a home beyond a static website with a view counter haphazardly tacked on.

But at the same time, Fractures is very much what I'd like to think of as my magnum opus. It's the story that I want to see eventually be made physical. The sort of story where I can wander into a library, and find it on a shelf.

I can't do that with a fanfiction. I can still make it physical, sure, but... everything else?

Writing is one of my two main hobbies. Yes, I write for myself. I'm well aware that that should be put first and foremost.

But just as important to me is feedback. Even if it may not be ideal, reading comments from folks that read my work is the singular thing I love the most about writing.

This is why I'm so conflicted.

Fractures in its original fiction form, wherever I may post it, is intended to be a rough draft. A way to still enjoy that feedback loop I always look forward to kicking off, while at the same time still working toward that end-goal that I have in mind.

It's something I've wanted to do since middle school.

It's the reason why I even joined Fimfiction in the first place.

I don't want to leave this place behind.

But I'm not sure if that might prohibit me in the future from reaching that dream.

I've had in my mind for the past couple of weeks now that perhaps I could do what I did with Pony-Me. That is, rather than one story, I write two, in parallel. Fractures can perhaps exist in both forms, following the same plot, but with key aspects of lore being replaced and re-integrated with pony equivalents.

But, time has proven to me that this might not work.

Pony-Me's original fiction version limped along at best as I gravitated toward the source of the feedback I craved. To this day, despite being complete here on Fimfiction for over half a year, Pony-Me's original fiction take, "My Own Reality", has yet to conclude.

I fear that doing the same with Fractures could poison the intended story in a similar fashion, whittling down from the story I want to make my mark with into an afterthought at best.

As mentioned before, if Fractures doesn't come to Fimfiction, then that leaves only What If and its coming sequel remaining. My activity here on Fimfiction would likely drop lower than it ever has been, even when taking these past couple of years into account where the majority of my focus has been occupied with college classes.

This feels sort of like a reverse-abandonment kind of thing.

I haven't done anything yet, but I feel guilt over every possible choice I see in front of me.

I will keep saying it: I don't want to leave this site.

But if someday I do, would you find me again?

I don't want to have to leave this site to pursue a dream.

I don't want to give up a dream just to stay on this site.

I don't want to leave you behind.

I don't want to be left behind.

I don't know.

I don't.

Comments

[Forcalor]

I think you sort of overcomplicate things here. While it is certainly enjoyable to have you as a regular, level of attachment that you try to maintain seems to be not healthy to me
I suppose you can try to make MLP-specific version of your passion project, since you have creative juices for it. It certainly won't hurt anyone, right? I wholly believe that if you land on some idea that is completely related to MLP, you'll come back and it will be just like before. At the same time it is completely okay to try something new and try other creative venues

[Rhonie8k]

I can't say I see a reason to force yourself into attempting melding your next big thing into something pony related as a means to stick around especially if its in duplicity as that would likely just diminish your work for a variety of reasons.

I will say I don't particularly think you need to be actively working on anything in particular to be around from time to time either. This is doubly so if you do have "What If" or any follow up as ongoing. I find the nature of the story to be something that lends its self incredibly to the touch and go, in and out, on again off again format of just being around when you want to or need to.

I guess what I'm trying to say in short is. If you think your presence here might hinder the story you want to tell elsewhere then don't be afraid to move on. But you don't need to be working on anything in particular here to have a reason to be here either.

[ramdom_player201]

I think, write your none pony story elsewhere, don't try to write it pony AND non-pony simultaneously. You might want to write a completely separate pony-based story in parallel, if you can manage that.
Alternatively, if you want to write a 100% original story on fimfiction, fimfiction stories don't have to be tied closely to the show. I haven't actually read the stories mentioned in this post so I don't know to what extent you were already doing this.
An mlp fanfic can have wholly original characters in wholly original locations with only passing reference to history or major canon events/characters.
You may also consider an Original-generation story, in which you keep fully original history, lore, world building and magic system with just ponies carried over. The general concept of talking ponies cannot be copyrighted, but remains relevant to this site.

This is purely my opinion, so don't feel pressured to go this route.