Today is the last day to join, so if you want in on it, be sure to read over the rules and PM Shakespearicles!**** Me Up · 9:47pm Oct 26th, 2023
Recently added to my Sunset/AJ Spotify playlist. It's so delightfully catchy and subversive.
What They Hope to Find is updated. I thought about sitting on it some more, but then I just said, "screw it" and published. Chapter 5 is also complete, but I'll hold onto it for more editing. Chapter 6 will not be completed until WTETG Ch35 is out. I could probably keep tweaking and adding things to this update, but I think it's in a pretty decent state atm. Certainly not perfect, but decent. After so many passes, you just kinda have to pull the trigger.
Eerie Lantern will be up next. It's finished, actually, but I think I'll post it on Halloween. So this coming Tuesday.
After that, I'll shift focus to What They Expect to Give. Word count for Chapter 35 is still at 8395, but now that my story queue has cleared up there isn't much stopping me from devoting all my time to it. Actually, I got a little more editing done for the story. I posted up revised versions of Chapters 21 and 22. They weren't officially next for editing, but when I was reading through the story again (yeah, I have to do that too, guys, I know the time gaps are bad) I realized that I didn't like the scenes with Applejack as much. I tweaked her dialogue, tightened and strengthened narrative descriptions, and also altered the fight she had with Rainbow Dash. I'm really hoping to get Chapter 35 out by mid-November.
I didn't forget about my X-Files blogfic. For those of you following along, you'll have to wait a little bit for Chapter 3. It's two-thirds of the way to being completed, but I've had WTETG readers on hold for months, so I wanna get to that next.
I also still have that Pinkie and Rarity side story I wanna do for WTETG. I've got several ideas for it. It could be a FriendShip fic with lots of fuzzy feelings. OR, I could make it into a romance. I'm kind of on the fence about it. On the one hand, I could totally spin it. Are you kidding? That would be so simple. But then does it feel realistic? Do all the girls need to be gay? 😆 Like, I get that there's a broad spectrum of sexual orientations even with the gay community, but do all the girls need to be gay? I could easily see Pinkie as abrosexual, and Rarity as pansexual. I've even considered a bittersweet and fleeting asexual romance. Or y'know, not. I could just keep them friends. I made a straw poll, so if you have an opinion, maybe drop a vote. Comments are even better! Otherwise I'll just do whatever I feel like and then everyone will get mad at me. I feel like I could do just about anything, honestly.
I hope you guys are doing well!
[In regards to the poll]
Hmm, I’ve never really imagined a romantic relationship between Pinkie and Rarity in your story before! It’s hard for me to choose either yay or nay to the idea. I guess I always thought of them becoming besties after spending much more time with each other in the sorority and was also thinking about something Sunset had said one time.
Because of how decently large their friend group was, sometimes closer connections within that group are made later. Maybe having them just become very close friends instead of romantically involved would makes sense as reader but either way I think it would nice to get to see the dynamic and friendship between the two regardless.
Aslooo, I’m not completely opposed to the idea of them being together romantically just cause I think you’d write it in a way that feels nice : )
(I haven’t voted yet though bc I’m indecisive asf)
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That sounds fair! I'm pretty indecisive myself. I was pretty intent on just keeping them friends for (literally) years now, but then I had this idea of how Rarity and Pinkie overcome their PTSD and grief respectively. They don't just see each other all the time, they are intimately involved in each other's lives at this point. In the shopping mall chapter, Rarity isn't just distressed about the idea of trying to sleep. She's distressed because Pinkie is gone and she doesn't understand why.
The circumstances would be easy for me to spin this into a romance, was all I was thinking. I realize Pinkie/Rarity pairings are also rare, but Steel Resolve's "I Love To See You Smile" kinda convinced me it was possible. For me, it's less a question of "what do Rarity and Pinkie have in common" and more a simple question of, "can Pinkie slow down enough to support Rarity's interests, and can Rarity have patience for Pinkie's exuberance and fae-like nature" which, I think under the current circumstances in the story, it's possible.
I really could do a giant blog post talking about this, honestly. It got me thinking a ton about how complex and fluid love can be. Like, here's two girls that I've established are canonically "straight", but what if their relationship deepened to the point that it was basically an asexual romance at that point? I get the preoccupation with sex, but I feel like that isn't what makes my romances successful. It's the connection and emotion. On the flip side, exploring the concept of found family and how they basically become like sisters I think would be just as rewarding and cathartic.
Yeah, I'm really indecisive, too. 😂 Thanks for commenting, though!
Ok, you asked me to give you my imput on the matter, and so i will.
First, im regard with the time it takes to put up chapters. I say, take the time you need. I would rather have to wait 2-3 months then have it early and unfinished or not as good as it could have been. I don't mind the wait, i just want to see this story finished, no matter the amount of time it takes. As long as you don't abandon it, we good. But, I also know that real life gets in the way. I would like to suggest you start a Patreon. Even if only i subscribe, it's still some money. I would gladly pay 15 euros per month if i know you will continue to write. You have talent, a lot of it actually, and i'm too invested im the story.
Second. In regards to Pinkie and Rarity. I did not choose an option on the poll, mainly because i don't mind either of the outcomes. So the choice is all yours.
Third. About the question that you asked. I do not believe every girl in the group needs to be gay. Also you already made that choice when Pinkie got pregnant. But i do believe that some girls do need to be gay. Rainbow and Fluttershy are already gay so I'll skip them. Applejack as well, skip, she already gay as well. Rarity on the other hand, I'll leave it up to you. I don't mind if she's gay or not, the same goes with Pinkie. But with Pinkie, you don't really need to chose, after all, you've made that choice when you Decided to get Pinkie pregnant (yes, I've chosen those words specifically). Now, let's talk about Sunset and Twilight. With Sunset, i think her being gay is a requirement. I just don't see Sunset not being gay. I don't see it. It feels wrong. Sunset has that gay vibe about her. And with Twilight, well, i guess it's the same with Pinkie and Rarity, i don't really mind, however, and this is a big one. Don't, just dont give her a boyfriend (or girlfriend if you decide that she will br gay) like Flash or Timber-something. In the show, they are so badly written, and i will support my claim all the way. If you want to give Twilight a boyfriend/girlfriend, give her someone new. Take flash and Timber and trow them in the GARBAGE. And if you do decide to make Twilight gay, don't pair her up with Sunset. Don't get me wrong, i enjoy some Sun-Twi ship, but in this story, i feel like it would be better to make a new character. Of course, this is up to you. My views are not yours or the other people that read your story, and i will encourage you to choose what you feel like it could work. If you enjoy writing it, then I'm sure it will turn out wonderful.
Now, sorry about asking if you abandoned it. I've read so many GOOD fics that were abandoned. Real life got in the way... and i didn't know what was going on. Just wanted to know if i should expect more or just give up on it. Guess i should expect more. Also, this is more of a question then criticism. Why do you work on several fics at the same time? I'm just curious.
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Thank you very much! That's very generous of you. I'd really like to finish the story, for sure. I started this waaay back in 2016, and I keep coming back. I'd like for the time between updates to be smaller. Sometimes it really is just life that pulls me away from focusing on writing, but it is never ever a lack of desire. I've always felt that WTEtG has a special place in my heart, and it feels like something I can finish. Monetary support is always welcome and certainly very appreciated, but an even bigger motivator is just having a vocal audience. I like hearing what people thought about the chapter. What their favorite line was. How the story makes them feel. Part of the reason I was able to come back and write like I have been recently was precisely because I had one person doing that. Just one. It makes such a big difference having someone to talk about the story with and to even bounce ideas off of. Not saying that I'm asking that of you, but I just want to make clear the bigger motivator for me is just reader interaction. Not the money.
Though money is nice and always welcome in this economy!
Part of the reason I never made a patreon was because of how inconsistent I could be. That and every time I try to set up a "tip jar" of sorts most of my readers just ignore it. Not faulting anybody. Times are hard. But it doesn't really make me feel confident to try again, y'know? Anyway, I have an active Ko-fi if you really want to follow through with what you're offering. I can try to look into patreon again, but I dunno. I just don't have an active following. Part of the cost of always being so slow with updates. People move on.
Oh my GOD, now that you say that I just realized that I should have included a "both/don't care" option. Maybe that's why I haven't gotten as many votes. 😅
Hmm, yeah, I'm leaning toward keeping them friends. Unless I get overwhelming feedback to the contrary, I'll just press forward with that. I had a pairing intended for Rarity that I always thought would be fun. I don't think it gets done enough. For Pinkie... Hmm. I guess I could just say what I planned for? Given some of your views in your comment, I wonder what you'd feel about it. I'll put it in spoilers, but just know that it does potentially ruin her plotline if you reveal: I meant for Pinkie to get with Cheese Sandwich. I did genuinely like what they did in the show. I think a story with them could be cute. Maybe that makes me basic, I dunno.
I mean, I'm really curious about what you're implying here. I could guess, but I'm afraid I'm misunderstanding. See, as I view it, it doesn't matter that I had Pinkie involved with a boy who got her pregnant. Sexuality is complicated and it can be fluid. There's plenty of women who have had kids and went on to have queer relationships. These girls are teens and are still learning about themselves. That's part of why I felt confident I could still spin a romantic side story. The only thing that really gave me pause was feeling like having ONE MORE pairing among their friend group was no longer going to feel realistic anymore. Like... what are the odds?
Heh, it was basically confirmed by someone on the creative team that Sunset was bisexual. I always saw her that way too, so that's why she's Bi. She's just on the DL about it.
Hmm, well I look forward to your thoughts on Twilight's subplot. I was hoping to finally get into that next chapter. All the other girls had their own things going on, and poor Twilight has been left on the sidelines for a while. Nah, I wasn't intending on pairing Sunset with Twilight. Did you hear about my Sunset/AJ spin-off? It runs concurrently with What They Expect to Give. I've gotten some good feedback on it, but it does have a heavier vibe than WTEtG (at least, for the most part).
Hey, no worries! I'm always glad to see people are still interested in the story, even if it means they're poking my ass about it. 😂 I'd just keep an eye on my blog or my Twitter. 9 times out of 10 a comment will work as well. And I always encourage people to message me directly.
Now, as to why I write multiple stories at the same time... Basically, over the years, I've had my ups and downs in terms of creative inspiration and artistic drive. I really do try and finish my stories, and I even managed to complete some of my longer, multi-chapter fics. But not all. Sometimes, when I sit down intentionally to write and I don't have inspiration for a particular project, I might instead work on a different project that has me excited. My philosophy is basically, "It's better to write something than nothing at all."
Rather than bully my muse into giving me energy for what I dictate, I try to let it guide me to the path of least resistance. Sometimes, that was writing a spoopy dramedy with my OC about being afraid of making new friends. Other times it was writing flowery kink. Or what my artistic depression felt like. And other times it was that I wanted to process unrequited love in as angsty a way possible.
Actually, if anything, there's your trend. A lot of the reason I work on something is because I'm processing something in my real life. Depending on what I'm dealing with, I might have more juice for one project than another. Like What They Hope to Find? Its themes and central conflicts touched on a bunch of things I'd been dealing with recently. What They Expect to Give is also in a good place where I can channel my current problems into some good scenes. Where I struggle sometimes is writing outside of what I'm currently feeling in my life right now. So, ironically, the more I get over my issues the harder it is to feel in tune with keeping the story going. Not saying I've never done that before. Just saying I'm out of practice. Also, the last time I wrote on a strict schedule I was childless. I have less time to "rev" my artistic engines, so to speak. I really needed that time in the past to muscle through feeling uninspired.
Lastly... I dunno. I guess I just have fun writing different projects. I've found it's perfectly within my ability to juggle several stories at once. That way I always have something I'm in the mood to work on.
Anyway, that was longwinded, but hopefully that answers your question.
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Hhm..Cheese Sandwich..Yeah, that works. Now that i think about it, it works very well. I don't think i could have found a better partener for Pinkie other then him. And no, you are not basic, they are hella cute together, tho, please give him a downgraded personality. What i mean is, i like Pinkie. I like her hyperactive personality, but sometimes that can be taken to an extreme, don't give Cheese the same personality as Pinkie. I don't really know how to explain this. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't forget to give him some serious moments as well. If it sounds like nonsense, sorry, i really don't know how to explain it.
About the words i used, don't worry about it too much, it was meant as a joke. Basically, as you are the writer, you technically did get Pinkie pregnant. That was the joke. Also on the topic of you not knowing if all the girls should be gay, and in a relationship with one another, don't sweat it too much. I certainly wouldn't mind it. But now that I've read your comment and thought about it. It does seem like a good ideea to keep Rarity and Pinkie just as friends.
About Twilight sub-story. Don't worry, i will give my feedback, and not only her spin off. On everything. And in regards to Sunset/Aj spin off, I'll give it a read, and I'll read the other stories that you have as well, but I'll do it in the future. Currently I'm reading S.A.P.R. and Equestria Girls. So it might be a while untill i get to your other works. I kinda understand why you've made a spin off for Sunset and Aj, but i still would have preferred you put it in the main story. The only reason i know about it it's because of your reply to me. Otherwise, I'm afraid it would have gotten over my head. But i understand why they need a spin off, it's so you can focus solely on them.
You said that you find it harder to write something that you have not experienced yourself, but, from what I've read, you've done a good job at it. Maybe you didn't go trough it, but it seems you have a pretty good understanding of the subjects that you find hard to write.
Also, I've bought you a coffee.
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Oops, could you hide spoilers with the spoiler tag please? In case other readers don't want it revealed.
Otherwise, I hear what you're saying. I think we want the same thing.
Yeah, it's literally just because the romance starts so late and it's a rare pair that I decided to separate it. Plus for the amount of depth I wanted to do, I just thought it was wiser to split it lest I annoy people who weren't interested. I tried adding more links and announcements that it exists via author's notes.
Thank you very much! That's so kind. And I appreciate your patronage! 😊🙏🏾