An Eventful Two Years · 9:52pm Dec 29th, 2023
A lot has changed in two years.
In 2021, I was thinking of wrapping things up here. I hadn't published anything in years, my writing projects were going nowhere, and other hobbies were taking more of my time. At some point late in the year I decided I would read the best stuff on the site (by some reckoning), maybe publish one last thing, and then put a bow on it and log out of the fandom for good.
Then... A few things happened.
I had always intended to keep proofreading, as it seemed like the one thing here I was "good" at, and I've done a good amount of it. So when I accepted a request over the new year to proofread Compass' story Risky Business, I didn't think much of it. But this time, for whatever reason or combination of reasons, proofreading turned into editing and collaboration, we started messaging about the story and then about things unrelated to the story, and we encouraged each other to work on other writing projects. The Knight and the Potion Seller was entirely prompted by Compass and I riffing on the original video; we both entered the first Thousand Words Contest and pre-read each others' work; and The Manehattan Anomaly only exists because Compass encouraged me to keep writing it after the Nightmare Night event ended.
Friendship just has a way of sneaking up on you, I guess.
Compass and I experimented with collaborative writing exercises, including an Exquisite-Corpse-style thing that didn't last very long, but some time in 2023 I felt writing prompts would help. So I joined Bean's Writing Group in the hopes of getting in on that sweet writing prompt action. Little did I know I'd find a home in their little community, participate in judging a contest for new writers, and make a lot of friends there, too - as well as lots more written work. Though none of my prompt writing is published (yet), I did have fun writing that Grimace Shake story based on discussion in the group.
2022 and 2023 weren't great years for a lot of reasons, but I think they're turning out to be my favourite years within the MLP fandom, at least since 2012. The new people in my life have brought new light to what I thought was a waning interest, and I doubt it will dull any time soon.
So, what's next?
Well, I don't intend to make more friends - that will happen naturally and unintentionally - but I do intend to get more involved in the community here, and more serious about writing in general. Jinglemas 2023 was one part of that. BWG prompts will as well. For all you Manehattan heads out there, yes, I intend to finish it soon. For all you heads out there, expect a follow-up this April. (I doubt it'll become the most-disliked story of the year again, but who knows?) And for all the rest, look forward to new content of indeterminate description and unknown volume.
A month and a bit from now, I could have made this a "12 Years" post, since the coming February will mark my 12th year on the site. But, as I hope I've illustrated, these last two years have been so different from the preceding ten, I thought it was meaningful to separate it.
Thanks for reading, and for everything else, too.
Man, can I drink to that. Personally, I know that helping Rego with his Electro Swing fic — starting in 2021, coincidentally enough — helped keep me around. I genuinely might've been one bad flame war away from blowing everything up, and since then, I've helped plenty of other folks with their stories and even written the two most-regarded of my own on the side. Funny how that sort of thing works out, ain't it?
A belated happy holidays, and best of luck with your aspirations for '24 and beyond!
Sounds fun! *Insert obligatory "Aw, shit, here we go again" here*
Hold up :
Now THIS is epic
Ah-h, well, I am here only since this February, I have a great time with writing and reading!
Hope that next year would be even more productive for everyone! And, all in all, far better than the previous ones.
Let there be more encouragement of each other, and let there be more friendships! Happy holidays!
5761347
You know, I've met Rego through some of these writing communities recently, though I haven't read Electro Swing yet. Nor your stuff, even though I've seen you around. God, there's so much I haven't read... I understand that I can't expect myself to read everything that's worth reading, but I do regret not keeping up with the scene for the last 12 years.
Anyway, yeah, funny how things work out, both in the funny-haha sense and in the funny-existential sense. There shall certainly be more of both before the sun burns cold.
5761352
I do love that people are still joining this site to write good stuff. Like you! Productivity isn't everything, but it is something, so good luck with it!
5761351
Oh man I can't believe I didn't mention Spike Takes a Sh*t!!!
hey, glad you are sticking around! i do hope you have many more years of a great time in the fandom ahead of you!
5761537
Thanks - same to you!
5761347
Heh. Heheheh. Hehehehehehehehehehe. Did it live up to the hype?
5775122
Very much so! :)