OtbOA Progress Report: F-, Parent Teacher Conference Scheduled · 5:09pm Dec 27th, 2012
Oh to be Old Again: Progress-O-Meter: SYNTAX.ERROR%
(semi spoiler, read in Standard:Light color formatting to avoid spoiler - SORRY! Turns out that's default, who'dathunk it?)
Ok, it's been a month. Where the hell have I been? What have I been doing? Has it really been a month?! When I started this, I had one rule for 'when a chapter was done.' If it was 1,000+ and it happened to fall at a good spot, it was done. Now, it's gotten a little more complex. I have goals. Goals suck.
My next chapter WILL come out! I'm not going to throw this towel in. It's ... stuck to my hand, ew. Without spoiling anything, my next goals for the next chapter are:
Test scene: 0% done. This is a hard one because there's plenty of snark to be had but I'm walking a fine line with making Bruce 'grow up' and stop being a dick.
Test Results: 100% done. This is done. Uhm, yeah.
Doctor scene: 50% done or so. This will make sense in the context, trust me. I'm still working it because, well, it's just a doctor's room. Bleh.
Dream sequence: 0% done. This will also make sense and give some Bruce-feels. I was going to wait on the story-night but I need, need, NEED to introduce a plot point and FAST and after the dream is the best time ... besides, after the doctor thing, Brucey is gonna need a nap. It will start the plot-ball rolling a bit from the little 'hurr what am I doing OMG' dip that it's sitting in right now.
PLOT POINT THAT I CAN'T DESCRIBE BECAUSE THE ENTIRE THING IS A GIANT SPOILER: 0% done. I'm actually going to do this today ... hopefully. It's not big but it's pretty dang important.
'Minalkra, why do you suck so much at getting things out in a decent amount of time?' AKA Why things have slowed down.
First part of this answer is that this story has gotten WAY more complex than I was intending. I've said it before but I'ma say it again just cause it makes this blog post seem beefier. I'm actually having to think about what I'm writing, how it fits and where I'm going. That slows me down. The fact this is pretty dang popular means I'm nervous too. I actually have a plan-ish thing now but that makes me feel constrained.
Second part of the answer is Life. No, really. Shit has been happening IRL that requires my attention. Sick pets, people and holiday garbage is taking a good deal of my energy and I really don't feel like staring at a screen for four hours to get two words out. That actually happened. I'm working on and off but it's a two steps forward, one back for me.
Last part of this post is about the ending of the story. No spoilers. I have an ending planned out. No, I lied. I have four endings planned for this. Like a Silent Hill sliding scale of depression, there is the 'as good as it gets' ending, a 'not so good but pretty good' ending, a 'oh man, that's horrible' ending and a 'WHY WOULD YOU WRITE THAT YOU HORRIBLE PERSON' ending. There is a 'canon' ending that I will point out (the 'not so good but pretty good' one IMO) but I'm offering a choice of how you want things to end.
Spoiler:
Two end in death. Just saying.
I'll probably end up supporting the as-good-as-it-gets ending for my personal headcanon, just because I like happy endings for basically everything. I mean, I KNEW Background Pony couldn't have a happy ending without undermining it's whole point, and I still was upset when it didn't have a happy ending. >_<
I really want to see the four endings now.
Probably a good thing your planning stuff out I guess. Sounds like you've been busy all around.
As for endings I'm weird and will most likely enjoy the 'as good as it gets' and the 'oh man, that's horrible'.
Oh and its understandable to be nervous because of popularity but try not to fret too over the ending(s), this is one of those stories that's about the journey and not the destination in my opinion.
Are you a mind reader I was just thinking about this story
I didnt like the spoilers, that was...
anyway, just relese in the time you need, and keep up the good work
Considering the spoiler, will you be updating the Tags on the story? I was curious so I went and looked just now, it's still Comedy, Slice of Life, AU, and Human.
I am glad to hear you are planning it out. Nothing frustrates me more than to get 100k words into a story before seeing an offhand comment from the author saying that they're just making it up entirely as they go. Well, depending on the story at least.
653771
Yeah, since not everyone will read this post I'm going to add Tragedy to the list at the very end. It's still a comedy but it's a tragic comedy. I think the 'good as it gets' ending is pretty dang good though, despite the name.
multiple endings sounds good
Four endings are best imho.
Make it feel like all the Johnny Cash songs.
You say you already figured out some endings, does that mean you know how many chapters you're gonna write until you reach it?
Do you have a plan for when you intend to put out the next chapter? or are you just going to post it when its done?
Estimation please
iambrony.steeph.tp-radio.de/mlp/gif/178632%20-%20animated%20apple_bloom%20artist-MurDareik%20sad_eyes.gif
Not the endings in the spoiler please, this has been way to funny and awesome to end like that.
653855
Write till I reach it. I know about what happens between now and the End but I don't know how it'll flow.
653911
Sorry, just when it's done really. I'm REALLY hoping that after the holiday crazy is done, everything will settle into a situation where I can be reliable.
Good luck on then.
I don't think I've ever really encountered any multiple endings scenario that I've ever liked ever.
I'm kinda surprised at that. But really, there's something about going through an entire story (whatever the medium) and then the ending suddenly happens three different ways. It cheapens the rest of the story because, however things were going, each ending feels arbitrary since things could have so easily gone other ways. It's not that I don't like exploring what-ifs, I do like reading that stuff, but a story is a continuous experience and I really don't like having to force my brain-mind to accept an ending so that the thing can sit right in my memory. If I don't 'choose' a particular ending than it messes with my memory of the rest of the story and the whole things gets fractured.
Also, whatever you're planning for your 'WHY WOULD YOU WRITE THAT YOU HORRIBLE PERSON' ending? I've already thought of a couple possible endings that are even worse.
653934
The first split is one situation dealing with the Princesses. If a pony we haven't seen and won't until the very end is in one situation, it splits one way. If they are in another situation, it goes another way. The second split is more complex, dealing with 'how to fix problem X' in one situation and 'how Bruce deals with such-and-such revelation' in the other. The one point I would concede is the last part, how Bruce deals with it. One way feels almost forced but with everything else going on - despite everything - I can see Bruce acting both ways. Maybe I just love me my flip-flops.
And the 'WHY WOULD YOU WRITE' ending is real sad. Really, really sad. Like, broken-soul sad. Not gore - just fucking sad.
I wish you well on your writing endeavors! Take your time and give us quality like you have so far, for we can wait as long as you need us to.
653951
dc219.4shared.com/img/naQbtIIz/s7/derpy_shrug_animated.gif
So anyways, why do some people think that gore is as horrifying as it gets? The darkest reaches of mind-rending horror is beyond simply being some extreme amount of fear. If your soul's not in pain, then you're nowhere near the edge.
653974
You used a crazy Pinkie emote. I thought Cupcakes. I'm a bad person.
You you can put [spoiler][/spoiler] tags around stuff now. To do this.
654006
Oh sweet! I didn't know they added spoiler tags!
653984
i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x446/Crossbone133/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-brony-noogie.gif
As for endings, I'd prefer not going down any route significantly darker than the story leading up to it. I mean there is a lot of lore and other stuff you can work with. I've always viewed this story as more of an emotional genesis combined with a more realistic take and twist in Brony in Equestria. Ironic that he's not enjoying himself at all. Just saying if it ends in death make it really believable.
653779 The "as good as it gets" ending would be my choice to vote on, followed by the "not so good but pretty good" one. (I didn't read the spoilers so I can't give much more input than that) I'm ok with a bittersweet ending to a story so long as it's where the story naturally leads, but real downer endings (which I'm guessing the last two options are) have always pretty much sucked the enjoyment out of a story for me.
654040 Yeah, what DPV111 said.
My two cents:
Take your fucking time. As long as something happens sometime, I'm happy.
I think the canon ending no matter what it is will be the best choice, after all its canon.
Now because I want to make myself look like an idiot, did you mean you are going to write out four endings, post them and let us choose what we like best as headcanon or you’re going to do like a vote thing where the most votes determines the ending like some other stories. I’m sure you meant the first option but I tend to clarify everything.
Anyway glad to see you’re still writing and holidays can certainly be a pain. Well good luck with everything and happy writing and all that.
654528
Uh. I'm posting four endings. I'll probably link them to the last 'not ending' chapter at the end for quick access but they're all going to be up here. Now
whenif I do a sequel-type 'Bruce vs. Equestria' series with him all settled, I'll have one ending that I'm going to use for the most potential hilarity but I like the other endings as well. Especially one of them. It's ... wow.654040 - Same here...
654604 - you do realize we ~WILL be moaning about a sequel, right :). TBOA is one of the best stories here and really deserves a sequel!
Could you arrange at least one ending so that you could easily start a sequel when you feel the time is right?
654811
A sequel-able ending is already there. Actually, three of the four are sequel-able. One would be pretty boring, another might be funny but puts Bruce in a place that has the wrong types of ponies. One is pretty well set as a sequel-type-thingy-ma-bob-jigger.
I can't Fucking wait man keep up the good work
I know the feeling.