300: A Brief Retrospective · 9:17am Mar 24th, 2013
I wasn't gonna write this tonight. I just got off work, I've finally gotten comfy in my chair, and all I wanna do is sleep.
Then I log on here to find that Gigamunch has become my 300th follower.
You'll forgive me if I get a little mushy here.
Way way back in 2011, just after I'd confessed to my wife that I was a brony, I made her promise something to me. "Honey, if I ever start writing fanfiction again, I want you to cut me off." Fast foward to February 2012. I'd been out of the military for a few months and I'd finally gotten a job. While I was bragging about it on Facebook, a friend of mine (one of two folks I brought into the fandom) asked me a question that changed everything.
"Remember that Teen Titans fanfic you never finished? Why don't you try writing something for MLP?"
The thought had never crossed my mind, but as soon as he asked the question an image popped in my head; Spike watching Rarity sleep.
I began work on 'Sleeping Beauty' the next day. While I was working, I gave it some more thought; where are Rarity and Spike sleeping? The Apple Family's farm-house. Why there? There was a wild wedding reception. Who got married? Big Mac and Fluttershy.
So 'Sleeping Beauty' became 'Morning Glory.'
After I posted the story on the Pony Fiction Archive, I became addicted to the two or three comments I was getting. I knew I had to write more. I was on a serious Edgar Allan Poe kick at the time (thank you, Vincent Price) so I wrote 'the Cask of Appletillado.' I rather liked it and I hoped that it would lead to a 'Tales of Terror' series. I even had full synopses for 'Apple Pet Semetary' and several others ready to go.
The... lukewarm response 'Appletillado' recieved hurt my pride a little, but I had a new idea; a story that I could tell about one of my favorite head canons AND help me deal with some of my issues in the process. That story, originally titled 'Secret Treasure,' became my most popular and well recieved fic. While the ending was always meant to be ambiguous, popular demand led to 'Dear Applebloom.' Somewhere around there, I typed up 'an Oral History of the New Lunar Republic,' a story I've always enjoyed yet a lot of people dislike. 'Dear Scootaloo' was supposed to be next...
...and the well ran dry. I grew to hate the original version of 'Dear Scootaloo' and flat out cancelled it, deleting every trace of it's existence. I had several other story ideas, but I was just too busy to write any of them. Instead, I posted all the stories on fanfiction.net.
Then I remembered opening an account here.
I had just finished 'Lost in the Night,' ( a story that came from FRIGGIN' NOWHERE) so I posted it first. Next was 'Dear Sweetie Belle.'
After that, everything's pretty much a matter of history. The positive feedback lead to 'Slender' and 'the Sin of Envy.' Another traumatic event lead to 'Saying Good-bye.' I let my followers pick the first sequel I would write; 'Dear Rarity' which of course became 'Paternally Yours.'
Still, it seemed all people wanted was 'Dear Scootaloo.'
I decided on a story I liked and began to write. Then the virus happened and wiped them all out. I was dis-heartened, but I swore that one day the story would see the light of day. In the mean-time, I finally bit the bullet; I submitted 'Dear Sweetie Belle' to EqD.
You all know what happened next.
I fully intended 'Dear Scootaloo' to be my last fic. I hated the final product and I just knew that everyone would hate it too. They'd call it underwhelming and not worth the wait. My followers would vanish and I would be justified in not writing anymore. I submitted the story just before work and spent the night dreading the negative comments.
This next statement is 100 percent true; when I saw 'Dear Scootaloo' on the front page and saw that I had 217 notifications, I cried.
You all have shown me what I'm meant to do; I'm meant to write. There's going to be folks that eviscerate my stories, but I don't write for them.
I write for you.
All 300 of you.
Sweet dreams,
Jade Ring
PS: The title of the release coming before 'Phases of the Moon' is up there. See it?
PPS: So far I've recieved three contest applications. Still plenty of time to join in.
That feeling is something I've never felt before, it was just... awesome.
Be proud of what you've accomplished, and keep doing what you're doing.
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Congratulations Jade, I for one am happy for you and hope you continue down the path that you enjoy most. We all will be rooting for you, sometimes quietly, sometimes loudly, but for sure we will all be there. As fans, as friends, and as fellow bronies who enjoy a good story.
It is for a fact, that you my friend write some great stories. We will all be waiting for your next story.
- Luna nos custodit
I saw you because of "Dear Sweetie Belle" on the front page. Just saying.
P.S. Ur awesome
944122 I never saw 'Dear Sweetie Belle' on the front page, so I never got that thrill.