Not-deadness, new stories and rusty turnips. · 12:45am Jun 7th, 2013
Hey guys,
I'm back, in typical Ardensfax fashion, a month too late with a pack of excuses. I'll simply say this, however; screw exams. Screw exams in every available orifice with a rusty turnip. Okay, I think I got that out of my system; basically, exams are over, things are easing off a little, and story stirrings are happening. Assuming anyone's still here.
To be honest, after two solid months of writing nothing but politics and history essays which are about as dry as toasted sand, I feel like it's taking a bit of time to get into the old process of creative writing again. However, things are happening.
Firstly, to deal with the elephant in the room; In Her Blood. It isn't cancelled, but I don't honestly feel confident or motivated enough to continue it right at the present moment. I'm honestly sorry, I'm not normally one to start a project then leave it hanging, but I honestly don't want to mess up the last act, and I also need to re-evaluate what I have currently and decide if it needs salvaging or not. However, I'm currently 5000 words deep in an unrelated one-shot (to give a short summary: Twilight, Rarity, ten years in the future) so I will be coming out with some fresh pony-words soon enough.
In addition, I'm planning on finally undertaking those rewrites to A Bluebird's Song which I've been putting off for so long. Hopefully when they're done, the grammar should be fixed, a few new early chapters should be added to pad out the relationship a little, and the plague of one-word 'thankyou's should be eliminated. It might take a while, but on the whole I'm pretty proud of Bluebird, but whenever I look back on it, I just remember the godawful rushed romance in the first few chapters. I guess I just don't want to remember it as 'that one fic that wasn't quite right'.
Also, I'm vaguely considering something else entirely new, hopefully a bit of a departure from the dark stuff my longer stories have turned into. No concrete facts yet, but suffice it to say it will be two things; extremely weird, and multi-chapter.
Hope you people are all okay, sorry again for my absence, and equally sorry if this blog reads like half-drunk musings, because right now it's 2 in the morning and the sleep madness is punching me in the middle of the face.
Also, I realise this is like a corner shop advertising for Wal-Mart, and that it hardly needs the signal boosting, but if you've not read University Days and like VinylTavia shipping, you really ought to. Seriously, that fic is pure gold (and it makes me wish I could write comedy).
Anyhow, keep ponying on.
I eagerly await this. It's the part that I felt needed work.
What about that other story we discussed a while ago?
1129128 Actually, I meant to mention that in the blog as well; I've made a start on the first chapter of that story over the last couple of weeks, and it's starting to take shape! Definitely proving a fun one to write because it's a lot more light-hearted than most of what I'm writing these days.
It's good to hear from you actually; I've been meaning to message you to let you know that story's in the works! It's only a couple of thousand words in at present, but it's definitely stirring!
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Excellent news! :D Your absence and other fics made me worried no work had been done on it (which would be understandable, mind you), but this is great to hear!
You ARE planning to return to it though, right? Cuz I'mma be honest, Trixie x Fluttershy is oddly compelling. And I like "In Her Blood" better than "Kindness' Reward" so far.
Needs more DashFire
In all seriousness, Bluebird is the first ponyfic I loved, and a heavy influence to the stories I write. I can't wait to see the new material.
Great to have you back!
I'm looking forward to the rewrite of, A Bluebird's Song! 
Holy shit, man; I was worried that you may have died or something. I'm ready for proofreading when you have something ready for proofing!
...and you damn well better finish In Her Blood.
Partially because I already know what's going to happen, but mostly because I already know what's going to happen but really want to see how you make it happen. 
Great to see you've survived exam season! I am both starting and finishing mine next week...
In Her Blood on hiatus?
A Bluebird's Song being revised?
1129603 Hey! Really sorry for not having gotten in contact sooner, I fail to a huge extent...
Hope you're doing okay, and sorry again for vanishing off the face of the earth like that! And don't worry, I'm definitely going to finish In Her Blood; the plans are made and it seems like a terrible waste not to realise them! 
I just need to write a few thousand unrelated ponywords to get back into it, because I feel a bit out of practice/lacking confidence right now, but that should resolve itself soon!
1129337 Definitely coming back to it, not to worry!
And thanks so much; Kindness's Reward was what got me into TrixieShy in the first place, so that means a lot!
1129949 Sounds pretty intense, hope all the exams go off alright! And about the Bluebird edits, they may not be visible for a little while, because I plan on getting the entire thing patched up before posting, rather than doing it in little drips.
I always felt that A Bluebird's Song was virtually perfect as-is, but if you feel that you can improve on it, go right ahead!
I'll re-read it once the edits have been made. Funnily enough, people have often likened my own multi-part fic to A Bluebird's Song - so I guess that it affected my writing in more ways than I thought it did. I mean, it's my favourite fic of all time, so I probably shouldn't be surprised about that! ;)
1130270 Eh I'm not too worried about them, but thanks for the support! Also, please take your time, art that is rushed is not art worth creating (with a few exceptions...)
I can't wait to see what you have in store for us with another short and another new long story. And I think I can speak for most of us when I say don't worry about getting right onto In Her Blood. One in the hand is worth two in the bush, after all.
Anyways happy you are back, friend. Hope to see you on skype
Since this is the place
hopefullywe've all read it room, that is the one place I think a few of us can say is the biggest blemish, is the rushed romance at the very beginning. It builds out and expands beautifully as the chapters go on. I'd say from the moment Dash learns how to fly without flapping her wings on is golden.I'd have to reread the beginning to tell you exactly where I think it chugs a bit, but my rationale isn't the problem on Rainbow's end. She's had a catastrophic mental break down, Twilight is the rational one with all the answers, and she simply breaks down in a complete destruction of her former self. Falling in love with the person who helped you isn't insane. Perhaps though, it would be good to hint that maybe Rainbow developed feelings for her earlier? That she idealized Twilight in how she could always face her problems,. while Rainbow literally flew from them?
Twilight's sudden love is a bit sudden. I rationalized it as simply she was so overwhelmed by the raw power and conviction of Rainbow she wanted to see where it went, and was touched by the commitment. Stumped at where it needs to be filled, but again, a re-read of those first chapters in the next week or two with extensive note taking on my part could at least give you pointers where I think a bit of a hiccup was.
1129128 The Bluebird song of Apple/Dash? Are you ASKING me to start crying?
You are horrible. You should ashamed of yourself.
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