A Mile in What Now? · 7:43am Mar 30th, 2012
Some of you sharp-eyed folks may have noticed a fic posted earlier here on FIMFiction:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/18008/A-Mile-in-Another-Mare%27s-Shoes
You read that URL right - A Mile in Another Mare's Shoes.
I just got done having a conversation with Lannakitty, the author, and her fic has absolutely nothing to do with mine, so don't worry. The titles were complete coincidence. After discussion, she agreed to change the name (at my request, apologies again for imposing, Lanna!) and it is now:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/18008/A-Change-of-Face
Thank you again for being so understanding and friendly about it, Lannakitty
Love and Tolerate, that is all!
----
Okay, so that's not all - I think I'll take this opportunity to talk quickly about Chapter 2 (and the upcoming Chapters) before I go to bed, quick.
If you'll notice, Chapter 2 was very short - almost a third the length of Chapter 1, and I think this deserves an explanation.
Quite simply, I had to end it there. I didn't have a choice - not because anyone was stopping me, per se, but because it was perfect ending right where it was.
I had a fair amount planned, a lot more, all of which is being moved into Chapter 3 and beyond, but I knew I had to stop Chapter 2 where I did in order for the impact to really be felt. If I just picked up the rest of what is now becoming Chapter 3 there, the blow would have been softened by the continuing story - the reader, and me, for that matter, could not have had the opportunity to really absorb and process it. And didn't it deserve to be treated as something on its own, special and separate?
I did beef up the earlier parts of Chapter 2. I realized I had let Spike vanish entirely from the narrative for a bit, and some descriptions were missing, but, over all, I took the advice of my pre-readers and only changed what was really necessary for me to fix and add to. Any more would have been unnecessary padding and done a disservice to me, the material, and everyone reading it.
Some of you may be wondering why the crap I included Fancypants and Fleur-de-lis as major characters, since they haven't even been mentioned in the narrative yet - the short answer is, they will be! At the proper time and place. I had to debate a bit, since it could be said that they're supporting characters to others' arcs, but I realized that if they're supporting, then they're major supporting cast, because I fully intend on fleshing them out and giving them their own decision trees during the middle-to-later events of the longer story, where they will be involved. They belong on the movie poster, even if they aren't, you know, quite top billing.
As for Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, I should think it obvious, actually, why they aren't listed among the major characters, and it isn't a spoiler to be saying it, either: Of all the ponies, who has the least to lose from a change of species? Pinkie Pie is essentially malleable and Fluttershy's talent has absolutely nothing to do with being a pegasus. Certainly, the change will be alarming for both (well, Fluttershy, anyway) and involve sacrifices, but they'll have more opportunity to help the others than time needed to worry about themselves. I don't put them in major supporting role grade, however, because they won't provide quite the same level of decision-making involvement, except in much rarer instances. Not to say they aren't important, of course, but their roles could easily have been filled by minor ponies or (gasp) OCs*! Comic relief and helpers are still important roles, though, and I like them, as I do the whole cast, too much to cast them aside like cheap toys.
(Speaking of, don't really plan on including many of these, except as extras or background - the nurse-trainee and the blue draft stallion don't have names nor marks and might not show up again - though, there is Rarity's arc... but that's getting into dangerous territory! Better leave while I'm still ahead.)
Night all, sleep well!
I saw that fanfiction up a few days ago and I was like 'Wait, wut?'. I didn't pay it much attention, but, looking at it now, the title was a bit confusingly similar. Glad you got that one cleared up!
I've been patiently waiting for Fleur and Fancypants to arrive, as I thought they'd be in Rarity's ark (Ya know, dressmaking, popular people, Canterlot). I don't mind short chapters, as long as they are good. And this was.
49950
Since you're so nice, I'll hint!
They're in Applejack and Rainbow Dash's. Puzzle that out and you get... I dunno, a muffin or something.
50006
/think.
Hmmmmm...
Well, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are both unicorns now, right?
And Fleur and Fancypants are also unicorns?
So, like, teaching unicorn magic or something?
Muffin?
50104
Half-right! I won't tell you what half!
And that's worth a muffin in my book!
51673
I enjoy muffins.
Can't wait for the next chapter!