Absent: Chapter 5 Progress & News · 3:40am May 21st, 2012
I think this chapter will be a lot of fun to write. 
I'm not telling why. You'll just have to wait to read it. 
Anyway, I start a new, full-time job on Monday morning! 
Unfortunately, this will severely reduce the amount of time I spend writing. 
Fortunately, that shouldn't slow the release of new chapters by all that much, since I might try to make the chapters a bit shorter per request. I fully understand that not everypony has the time to read a 60-page chapter when it's uploaded. That said, I will not be sacrificing story quality for word quantity. If a chapter has to end up being 18 000 words to get my intended bit across, then that's just how it'll have to be. 
I'm going to take a couple days off from writing to get used to my new work schedule (and 70 km commute), but I will start working on the chapter by Wednesday or Thursday. 
Again, I'll keep you all updated here on the chapter progress. As always, comments, questions, and snide remarks are appreciated. 
And yes, I do like these little pony-moticons. 
Progress as of Thu 5 Apr, 21:37: Okay, my short break from writing is over. I've gotten used to my new work schedule as much as I'm going to. I now work what most would call "normal" hours of 08:00 to 17:00 Monday through Friday. Basically, business hours. I've completed the detailed scene summaries for Scenes 1, 2, and 3. I'm predicting a total scene count of 6 for this chapter. This means it'll be slightly shorter than the previous chapters (as was requested), but it'll still likely be over 10k words. I'll continue to edit this blog appropriately with further updates.
Progress as of Sat 7 Apr, 13:45: Finished with the detailed outlines for each scene. Now begins the actual writing! This chapter will be seven scenes and (I think) about 10 000 words in length. So, it'll be a bit shorter than the previous chapters, but still long enough that I won't have to sacrifice plot or quality to get things across properly. Of course, I've low-balled my chapter word estimates before... 
Hell, just the scene summaries and plot outlines for this chapter total five pages. 
We'll see. As always, stay tuned for further updates.
Progress as of Mon 16 Apr, 20:13: Okay, this isn't going nearly as well as I thought it would. The story behind this chapter is fun, but I just can't get it to come out right into a word processor. As a result, I've scrapped and rewritten several scenes from this chapter at least a dozen times. I'm writing at least 1000 words per day, but I've probably scrapped at least 15 000 of those already. It might take a couple more weeks to get it to a level where I am not nauseated by it. My goal is 1 May. Sorry it's taking so long, but I'm not going to push crap on you guys.
Progress as of Mon 23 Apr, 21:03: Just a brief update this time to keep y'all in the loop. After much weeping and gnashing of teeth, I've finally completed Scene 1 to my satisfaction. Good god that took forever! 
Only six more scenes to go. 
Progress as of Fri 4 May, 19:07: Finished with Scene 2. I'm know you guys are sick of hearing this, but still, sorry it's taking so long this time. The new job is taking much more time than I thought it would. Don't worry; I'm still working on Absent when I can, but it'll just take a little longer between chapters, that's all. 
Progress as of Wed 9 May, 23:05: Finished with Scene 3. Did a complete rewrite of Scene 2. There were things that needed to be in that scene for later things to make sense, and that ended up making it a little a bit a lot longer. My new estimate for Chapter 5 is about 14 000 words. Really hoping to have this finished and released within a couple weeks.
Progress as of Tue 15 May, 23:15: Shouldn't be too much longer. Finished up Scene 4 this evening. I think I'm going to omit one of the later scenes from the chapter, because it's really just some embellishment on my part. That, and these four scenes are already pushing 10 000 words. So, two or three more scenes to go. Maybe it'll be up this Sunday... maybe?
Progress as of Sun 20 May 23:30: Yeah, I thought my goal of Sunday was a bit ambitious. I have only one more scene to write, though. The chapter should be up (key word: should) Monday or Tuesday evening.
TYT. Quality > Quantity, remember that.
"TYT?"
79232
Take Your Time?
goodness this is funny anyway looking forward to further updates and i'm sure nixie will be found however i do wonder how celestia will take it when twi finally succeeds?
she'd better not pull anything stupid to further ruin her relationship with twi. as i care deeply for both of them.
foalish children!
97124
Two things here, I must speak on.
"goodness this is funny"
Absent isn't meant to be a comedy. I'll admit, there are a few instances that are meant to be mildly humourous, but I didn't think they could define the story.
"foalish children!"
A foal is a young horse (or pony), so foalish would be the Equestrian translation of childish in English. I've seen it used far too often in place of foolish, which is incorrect. 
Sorry, you just hit on one of my pet peeves there.
97821 yes there is a difference between foolish and childish one beeing a lack in the thought of safety like when rarity bucked the manticore in the piolate episode and cried about her main instead fo running immediately back to safety. wheras childish refears to being obstinately stubborn to the point of foolishness like a child who is trying to keep a ruse when they are obviousely in the wrong eccept it is used more upon adults that act that way. the reason i called celestia childish was because she refused to tell twilight immedeately what she planned on doing and thought it in the best interests of both parties even though it was stupid and wrong and twilight was completely in the right the entire time. twilight has to trudge across the entire country to find nyx just bacouse celestia was assuming in the wrong again pluss without the body their is no real proof that ynx is dead.
.
i did not smile in mirth at the story but more at what i found you struggling with on the out side of the sceens and i am overjoy'd that you are working on the story still. i apologise for speaking at you through one of your pet peves and i will try to limit my usage of the word around you unleass it is in context that you deem fair, again my apologies. I do tho commend you on a story well done now to see what the next chapter brings forth
97905
I absolutely love how much analysis people are putting into this!
I'm especially tickled that everyone assumes Celestia is wrong (again). *mischievous grin*
Just to be as enigmatic as possible,
let me pose a question for thought. Was Queen Chrysalis "wrong" to attempt an invasion of Canterlot? 
98096 heres my opinion on the matter of Queen chrysalis's invasion of canterlot. instead of trying to steal the pony's love she should've tryed her hand at earning it and also instead of being the other pony's enemy automatically she should have tryed her hand at diplomacy with the royals of canterlot obviousely the changeling hord didn't harm those who were living with them also by ruling the kingdom how would the changelings retrieve the love of the pony's considering all they would recieve intern would be nonlove plus the pony's would not trust each other and therefor the changelings would either starve or leave the kingdom for somewhere else that has love fro theim to feed upon. so basically Queen chrysilas was neither right or wrong in invading canterlot insteadshe should have in my opinion tryed to reason with the rulers and come to some sort of agreement where her changelings could have lived amongst the populace without molestation adn annoyance from the other pony's and all parties would have definately benefited from the agreement. not to mention each changeling is like a mini alicorn which is powered from the love the pony's give therefor they could probably become great defenders guards and allies in times of need.
also one other thing celestia is both right and wrong nix lives but all evidence celestia has recieved has pointed to nix being dead hopefully i dont spoil anything if i say the nix twilight finds will not be the same that had been ponynaped hopefully twilight can save nix like she did before.
98155 hopefully i dont spoil anything
You can't spoil anything. I've told absolutely no one where this story is going.
I think people, in general, will be pleased with the story's ending and as a whole, but I also think there will be quite a few of them thinking "WTF?!" 
good to see there's progress going on. at the rate its going you'll be writing a story longer then fallout equestria and prob take long to write it
100326
If I'm not mistaken F:E was over 1100 pages long. So far, Absent is just over 120. Maybe that prediction is a bit overreaching. 
As for the time it took to write, I have no idea. I wasn't yet a member of the fandom when F:E was written. 
Or when Past Sins was written, for that matter... I'm relatively new to the brony world. 
Longer than Fallout: Equestria?
101910 Fo:E clocks at around 500k words. you said you'll have like 40 chapters in an earlyer prediction so at 12k words and 40 chapters you'll reach 500k or maybe i'm mistaken
101912
Yeah, actually, I've done that math, too. You're right, it probably will rival it in length. I just don't like comparing my story to something as amazingly epic and awesome like F:E.