Lyra Is Best... Wait, what? · 10:09am Apr 6th, 2012
So, yeah. This "Background Pony" story.
Uhm. What the hell? Why can't I hold all these favorites?
Anyways, I wrote the thing with the intention of it being a continuous fic, and that's what I still plan to do. Maybe within the week, I'll get the second chapter out and have this thing propelled EqD's way. It was just a means of relaxing while I beat the pages of the latest EoP arc rewrite with the jawbone of an ass. If it already isn't obvious, I didn't have the sovereign guidance of editors this time around, and it shows. I'll need to step up my proofreading before I pretend to Val Venis this story across the Titantron of Bronyhood.
And who the Hell is Mr. Skullface in the dark suit? Does Mr. Freeman have to wake up and smell the ashes? Also, twenty-nine years is too long to be alive on this floating rock.
Pic is relevant.
F'naaa.
-SS&E
first, son. YOU ARE TWILIGHT-ZONE REMINISCENT FIC GOD!!!
secondly, i think the Silence, yes and mabye.
Just keep up the good work! That was simply an amazing read.
Background Pony is an excellent fic and so is EoP. Stay sane/insane, whichever helps you write better, and drink plenty of your favorite beverage. Also, while I'm not a grammar-nazi, I can't say that there were many problems with BP from a technical aspect, at least that I could detect.
I can't wait to read. I have thirty things I will read later and I will maybe read that
It pleases me to know you'll be continuing this story. I hope that writing it brings you satisfaction, but that writing End of Ponies does the same for you.
I think I should mention, however, that I was surprised when you said Melodious had not been put past any editors or reviewers. It appeared relatively clean and with so few errors, to me at least. Maybe it's because I read it for pleasure -- but I swear, I think you've really improved in the area of giving your writing a more critical eye. It's most likely because you've been listening to Vimbert and TWW whenever they've given you thorough beatings, but don't give yourself too little credit for improving as an editor.
This can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing if you're not careful. I failed at writing almost every fanfic I've ever attempted to write, and barely managed to complete the first one I ever wrote, because I'm a damned fine (obsessive, almost) editor, but not a very strong writer, and I ended up second-guessing myself on every sentence, plot point and line of dialogue. All I'm asking is that you put story-planning and writing before proofreading and editing. By this I primarily mean: do not fail to distinguish them in your mind, so that you do only writing when you intend to write, and do not fret about correctness until you actually start on the editing and proofreading. I just worry a bit that you'll fall into the same trap as I have, where editing encroaches upon the creative process and one slips into a state of creative stagnation.
Do yourself and all your fans the favor of shining on (you crazy diamond).
"Write drunk. Edit sober."
- Ernest Hemmingway
Also....(lolgroundhog)
Obligatory marsupial noise inserted as a salutatory f'naaaa
farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6858471131_493f2566dc.jpg
That? That is one of the Silence, a group of Doctor Who villains. His gimmick was that you only remembered his existence for as long as you looked at him. Looking away or blinking would completely reset your memory of the occasion. I thought you actually had this in mind while writing, but I guess not. You actually managed to beat his vulnerability, as the main characters in Doctor Who would write on themselves to keep track of whether or not they had seen them.
Anyways, I love the story. A LOT. I wish you the best.
P.S. WHY HAVEN'T YOU WATCHED DOCTOR WHO?
What are you, crazy? Rocks don't float. We're obviously supported by a gargantuan turtle.
And you can't hold all those favorites because this story is great. Since it's smaller and not grimdark, you've got a larger potential audience. I've said things like this before, but you have the magic. I could write a mountain of interesting and/or good plot elements, but they mean nothing without that special spark. You? You just ooze it all over the place.
I guess what I'm trying to say is this:
Please fling more of your gooey writing juice at me. I want to slurp up your discharge.
Is that being too forward? I think it's being too forward.
It's a series? IT'S A SERIES?
I CAME
Continue. That is all I can say. Please continue.
"I wrote the thing with the intention of it being a continuous fic"
"continuous fic"
I'd like to see where you can take this. I honestly have no idea where it could go at this point. But it would be fulfilling to have Lyra's curse lifted somehow!
Very happy to see that you will be continuing the story.
While it seems like a fairly happy ending is being set up, the journey to get there is what is making this story so amazing. The first chapter established Lyra in a sympathetic light, really making the reader feel for her, while simultaneously pondering what life would be like if they were simply forgotten. There is a wonderful Twilight Zone-esuqe feel you have in this story...a feeling that's hard for many writers to even come close to getting, while you have absolutely captured it and ran with it.
You've drawn everybody in with a beautifully written and sad opening, and as I said in my comment there, one of the most amazing chapters of any story to come out of the MLP Fanfiction subculture. Now, I'm excited to see where the story goes.
I just can't see it having an ending of "Oh she's cursed forever and doomed to be miserable THE END", but at the same time, I can't see it being "Her first attempt to solve it is successful and everything goes back to being fine." Rather, it will be her continued quest to reverse her curse, slowly learning more and more about her predicament and gradually taking steps towards salvation that will drive this story.
It's an amazing story you have here, and I eagerly look forward to where it goes from here!
I wanna hear what happens next
True story, I was gonna skip this, until I saw who it was written by. Now it's top on my list of Read Laters
Also, instead of Val Venising the story across the Titantron of Bronyhood, I would say you should capitalize on the success of this story and do something more drastic.
May I suggest Bubba Bombing the story off the Stage of Bronyhood, through the tables of Equestria Daily?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMKx1R_1ZdA
Use this as a reference. Do this, but with fanfiction.
I should've known BP and EoP were by the same author even before I saw your name. There were so many thematic similarities between the two. I can't wait to see what's in store for Lyra in BP!
There is something so very tempting to read the arc you had, or what you've done in the thread but... I can't ever bring myself to do it. EoP has been such an unexpected an amazing ride. It's one I don't really want to toy with in the last. I'll let it come when it's packaged and has it's pretty lil bow atop it's head. I might check out the pieces if you ever do make that deleted scenes piece but for now? I must wait. And yet, I'm more tolerant of it than I usually am... this is the sort of thing that drives me up a wall and why I usually never ever read unfinished series. Especially of fanfics which sometimes never finish at all. Perhaps, it's because, I don't want it to be anything less than what you're happy with? I don't know if that's it. I'll have to ponder on it. Till then, please keep up the amazing work.
PS: Background pony is quite a good work as well. You conveyed a sort of loneliness without the need of droning on endlessly to the fact. That each highlight of it was and enjoyable read. One simple chapter and I have the plot, the feelings, and motivations. Tada.
PPS: Also, I like the way you write each of the primary six. So many take their favorites, and then discard the rest as chaff. If not proper to the story it's understandable. Though to many times I find AJ completely ignored or written so simply it's like they're not a character at all. Just an placeholder since there must be six elements. Though, often worse with Rarity, whom the author's so often show a seething hatred for but just don't want to say it and it bleeds through their works. I have never felt that any of the six, princesses, or even the vast array of backgrounders that pop up in your stories have ever been done a disservice. Even if they need to fill a negative role such as Gilda in EoP, or similar. So, thank you.