I think Shetlander needs a rewrite

When I started Shetlander, it began as a vague idea for NaNoWriMo, which merrily limped along for a while and even now still crawls along like ants carrying food. I started with thoughts about Shetland ponies, then Shetland ponies in Equestria, then my brain began worrying at the gaps in the Equestria we know.

My vision of Equestria is one of equinoids who to all intents and purposes are almost humans in mental ability, and as such they do more than gripe and grizzle at worst, or sing and dance in harmony at best. They also eat, shit, fight, give birth, die, and fuck. Possibly in that order. But there's more.

Shetlander is pretty much a manuscript at this point, full of unshaven ideas. For instance, the old religion of Equus and Epona is based on long-forgotten truths. If it wasn't for the frighteningly powerful alicorns, Equestria would become tidally locked with the sun, and die (a take from The God Particle). Assuming that Them From Outside - my term for visitors from HPL-Land - don't come calling first. Oh, and there's one under Luna's control. (Rumour has it that the Inhabitant thinks Luna's it's mother. But then again, rumours have it that condemned prisoners are fed to it, and that it is Luna's foal, which goes to show how reliable rumours are!)

There are others, and also certain stylistic problems. I added the gore and sex warnings because, as well as short sharp outlines of what Muc do to Equestrians, there's a big fight scene coming up, and this might involve some graphic reports. Also, I had vague notes about Winterberry becoming rather taken with the new improved Mucmarfóir, if you know what I mean. Nothing graphic, but I wasn't sure that implied sexual activity wouldn't set off alarm bells. Better safe than sorry, and autodownvoters be damned.

What might be better is to start rewriting now, toning down the rather thick and inconsistent Shetland accent for a start. It might be fun at the beginning, when it's still novel, but eventually folks would get used to it. Also, the names of Shetlanders are inconsistent. Originally I wanted Gaelic ones, but the translators weren't much chop. I might have to rename all the important Shetlanders via suitably groansome wordplay.

Also, I'm wondering if we really need the Muc at all. One of the themes in the story that's evolving is 'culture shock': Ponyville gets it from meeting these northern shaggies, Mucmarfóir from learning that there's more to life than war and vengeance. The otherworldly threat of the Muc and their... patron... kind of overshadows that and threatens some kind of Harmonious deux ex machina action toward the end.

There might be a chapter coming, but I'm not sure. Should I commence rewriting now, or keep going?

I wish I knew.

But for now, I have to write another blasted chapter for Magic, as Opposed to Magic, also known as The Fanfiction That Overshadows Just About Every Bloody Thing Else I Write.