Reflecting · 1:48am Feb 7th, 2014
After the failure that was my latest story, I have found my self reflecting. What went wrong? Why was it so boring? How could I learn from this?
Then I got this news today:
Rejecting: A Tale of the Sun, Moon, and Stars
This is a recap of the background info present at the time of writing with the addition of some fight scenes and the third Alicorn: stars. Stars doesn't add much. EDIT:Additionally, it has no AU tag, but completely rewrites the Hearth's Warming Eve story, removing the lesson of friendship in favor of powerful goddesses vaporizing the threat out of existence. (the "AU without tag" issue was the result of my misreading and is invalid. My opinion is unchanged.)
The story itself is told with distant narration. This would not be quite so bad if we didn't already know the story. As it is, it glosses over most anything we didn't already know, so it never gives itself the chance to add any personal touches that could have added to the already extant canon. As it is, I can't help but feel going in that I've already read the story.
First of; this story is well written. As a matter of fact, it's written well enough to be accepted by Equestria Daily, and this should be auto-accepted. But here is the thing: The story doesn't add anything noteworthy to the canon that you'd miss, if you watch the show. This is just a dramatization of mishmash of S1E1 and Hearth's Warming Eve and nothing more, and if you'd watch the show (which you probably do or did), then this story doesn't really do anything in the long run.
I realized that all the problems that plagued Through Ice and Shadow have been with me since the start. It has been over a year and I haven't become a better writer.
So again I reflect. How haven't I gotten better? Can I improve?
Should I even bother continuing?
If you mean your rejection from Twilight's Library, I'm going have to add my two cents there.
I would say that your writing is not bad. It is a particular style and may not be for everyone's taste per say.
Yeah. I already sent a PM complaining about several things wrong with Twilight's Library of recent. This getting rejected was included--the centerpiece, really. Admittedly it was partially because a fic I wrote was rejected for suspiciously similar reasons.
It's ridiculous that the group famed for being EqD with more lax admittance rejects an EqD approved story.
I feel your pain, trust me. I've been deleting some of my stories and am pretty close to throwing in the towel altogether. But, if you want my two cents, don't take Twilight's Library too seriously. The past couple of months they have gone from judging the quality of fics to the content of them. They're basically throwing anything and everything out that they don't personally like. They've lost their objectivity, at least as far as I'm concerned.
I did the math. At the end of last year they rejected about 50% of fics. They're up to ~70% rejection for the past couple of weeks. And it's gone from grammar being the biggest reason for rejection to things like style and how interesting they are.
It's a joke.
1804621
Thanks
1804707
I imagine so. I am still fitting into my own style if that makes any sense?
1804717
Ahaha! I didn't even know they were supposed to be an easier EQD! I was shocked more than anything when I first saw their rejection, but like I posted in my blog, their grievances were not misplaced. I'm waiting for EQD's rejection of Through Ice and Shadow, and when combined with this one, I'm going to have a better idea on how to fix it.
You shouldn't delete stories by the way, there are still things to learn from them. If you don't want a story to be publicly viewable, add a password to it and revoke its submission.
1804789
You're welcome, I'm actually an Mod for the Library so it is well in my right to complain.
1804717
Can you PM a full list of complaints, this is the second time I've seen some one raise a stink over the submissions and considering Dal's story being accepted by EqD yet rejected here there is something going wrong.
Your style is fine, and all you should really care about is whether or not you enjoy this. If you're lucky some people will like it, if not then you either quit, or conform.
Not to sound like that guy who hates conformity and probably is a humongous tool, but that's really what writing is. I've met plenty of people with very obtuse writing styles, like one author I can think of who uses ellipses and commas like they're air and water. And yet he's not very concerned with his writing at all, he has a small following (at least that I know of, I doubt he's gained many more followers recently) and he just keeps writing his series.
However, I will give him something over you, he tends to make his scrawlings more penetrable than you, which is honestly something a lot of writers aren't too great at IMO. Most people write things in a serial way, it's just the way that a universe works; the trick is to drop enough of a context in so that people can get somewhat caught up with what's going on.
Like for example, that author I mentioned earlier, he has a tendency to preface a character when they're introduced with a small anecdote, and he further explain things through allusions to the past and such. In this way he promotes a more stable universe and allows people to understand what is already a somewhat confusing series.
I'm not trying to tell you to change, I'm just giving you advice for if you really do go through with changing your style, because right now it seems like you have three options.
-Change your style
-Quit
-Stay the same
Honestly the first is an okay option, and the last is an okayish option too but what isn't okay is giving up on something because people tear at you; people as a whole are vindictive and cynical. I'm not going to think less of you no matter what you choose, but I'd definitely advice against quitting, after all, if you do want to even get better, who not practice?
Hm...
This got rejected from the Library?
Think I'll take a read and see just what, exactly, was the issue.
Hell, EqD feature is a guaranteed entrance to us!
~Skeeter The Lurker
I've reread the fic in question.
Seems I had already read it, too.
I overturned the decision of rejection.
On behalf of Twilight's Library, I apologize for what could be seen as a insult to you.
~Skeeter The Lurker
1805222
Thanks, I appreciate your, and CP's effort!
1805251
Of course!
I hope this hasn't given us a bad impression for you.
~Skeeter The Lurker
I for one enjoyed all your stories.