Snores and motivation · 4:38pm Apr 7th, 2014
Of you're one of the few who follow the Smoke tumblr, you may have seen an answer go up last night regarding my continued lack of progress. In a nutshell, on top of my usual failings, I'm currently working 6 days a week, 10 hours a day, and commuting up to another two hours. Throw in chores, dinner, bathing, and I've got maybe an hour or two a night, which is often spent staring blankly, exhausted. I can't turn out good material when I'm literally passing out at my desk. (I wake pretty quickly when my head falls forward and I bite my tongue, though.)
There was a piece of good news mentioned though: a conceptual issue which had been discouraging me from advancing the plot has finally been resolved, so now I want to write again, whereas before I wanted to figure out what to do about this problem.
On top of that, though, just as I went to bed, I got a reply to some fan mail I sent my favorite pony tumblr. Turns out the artist has started reading Smoke and enjoying it. This tumblr is one of the three I'd said I would make an exception for and do an OC cameo without a contest, just because I love the character and could never get permission.
I was given permission.
So, now not only do I want to get writing again so you guys can read it, I really, really want to write this cameo chapter. Thing is, I can't. Not until the story supports it, and the mare in question is in Ponyville. So, when I'm not so burned out by work, I've got some real desire to get through several story chapters AND A SPECIAL PONYVILLE WEEK. The plan for that is one chapter a day (written in advance of course) capped off with a cameo from Jade Shine on the way back home. And don't fret; I've got story reasons to go there.
Now to make work go away...
(written on my phone at work, excuse typos)
Jade cameo! That's awesome!
Hope she's out of Giraffe form when Done gets to her.
Hooray! Wonderful to hear that!
60 hour weeks? Are you in software?
1989034
I am. I won't say with which company, but I work in the game industry.
1988580
If I'd had permission at the time and been writing, I'd totally have done an April Fools chapter with Giraffe Shine.
1989174
I bet making Half-Life 3 is exhausting.
WoooOOOooo.
1989174
Oh man. That's as bad as it gets.
Jade Shine :D oh man, this is gonna be great
Good news to hear!
Link to the tumblr mentioned: http://ask-giraffe-shine.tumblr.com/ Will she be a giraffe? (Hope not)
1990065
That's an April Fool's joke that's run... long. (How do none of these pony emoticons have sunglasses?) It was popular, and he was having fun, so he let it continue for a week. I won't be doing giraffe Jade.
1989211
Aaaand that's a follow. Man, there are so many interesting tumblrs all out there, once you think you've got them all, there's more.
Anyways, it looks like Done's taking a road trip to Ponyville, wonder what that entails. *cough* mane 6 *cough*
1990312
ERMAHGERD, USE THE SPOILERS TAG!
Jury's still out, actually. The ones I can most clearly attach to the story, almost definitely. Those I can't, I may not. At least one canon Ponyville background pony is on the list, though. Now I just need time, energy, and opportunity to coincide so I can get writing.
1990359
You and I both know the answer.
raaarriittyyyy
Hell, it's right there on the front page of the tumblr.
1990308
Woo indeed good sir, woo indeed...
I had to look up the name of the OC to realize that I’ve seen her on Derpibooru already: She’s the Pegasus handymare who can’t fly. She looked like nice OC but then I stumbled upon the scene in which RD and Gilda were beating her to a pulp (!) in the middle of Ponyville (!!) because she was a disgrace to her race (!!!).
The whole thing was so OOC for RD and there wasn’t any explanation for her behavior at all. It was enough to make me instantly stop reading the tumblr.
Still I’m glad for you that you got the permission to use one of your favorite OCs in Smoke.
Woo! This is great news to hear, Distant!
Good luck on your extremely long work weeks; try not to drop dead from exhaustion, eh?
1996825 Oh, exhaustion will only indirectly kill me. The actual cause of death will probably be a car accident. Yesterday morning, I dozed at the wheel and sideswiped a truck. Or thought I did, but despite feeling a bump, there was no damage to the car. So I guess I dreamed the impact, but somehow that I dreamed anything at all while driving is not comforting...
1997405
Man, that's scary.
All I can think of to say is, be careful out there.
1997405
You feel asleep while driving? That’s pretty dangerous, I’m just glad that nothing happened. Was it the first time? If not you really should change your sleeping pattern.
2003071
It's work related. Which is why even now that I want to write, I haven't had the chance.