A Question about Equal and Opposite · 1:38am Apr 14th, 2014
Last night, I had a really interesting dream that, strangely enough, involved ponies. And, strangely enough, it was actually a good idea. Good enough to be its own story, in fact. It concerns Celestia finding out about a cloning service that brings clones over to ponies going through hard times so that the recipient can take comfort in the fact that they're not alone. The clones, as a matter of fact, were designed to be going through similar situations. At first, I was thinking that Celestia could take an order for one to be a companion to Luna, as (in my headcanon, at least) she's probably still going through some inner anguish about the whole Nightmare Moon thing. Then I thought it would be a good shipping idea, seeing as the clone is somepony who's commonly mistaken for being evil as well. As a matter of fact, somehow, through means I have no idea of yet, she happens to be a Chrysalis clone. I thought it'd be a really cute idea to have them bonding, but then...
...I remembered Equal and Opposite.
For those of you who haven't read it, the problem concerns the fact that Aria (the name I'm using for the clone until I find a better one, and I'm only using it because it was one of the first things that came to mind concerning Chrysalis that could be an actual name) has similarities to Asher, the changeling character in that story. Now, they do have differences: for one thing, Aria is older and her changeling abilities have been "diluted" basically to the point where they're extremely dormant and she can't change into any ponies due to "liability issues" on the company's part. But both have similar designs to Chrysalis--in Aria's case, due to being a clone, and in Asher's case, due to being related (I don't want to spoil too much for those who haven't read). Both are more anti-heroic or even edging towards full-out good changelings. So I began to wonder the one question that no author likes to ask herself.
Does one of my works need to be let go in order to progress in my writing?
To be honest, a lot of the reason why I included a lot of assumptions that you haven't read EqOpp in the last paragraph is because...not a lot of people seem to be reading it. This isn't so much complaining about it not being popular as it is wondering if it's something that's really worth finishing. It might not be the full-out "adventure" that the tag might claim. Truth is, I'm not too good at writing that yet, with all the random encounters and such. If I continue it, it'll be more like a spy-type encounter, in which the characters reach the changeling habitat relatively quickly and without a hitch, but maintaining disguises and trying to obtain recon before attacking is another story. I feel like that way of writing speaks more to my strengths. I just don't want to disappoint you, though. With series like Separate Ways? and If You Give a Little Love... getting so many new followers and attention brought on to me, I can't help but wonder if EqOpp is just becoming a burden. I feel like it's the worst-written of all my series so far, and if I continue to work on it, it might take longer for my other stories to update. I might not be able to write Aria's story out of fear that I'll receive accusations of all my characters being too similar to one another. I'd like to keep them both, but I don't know what to do. I love both of them and want to try my best to give them distinct personalities.
If there's anypony out there who cares about EqOpp, who doesn't want to see it cancelled, please tell me. With only 10 likes and 2 dislikes (only half of my usual stats), I don't want to feel like I'm writing something that nopony will ever read. I'm not saying I want to see it on the Featured list, I just want to know if people actually follow it and like it. I'd feel extremely comforted if somepony did.
Also, I'd like to know if it'd be possible to do both stories. That's what I really want to do, but doing two changeling stories seems kind of odd for a user on here to do, though. Please tell me if you think that, or if you want me to proceed with doing both of them. Also, please realize that, if EqOpp continues, you might have to wait a bit longer to get SW? and IYGALL parts. I just hope that's okay with all of you.
You've got some interesting ideas there. You can do what I'm doing with some of my stories and tabling them until I get better at writing. I've tabled one that I want to see completed at some point (also an adventure) until I can figure out what to do with it and so that I can focus on other stories that I am really passionate about.
But, that last sentence, or the last five words of that last sentence are key. That I'm passionate about.
If you don't feel passionate about the story, you're not going to produce your best work. In my opinion anyway. Passion obviously does not equal good story by itself. An acquired talent for storytelling is also a must, but it can make an otherwise mediocre story all that much better when you put that passion into making sure that it's just right.
My advice:
Keep writing. Find something that you want to work on, and start developing it. Don't feel bad if one story doesn't pan out. If you've got the drive, other stories will come to you and you will feel just as passionate or more so about them.
Just keep going.
I might put it on hiatus for a while until I think of what to do with it. I am passionate about it, but I'm just afraid that it won't come out as well even as some of my other stories. I feel like, since I made it too fast-paced in the first part, it might ruin the whole thing.
2008143
Here's the thing about ruining a story with bad pacing. You can't.
Well, you can, obviously, but only if you refuse to go back and fix it once you know how. I recently went through this same ordeal with The Mare in the Moon and Silver Spoon - a story that I am most definitely passionate about. I got some tips, then brandished my editor's ax and went to town.
The key is... don't give up. Keep learning, and be appreciative of constructive criticism.
Reading craft books can help too. I have a small library that I'd be happy to share the titles of with you if you'd like.
2008159
I'm not even sure if pacing was really a problem. Looking back on it, a lot of it was fast-paced because I was trying to write an argument, which I thought would make sense.
2008167
Depends on the argument. ... Give me a few minutes.
2008167
I don't think it's the pacing, per se. I think it's the shift in pacing that may be what's throwing some people off. It goes from a slow contemplation of a mirror and a change in appearance to BAM! Shining Armor is shouting.
That's not a tone shift, that's a tone quake.
My advice in this case would be to ease into the argument. It just feels like it comes out of nowhere, is what I'm saying. The progression from the previous scene with Haine to the scene with Shining and Cadance is jolting, to say the least.
They should find Haine first, or see what's going on, then have questions... then have the argument. A shift in tone is possible, and a story would be boring without them, but you need to ease the reader into it, build tension with discovery moments, build up a little more with a reaction from Shining or Cadance, then you're free to shift the tone and pacing.
2008184
I don't really know how I could fix that, then. I'm going to have to figure out something to happen in between the two scenes. Quite honestly, I feel like Shining would be the type to react that quickly. After all, considering what happened with his wife...
2008193
Maybe you don't write it from Shining's POV. But from Cadance's. She hears shouting from some other part of the palace and goes to investigate. Keep it indistinct as she approaches, letting a word or two slip by the indistinct quality of the sound until she can tell what he's shouting about.
Or, write it from Shining's point of view while he's looking for his daughter and Haine is trying to hide from him.
Look at it from another angle. Turn things on their side if you can't see a way to get by. Shake things up and try something different.
2008199
Okay, thanks. I'll think about what you've said.
And also, do you think I could get away with the two characters if I differentiate enough? I don't want to get typecast as someone who "always writes about changelings" or "only writes about changelings." I'm not a one-trick pony, you know?
2008204
That's the beauty of FiMFiction. You can't really get typecast unless you let yourself be. I don't want to be typecast as a comedy writer, but my two biggest successes have been little more than slapstick fests. So... I'm not. I'm branching out.
The Mare in the Moon and Silver Spoon is my biggest project to date and I want to see it succeed. But I have another in the works, a romance between Twist and Spike.
Yep. Hmm. So... the thing is, just try something else.
One thing that helped me to branch out and may help you to is Six Word Stories. Pick a character, any character, and write a six word story about them. Then, take that six word story and see if you can incorporate it into a larger narrative. I'll give you some links to examples that I and others have done so you can see what I mean.
2008204
What Ifs and Never Weres
Two Six Word Stories for the price of one:
"I thought kindness would solve everything."
"Wedding bells ring just for us!"
Both from Flutter's perspective.
Six Word Stories
Dustin and I originally came up with this idea... Or he did, and then I helped him expand it. I've got one story in there and want to write more, but I haven't been inspired by any of the ones I've come up with lately.