Rewrite and Personal News

Hey all,

Just wanted to let you guys know of a decision regarding "Beat to Quarters", as well as some good news on the homefront. First, regarding BtQ. I don't currently have any work done on the next chapter. It's going to stay that way for a while, because I'm planning to rewrite/edit much of the already published portion. Why, you may ask?

Characterization: This is the word I keep hearing from reviewers and readers (not necessarily commenters, but you guys are a special kind of awesome). Specifically, the characterization of Scootaloo needs work. I know it, you know it (even if you don't say it). The first chapter is going to be substantially fleshed out with regards to Scootaloo's birthday party, her motivations, and her love of ships. I swear, when I wrote it, I wasn't intending for her to be so two-dimensional. Which leads us to...

Dialogue: Hoo boy, the dialogue. I have a very distinctive way of speaking, and my characters tend to speak like me. With the exception of accented characters such as Octavia, Apple Bloom, and the crew, the characters in this story speak fairly similarly, use similar diction, etc. Unfortunately, that leads to confusion as to who's speaking as well as disconnect with the characters, exacerbating the issue with characterization. I'm planning on going through all the dialogue with a fine-tooth comb, correcting what I can.

Atmosphere: I'm a huge fan of in media res in my writing. So much so that I often don't give enough context for a story's setting before plunging readers into it headfirst. Now, this wouldn't necessarily be a problem with original fiction, but FiM is a known quantity. In the first two chapters alone, BtQ has some pretty dark stuff. Kidnapping, alcohol use, firearms, a flogging, and mention of war. A reader might easily be overwhelmed by the huge difference between the canon verse and this one, AU tag notwithstanding. I'm planning on throwing a bit more background into the first chapter (tactfully, I hope) to more slowly reveal to new readers that this is not, in fact, the Equestria they know and love.

It's going to be a lot of work. I don't have a lot of free time. My editor and prereader left the fandom. It will likely be a very slow process. All the preceding statements are true. That's why I'm appealing to you, my loyal readers and followers. If you're bored and without reading material, I'd be ever so grateful if you'd give the first few chapters another look. If you see awkward, boring, or "same-y" dialogue, don't hesitate to point it out. Preferably by PM, though comments are fine. I will take any and all advice into consideration, and every bit that you guys point out will help speed the process of getting the rewrite done and starting work on the next chapter. Once more, I'd like to thank you all for your support, and I hope that my writing will continue to entertain you.

And for anyone who made it through that mammoth block of text, here's some personal news. My packet was accepted and I will be attending U.S. Army Special Forces selection in the next few months. SF is something I've always wanted to do, and the gateway to becoming a Green Beret is the 21 day selection course at Fort Bragg. I will be incommunicado for the course, but it's not going to be for a while and I'll make sure to let you guys/gals know before I leave.

Oh, and I almost forgot... Happy Easter!

Thanks for being awesome,

OneNinerKilo