Bad Gateway 1 · 7:06pm Jun 7th, 2014
I'm sorry I've been away for awhile. Personal issues. Let's move on.
I'm kind of stumped about where to go with "Shadow Day." The story spun out of my control at some point, I think because I was confused about where the series was headed. (I really thought that Twilight would end Season Four much like she began. I never imagined her being punched through a mountain!) I think I need to make this story much smaller, and focus just on Twilight, Pinkie, Marigold and Fletcher. While I like the bits about Filthy Rich and his daughter, Diamond Tiara, and adore the scene with Tank, I think this story needs to be pruned a lot.
I'm pleased that the end of Season Four validates (or, at least, doesn't contradict) my story, "The Tree That Blooms in Darkness."
That said, while I puzzle over what to do with "Shadow Day," I'm now working on "Bad Gateway," a sequel to "Tonight I Shall Be Laughter." Yes, the title was inspired by an error message I've sometimes observed here on FIMFiction. "Bad Gateway" is about Captain Bucephalus struggling to command the odd lot of ponies assigned to him by the generals of the Royal Guard: a couple of Pegasus ponies, some eccentric Unicorns and the Cheese Family, who rival the Apples in their fecundity.
Oh boy, sounds like fun!
I can see what you mean about being out of your control. I love some of those scenes you made in that story but I was still trying to figure out where you were going with the story. I had no real idea what the plot was really going to be though I could say that I enjoyed it greatly. It was odd as I was enjoying the ride but having that nagging feeling of "I have no idea where this is going but I don't care because I like this too much".
That said you may want to keep the Diamond Tiara parts as I think they fit the theme of the Shadow Day very well and I think it can be useful to the plot (though I think it would have to be very secondary).
Definitely looking forward to Bad Gateway.
A sequel to the story that sold me on ponyfic. That's an odd thing to wrap my head around, after all this time. Bucephalus was hilarious, though, so I'm looking forward to seeing him again.
Tonight I Shall be Laughter is one of my top 5, so I'm definitely looking forward to your sequel
I'll take five.
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Yeah, as a slice of life, I wasn't expecting anything particularly deep, and figured that some digression was to be expected. I don't really see the need for pruning anything already there, though concentrating on the four main characters of the story might keep things more on track going forward.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't mind other characters appearing as long as they serve some purpose. And I think Diamond's appearance does show Twilight that being in charge isn't necessarily about rules.
Also, some of the digressions- like the pets taking part- are funny enough to stand on their own.