Summer and the Curse of Chapter 2 · 10:31pm Jun 17th, 2014
No, that's not the title of my new middle-grade novel (although maybe it should be, it's kind of a great title).
I promised an explanation for why I've been so absent from FimFic since TerrorSwans went up, and this seemed like as good a time as any to finally give one. It's not a terribly interesting story though, so to make brief of it: basically the past few months have been a slog through the wonderful world of job hunting with absolutely no success, and I've been kind of bummed out and stressed over my finances.
Before anyone worries: I'm fine and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. But it has had an impact on my free time and mostly on my mood, which has had an impact on my writing.
However! A great writer cannot let his emotions or money troubles stop him from creating! And even I have a limit of like, four or five months of inactivity before shame compels me to do something about it (to be fair, non-pony projects got some attention in that time).
On which note—enough depressing talk! It's summer! And it's time to do some clearing house, I think. (Okay fine, that would normally be Spring. I'm still a bit lethargic from the ENDLESS COLDTIMES)
You may have noticed that I tend to take long (read: indefinite) hiatuses after the 2nd chapter of multi-part fics. Without going into too much detail, it's partly because my work ethic stinks, and it's partly because I write using 4-act structure, with chapters roughly corresponding to acts, and act 3 is the nightmare rock against which writers smash themselves and drown. Okay, mild exaggeration, but it IS the point at which you have to start exercising a lot of control and pulling all of your plot threads together to build up towards a climax, and it's the point at which any and all issues with your plotting and setup become painfully obvious if you haven't been very careful. So it can be a little disheartening compared to the fun and freedom of the first two acts/chapters. (Also a very strong argument for writing a whole story before publishing so you can actually go back and edit if necessary)
Nevertheless, it is Summer. And I think of Twilight Sparkle vs the Equestrian Library Association as a “Summer” story—sort of the blockbuster of my fics. And I don't just say that because Twilight explodes at the end.
Not ready to make any promises yet, but the cranks of progress are turning again, and I am setting myself a goal to get something out before Summer's end. I hope you'll all put up with my vagueness but uh... well, deadlines on other projects and the job hunt continue, and I can only fix so many issues with my life at a time.
I hope to be back soon with good news. Stay tuned and stay cool you crazy cats.
Just remember, every day TSVELA does not update, the late chapter fines gain compound interest...
Good luck on the job hunt. I know how much of a pain that can be.
Don't let life get you down, friend, and stay fresh
you funky feline.Good to hear a status update! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
2214805 WHAT?! That's downright immoral!
I... *sniff* I'm so proud.