Live and Let Lyra · 8:12am Jun 11th, 2012
Something that I very heavily considered last week, but am instead thinking of doing this week, is having myself a week off from Background Pony. Partially it's from the suggestion of a certain pre-reader marsupial. Partially it's because I consider Background Pony halfway done and I think it could use a half-time show.
I know what I want to write for next chapter. It already feels like a way simpler, shorter, and easier thing to write than chapter 10. And I have at least two ideas for chapter 11, and then a general plan for the order of installments between that and the end.
Still, I think I'm gonna put the fic on hold for seven to ten days. I won't be totally dormant in the meantime. I'd like to do a oneshot or something. I've got at least two ideas in my head that I'd like to fiddle with. We'll see if it produces anything.
I've had several marsupials with good intentions pat me on the back for the abomination that is chapter 10. As thankful as I am for such support, just a day ago Background Pony was ranked 8th best fanfic on Fimfiction. In less than twenty-four hours, it has dropped to something like 28th. This is like the time in the fanfic's career when the Fab Four decide they're done doing live tours. It's all studio recordings from now on... or something. Whatever. Go listen to the Beach Boys.
So, for those hanging around for Background Pony, wait until the week after next. The rest of you, keep on kerflailing. I'll likely whip out my megaphone again soon.
-SS&E
P.S.: Am I making too many blog posts? That shiet can be annoying, I'm sure.
no your chapters are to long
168327 Oh stop your beaching. Even if he split a 30k chapter into two 15k ones, you'd still read them both. So why not read it in one sitting while you spend hours in front of your computer anyway? 20k is perfectly reasonable, and there are some things that simply can't be split without breaking fluidity. Quality of Quantity, my friend.
Back on topic, good to see you're taking a break SSaE. And don't fret over rankings. Sure, it's something to have, but in the end I don't think it necessarily matters. I'm interested to see your one-shot ideas (please don't steal mine) and no, your blog post frequency is fine.
P.S: My current head speculations speculates that BP is related to EoP. Although, that was heavily influenced by one of the many pointless references in Ch.10, so I don't know what to think right now. Ch.10 was just goofy, and I loved it.
P.S.S: I've sort of adopted pronouncing the abbreviation of your name as "Sandy."
168337 Because my eyes hurt when i read because i dont blink and i cant go for 30k words with out eye drops
168339
168341 Im running out of drops and im to poor to by any more
168341
168342
Simmer down, ya melon fudges.
Here. Look at the Appledash:
fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/270/6/b/appledash_by_sharley102-d4b42tc.jpg
Now kerplunk.
168343 So suggestive but so adorable!
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw5253-tumblr_m5bit7iUoO1rs7yllo1_500.gif
I'm listening to Along The Way by Bad Religion and just wanted to use this .gif
>In less than twenty-four hours, it has dropped to something like 28th.
Heh. You do realize that 'popular fics' thing is heavily nuked by downthumbs? Anypony can knock you off that anytime they like with a few drive-by hatings. And there is no worthwhile work of fiction that isn't distinct enough to make a few enemies, so you cannot rely on a popularity metric that expects you to be universally beloved.
Go to 'stats' and look at your reads over the last week- THAT is what you should go by. Looks to be between 79 and 181 reads a day before the update. I have to grin at the 79-read data point- at that moment my previous book 'Trixie' got 85 reads
hehe, I'm as popular as you! 
(yeah right!)
Just sayin', months after you complete Background Pony, you'll find it is still pulling double or triple digit readership numbers per day. Go by that, not 'whether you have avoided offending anypony'. You're like the Melville of poni- expending oceans of e-ink and hitting your style for those with the time and attention to appreciate it. Don't water it down, do it the way you think it needs to be done. That's the important thing.
About time you took a break. Take all the time you need, we'll be waiting for you.
Hell, there's authors on this site who take much longer hiatuses(?) and don't have nearly as well written of a story. So, take your time.
At least it'll give me time to catch up
168343 Personally i Disprove of Mane6 X Mane6 shipping but i will calm down
Personally, I think you're being way too hard on yourself. I mean... ranked at EIGHTH? And even now, at 24th? That's still pretty damn good, although my standards are justifiably low. I suppose it makes sense if you feel like you yourself aren't satisfied with what you're writing, but even on a bad day, your stories are above the 90th percentile of this fandom, and I'm including myself in there. I had a point when I was starting to write this comment, but I just completely lost it. Oh well. Just keep doin' yo thang.
There are fic rankings?
...
anyway
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz6yjqoGtk1r6c0hbo1_500.gif
Ya know what would be fun. To watch peoples eyes bleed over a 100k chapter, if anything can do it. I think you could at some point.
168359
Sure! They're under 'browse' but not very useful
The main categories seem to be 'most recent' or something, obviously unranked- and the one with the rankings, 'most popular', is sort of a more long-term metric than the sidebar, but like I said it divides by downthumbs or something. It skips over a lot of popular works like 'Romance Reports' and only includes pretty bland stuff on the whole. Lots and lots of fics which got a pile of upthumbs and faves, no downthumbs, but which nopony really reads. Background Pony's better than that.
168382
Yes, yes. I was trying to imply that I don't give a f*** about rankings. If you look at my faves box, 4 out of 5 are very underrated stories, yet I consider them the best in the fandom, so this fic dropping from 8 to 20something isn't something that registers to me.
Am I the only one who imagines you to be basically Lyra, and each chapter is like your version of one part of Threnody?
Last one was a hard one, so you need to recuperate for a while while the coldness goes away.
Who cares about rankings? This story is already a legend.
Just make an epic ending for it and everything will be alright. :)
Rankings on this site really are quite fickle...you could get 50 thumbs up for a chapter, but just 3-4 thumbs down and you're careening down the list. Don't let it get to you, although I have a feeling it really doesn't.
Anyway, you've been going absolutely all out with this story, taking a break will be a great way to recharge your batteries. I look forward to seeing what one-shot appears from your mind, and I can only pray it's something along the lines of "Gangrel In Equestria"
Rankings-schmankings, everything you write is sex-on-toast and you know it; sometimes there's just a little too much crazy in 'em to appeal to the reading community in a hollistic sense. Some degree of polarisation is probably neccessary...probably.
Potential one-shot? Interesting, can't wait to see what you might come up with!
Great chapter, and you taking a break just gives me a chance to reread this story. Your stories are all so long that it takes me a while to get through them in one go. It's great to actually hear from you as well, when I read your other story on fictionpress I was beating my head against the wall wondering who manages to come out with such a great story so often, so I enjoy your blog posts.
On a side note, do you have any published work that I can buy?
168344 Please tell me the Hub made that animation.
I really don't get how that many people could dislike that chapter, given how thoroughly it seems that most of the commenters enjoyed it, but whatever.
Challenge: Produce a story with only one chapter.
With that last chapter, I got the feeling you were putting off the interactions with Pinkie. Can I assume that's because she's REALLY freaking difficult to write? You kept putting Lyra in spots where Pinkie would show up, like Sugarcube Corner and we saw barely any of her, despite that Lyra would be a "new" pony to town every time she saw her. Also, so many references to other stories. It was amazing, especially the ones I recognized. So cool. It was pretty amazing how you worked those in. Take a break as long as you want, I know I'll be sticking around, this story is awesome and I'll be around to see it through.
168704 He actually has done that already: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/13011/Spelling-It-Out
168514
Nnope.
http://tweevle.deviantart.com/#/d52vhk4
Well, sure. Just throw hundreds of thousands of words ar us, then say its only halfway done. I thought it was gonna end when everything came together in chapter nine, but noooo.
You're lucky you're such a good writer...
I'm okay with this. Still on like Chapter 6..although, if this ends badly, I'll cut you. Lyra is my favorite pony.
Love that analogy
Your story made me cry. Laughing and crying on a few occasions. After reading chapters 1~9, I couldn’t stop tearing up for no reason for any less than three days.
Your writing makes me glad the language is so limited. If the english language were any more adept in conveyance, I would die from a broken heart, fits of laughter, and an exploded mind. I have read some real gems of literature in the past, but this story makes them all seem like Neanderthal scribbles in comparison.
I do have to agree that 10 is not up to your usual mark. I did tear up a bit, and chuckled heartily. It is a good thing, though. After the ninth installment, I needed a good giggle.
168790 Yeah, I know. Been following this author since EoP first went up in the days of pyramids. Entirely a jest.
Sounds good! Get some R&R or whatever =)
I thought I was a stubby green, bat-eared creature that was either manic-depressive with a gimp leg or so random I couldn't stop yelling, "Frostbeams!" at everything. But I guess I'm just a marsupial after all. Enjoy your break.
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Bonbon_gaze.png
169883
i1.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/008/549/If%20you%20know%20what%20I%20mean..png
While I admit that you deserve a break, I am very disappointed that my favorite story shan't be updated for a while......
After pumping out chapters that long, that fast, anyone would deserve a break. Unless they were somehow being forced to as a punishment or something.
Anyway, I much prefer an author who keeps their readers in the loop and gets some form of interaction going over an author who just sits in some volcano, petting cats and releasing chapters of fanfiction.