Gladiator production notes and afterthoughts. · 8:19pm Sep 7th, 2014
So, it's finally over! Whew! I just want to take a minute to talk about what went into making this story happen, and some of the things I might be doing next.
Here's a little music to start. In my mind, this has become the story's theme. Picture the closing credit roll as you listen. Thanks to JBL, TheLetterJ, Alpharius IV, and Nihatclodra for various ideas I've used and/or just listening to me rant. Thanks to everyone who commented, and left feedback! It's through your help I've grown as an author.
Now, let's have some numbers! These use FimFic's word-count and published dates.
Gladiator ran from Nov. 10th, 2013, - Sept. 7th, 2014. That’s:
301 days
Exactly 43 weeks. (Started and ended on a Sunday.)
Nearly 10 months.
It finished with 74 chapters and approximately 385k words. That's:
1.7 chapters a week,
just over 5,000 words a chapter.
A little more than 1,200 words a day.
I started Gladiator as a National Novel Writing Month challenge. The goal for NaNoWriMo is 40,000 words in a month. I've completed that:
About 9 3/4 times on average.
During five different months by recorded dates/word count.
Nearly twice in April.
I published my last chapter with 3617 views, 380 upvotes, and 20 downvotes. That's
about 10:1 views to votes,
JUST UNDER 20:1 ups to downs.
I never quite broke 20:1 up/down, but I came close a few times. This ratio seems to have a strong impact on 'heat', and getting into the 'update' slots on the feature box.
I finished with 384 favorites. That's just under nine a week; more than one a day, about one for every thousand words!
TL:DR, this story got a LOT bigger than intended.
I started it on a whim. I struggle with depression, see. For the past year or so I've been improving, but I still have my good and bad days. Every so often I'll get this crazy urge to do something hard.
That's how this story began.
I was sitting in my room, thinking about packing for a move. I didn't really want to work on that, but I had this itch for a challenge. When I'd gotten it last, in the spring, I'd taken up running for a few weeks. That wasn't really an option in winter, so I decided to write something.
I've written fanfiction before, even published a piece or two on FF.net. However, I don't really like FF.net; the tools are icky, the social features suck, and the whole thing just… bugs me. However, my fandom of choice, (Legend of Zelda) didn't have any alternate fanfiction sites with large communities. That meant I'd either need to jump feet-first into original fiction, maybe with a storyblog, or pick another fandom.
Perhaps Percy Jackson. Or Harry Potter; there are lots of Harry Potter websites.
In the end, I settled on FimFiction. I'd watched season one and half of season two, so I had some idea what was going on. I'd already found the site and read a few stories here. Mostly, though, I liked the features on the site and the optimistic, cheerful nature of the show.
I started my journey off with a one-shot, Guardian, and the first chapter of Gladiator. I whipped it off in one sitting, gave it a quick proofread, and threw it onto the 'net. At the time I didn't have much of an idea where I was going, but I did make a few specific choices, one of which was the tags.
I picked 'Human in Equestria' for several reasons. First, I wanted to try subverting some of the tropes, doing things at least a little differently. Second, it seemed like a sort of halfway-point. After all, I'd never written completely ponified stories before. Third… well, this last one's a little odd. See, I didn't actually care much about this story when I started. I consciously limit my investment in any story because if I care too much, writing stops being fun. Still, NaNoWriMo's byline is 'No plot? No problem!', and that's a little more, even. I knew HIE had something of a bad reputation, but I also knew there were fans who would read it anyways. So I picked HIE because I felt okay with it being taken less seriously. I wasn't going to take it very seriously. After all, it's only 40,000 words, right?
Right.
One thing I like about my brain is that it's subconsciously pretty good at writing. I have decent storytelling 'instincts', so when I sat down for the first chapter, I just picked a concept and let it flow. The beginning of a story is the easy bit; they get harder as you write, because in the beginning you can just keep adding stuff, but to close a story off you need to remember all the bits you added and use them in ways that make sense.
I gave myself a few directives.
1. Avoid Mary Sue. I maybe went a little overboard on giving my character problems at the beginning, but I think it worked. I don't remember being accused of having a Sue, although I don't have the best memory.
2. Avoid some clichés! This meant NO falling in love with one of the M6, (in fact, I decided to avoid intentionally launching ships entirely, a decision I've carried through the whole story) and less intro-adjustment. My character started out already in Equestria, already used to talking ponies. Also, he had no knowledge of the show. It probably exists in his world, but he's never seen/heard of it, and he's definitely not a brony in Equestria.
3. Go nuts with the feelings. I decided early on that I'd rather be ridiculous than boring, so I made the first chapter melodramatic, overblown, crazy and ridiculous. Bloodsport, sworn brothers, life sacrifices; yeah, it's a little over the top. I've never been sure if that works for or against me. Leaving off the 'dark' tag was intentional, but I'm not sure if readers get mood whiplash or not.
Other than that, I really had very little plan for where I was headed. I had some vague thoughts on the mindlink, a few concepts for some of the arcs floating around in my brain, but that was it. So I posted it and went back to not packing.
Then, I got a favorite.
It was a weird feeling. Sure, I'd put this story out there for people to enjoy, but I somehow hadn't expected anyone to actually like it.
It was pretty cool.
So I wrote another chapter and put it up. Some people liked that one, too. Huh. Okay, I'll be doing this all month.
It didn't take long for the project to balloon out of control. It was partly the fact that my plot-producing subconscious had set me up with a much larger-scale beginning than I needed. I could have definitely finished this story in less words than I did, but I don't think I could have finished it in less than 100k. 40k wasn't nearly enough.
Contributing to that, was the fact that I like writing. I like it a lot, actually. Enough that I was okay turning some of my reading time into writing time. I work night shift at a boring job, so I could think at work and write when my friends were asleep. I really had no reason to rush to a close, so I didn't.
Eventually, though, I realized I would either need to add serious plot extensions, or wrap things up. And when it comes right down to it, I think finishing something properly is worth doing. I don't want a project to just fade away, or try and continue something forever. I would rather finish it right then leave it half done. I haven't abandoned a story yet. So I martialed my plot, set aside some time, and… Here we are.
Now for the QNABIGTPYDSICAAAFI, or Questions Nobody Asked But I'm Going To Pretend You Did So I Can Answer Anyways And Feel Important.
Tell me, Hat, will there be a sequel?
Probably not.
I'm not swearing against it, but I put just about everything I wanted to into this the first time around. I'll just say this; if I come up with a story idea that absolutely works best as a sequel to this, it'll happen. Otherwise… don't count on it.
What did you learn, Hat?
Lots of things. Lots about how I think, and how I write, and what works well for thinking about plots. But if I had to pick one thing to say, it would be that I need to plot further ahead, but in less detail. Knowing where I'm going is important. Knowing how I get there… not so much. This is actually one of the problems I started this project to help solve. I have a half-outlined original story on my hard-drive, caught in recursion where I'd outline, then change something, then re-outline, then change something… ad nauseum.
What are you most proud of, Hat?
Probably either the climax of Bit's character arc, where she inherits Tezeca's position, or the one scene with Discord in it. Both of these were scenes I put a lot of thought into, and both of them were received better than I expected. Discords was more challenging artistically, but Bit's had a lot more setup.
What would you do differently, Hat, given the chance?
This story is a mess. I could probably squeeze 50k words out if I tightened the plot. It was started to spur creativity, and it's not my worst attempt (which shall never see the light of day) but with what I've learned, I could do a lot better. I'm not a revision sort of guy, but if I'd known then what I do now... of course, I guess it wouldn't be the same story then.
If that doesn't count, I feel like I've re-hashed my 'themes' again and again. Not sure what exactly would work better, but sometimes I thought... 'Am I overdoing it here?' That sort of perspective is really hard to grasp.
What part of the story seems weakest to you?
It's full of weak spots, but the bit I'm most uncertain of is the ending, really. I get so few chances to practice that part of a story, and... well, I hope you found it satisfying. I tried to wrap everything up cleanly, but... yeah. I guess the bit that seems weakest is the bit I worked on most recently. :P
So, what's next?
I'm taking a break.
I'm not sure for how long, but I probably won't publish anything for at least a month, maybe two. After that, we will see. I have several ideas for stories, both short and long, and November is coming around again. :P Here are teasers on a few I've seriously considered...
Again, I dream fire
Spike glared at the blackened coin, its impenetrable magic warming his claws. "No, Twilight. What bothers me is that my life is on the line, and I have no idea what the rules of this game are."
The Gamer
Ever pondered what life would be like if it was literally a game? Leveling up, learning skills, grinding day by day in real life? Button Mash just got his cutie mark, and he's about to find out.
[b ]Bloodsong
As a Hunter, Silver Lining has been in more than his share of unexpected situations. He's still surprised, though, when a newborn vampire begs him for help. Something about those violet eyes just won't let him say no...
They're all adventure, AU, and that last one woud likely be romance. I've written a 'test chapter' for each, but... we will see.
Meanwhile, I plan to give Gladiator one last round of edits. Nothing extensive, but keen-eyed readers may have noticed Sunset's eyes change color, or Wes' shoes morphing between scenes. I'll be cleaning up that sort of continuity error, and having one last try at grammar and spelling while I'm at it. Maybe even punctuation.
I have one or two side-stories I'd like to write for Gladiator, but they won't got up until I'm done with editing.
I'd also like to make a custom Epub. I don't think it will be much work, and the FimFic epub generator barely functions. I read on a tablet, and it seems like a fun project, so yeah.
It's been a wild ride, and I hope some of you join me for my next adventure. If you have a question you'd like answered, leave it in the comments. But for now, Not_A_Hat is over and out!
Absolutely fantastic! And all I can really say is thank you for the ride! It's been a pleasure :)
2435784 You're very welcome! Thanks for reading and supporting me.
I like it alot, but one of the most challenging things I've ever done is read a story I wrote as if someone else did. It was a really good feeling to notice I favorited it. So, can you?
It's finally over. Congratulations.
You know, it feels kind of weird to see a story, especially one that's been going on for this long, end. Probably because most stories around here that aren't oneshots or really short tend to either never end up finishing, take a ridiculously long time to update and finish, and/or go straight into a sequel.
This is one of the things I really don't like about this site. There should be a group for stories with working epubs or something.
Why is this mysterious question-asker calling you Hat when you clearly aren't one?
2435866 I try to re-read everything I write as if I'm looking in from the outside. Letting it sit for a few days and intentionally reading with a critical eye helps a lot. I've been training myself, and it's a very useful skill. I could still be better, though.
2435991 Thanks! Yeah, real endings can be pretty scarce in this community. Hopefully my example will inspire others.
Actually, making a working epub is fairly automatic if you use Calibre and have the right plugins. It can even be set to update epubs as the story progresses, although I've never experimented with that feature. Still, I'd probably take it a step farther and actually do a little editing myself. I need to do spelling and grammar anyways, and I could check to make sure it's properly compatible with the standards.
Someone wrote a blog post on how it works here, although some of that may be out of date.
2436238
I had not heard of this Calibre before. I may have to look into this.
When I consider that I read Gladiator back when it first came out, I realize that it's come a loooong way from where it started. Congratulations Not-A-Hatman on a successful story and advancement as an author! I hate to see good stories end, but all have to. I must say that this is probably gonna fall into my category of "Stories that end where they should but I'd like to read more of the universe." I consider those the best types of stories.
I'll give it a final score of 8/10. (Good- very good, but neither great nor awe-inspiring).
I sense a soul in search of answers... - Adria the Witch, Diablo I
I look forward to whatever you may have planned... those previews are pretty tempting!
2436318 Calibre is pretty much the best ebook management program ever. If you use ebooks at all, you should definitely look at it.
2436329 It's reassuring to hear the ending seemed 'proper' to you. 8/10 is more than enough for me! I don't plan to set any more stories in the exact same universe, but I'll definitely borrow concepts, like how magic or changelings work. I hope I can write something that lives up to your expectations!
The gamer is pretty much a manga that exists, the other ones seem fine, though I was hoping for more hie, it's hard to find good ones. While I'm fine with no romance in this story, the reason why I called for it was you wrote their relationship so well that it made a romance option feel natural. So many romances feel so forced, or theirs tension between two characters almost immediately, where your characters interactions just felt good.
2437230 Yeah, I've read The Gamer web-comic. I'd be careful to borrow only the concept, and his abilities would likely be quite different, being based on earth pony magic. It wouldn't even count as cross-over, although maybe changing the name would be a good idea. Still, that's actually the option I feel least likely to write currently, because I have no actual plot for it. I like the idea a lot, though.
I'm glad you liked my character interaction, and I hope I could achieve the same sort of immersion with another set. The problem, I think, is that often authors don't really give good reasons for the romance; they just throw in the feelings, without bothering to explain why they're there. Characters facing dilemma for good reasons is drama; characters facing dilemma for poor reasons is melodrama.
I totally understood the reason people wanted romance in this story. But by then, I'd mostly decided where I was going, and it didn't involve romance. I'd have needed significant changes to satisfy myself that it fit. The asking sorta blind-sided me, honestly, since I knew where I was going, but didn't consider that other people would see other options; that was short-sighted of me, as an author.
I may write more HiE, but it's likely to be a crossover if I do. Legend of Zelda, or the Chronicles of Amber... dunno. But it's not on my radar right now. Maybe if I'm still around this time next year.
Phew, so the site hasn't killed itself. Oh...and good luck with your stuff.
2438647 Yes, the site seems fine...? Thanks, I'll probably need it. :P
I must say, you wrote a wonderful story (and it definitely doesn't read like something that was, at first, supposed to be a 40,000 word story). I will eagerly await anything you come up with next.
2439989 Well, I will admit I didn't expect it to end exactly at 40k. Still, my last long-form story was... lesse... ~55k. I thought 10k wasn't unreasonable, but... well. Here we are. Bit easily added 10k with just her arc, and that was totally unexpected, although I'm pretty happy with the result. Thanks for your support; I hope I can do even better next time.
2439631 Sorry, the site read like a comment chain when I was typing the message.
2440196 Weird render bugs, probably. This site is great for what it is, but it's by no means perfect. And with (I think) only two coders, it's a big project for what it is.
i could only say a little here so if you want my full opinion PM me
I FUCKING LOVED EVERY SECOND, hope your happy with your work and never let life keep you down!
2523659 Thank you for the praise, and thank you very much for the encouragement! Both fo them mean a lot to me.
If you have criticisms or thoughts on what would have made the story better, I'd love to hear them, either through PM or comments here. Soon, I'll be done editing Gladiator, which means if I want to start another project, I'll have time for it. I've improved a lot through this, but hearing what I need to work on from others is always useful.
What a journey. I'm sorry I didn't get to take it with you, but the fruit of your labor has not gone unappreciated.
Thank you for this fanfic. I'd really like to get it in print and read it over and over. This is probably my second favorite fic after It's "A Dangerous...", and I've read a LOT of fan fiction.
Once again, thank you. It's been a hell of a month I spent reading this.
And a question I'm sure everyone has asked twice. Wes and Bit? Where does the story leave them? My heart aches from all the emotion. It's beautiful and gut-wrenching. So raw and real. Thank you for not making their relationship predictable.
2646292 Thank you for your kind words; I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Actually, I'm forced to admit that readers shipping Bit and Wes blindsided me. I didn't even consider that sort of relationship between them until it was mostly too late to really deal with it conclusively. When I realized, I couldn't see a way create a satisfying conclusion in the amount of story I had left, so I simply let it hang.
I'm still not sure whether I'd be willing to write them romantically or not. I tend to veer towards 'not', at least not without a timeskip on the order of years. Their maturity levels are very different, and Bit is still a little too emotionally dependent on Wes for him to be any sort of comfortable with that.
I like to think that Bit's plot arc turned out well because it was mostly character driven; I had exactly one pre-planned scene, (her ascension) and the rest of it grew, more or less naturally, from the facets of her character needed to make that one scene come across. I hope I can do as well in my next story.
Anyways, perhaps this can ease your aching heart a little: Sick Day This may end up in my extras story eventually.
I've promised myself I'll begin publishing my next long story in the beginning of January. I'd like to make it a romance; it's a continuation of the third prompt up there, called 'Bloodsong'. If you're okay with me straight shipping a background pony and an OC, keep an eye out for it; it should still have action and adventure, too.
2648748
I agree with you. Bit and Wes' relationship is perfect the way it is. That short story didn't really answer any questions, but it's better that way. I really like your writing from Bit's perspective, too.
Vampires aren't my cup of tea, but neither was My Little Pony for most of my life. I'll be sure to keep an eye on your future stories. I really enjoy your writing style, and you give life to characters in ways that are rare to see in fan fiction of all things.
Thank you for sharing that with me, once again. My heart is full of joy now. :)
By the way, don't worry about the ending. It was all it needed to be. A lot of stories drrraaaaaaaaaaaagggggg out the ending. like the story arc flatlines for like 30,000 words. It was short but it didn't feel rushed. It's not the best ending I've read but it gets the job done well.
3776401 Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
Well what can I say...
After reading your story over the course of about a week I can honestly say it's firmly cemented itself as one of my all time favourites. The characters were emotive and believable, and more than that they were in many ways relatable.
I particularly liked the ending. It has left me in a strange quandary, desperately wanting more (personally I was hoping for some sort of gate so he could live in both worlds, call me an optimist) but at the same time being glad that it finished the way it did.
Congratulations on a story well told. It was a pleasure to read.
3810789 Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you liked it so much. :)
I still think about this story from time to time. It's a shame to see you're gone from the site.
Loved this, the longest finished fic i've read at time of writing and defiantly a Fave, I only got into this fandom late 2022 and feel i have sorely missed out on great stuff, from beginning to end absolutely loved this, it's characters and ideas. Not something Im going to move on from thinking about for a while.