Loyal's Folly (new story or a return to form?) · 3:50pm Feb 16th, 2015
((This blog has been posted twice, once each to tag either story involved.))
It's no big secret Loyal is the leading candidate for 'Fimfiction's biggest fool' award. I've made my fair share of mistakes, and heavens know, I've handled many of them very less-than-gracefully. My folly has seen many faces, and reared its ugly head more than it has any right to. For this, I apologize profusely. You, my fans and loyal readers, have no reason to be subjected to my idiocy.
This blog post is regarding the (some would say inevitable) return to Archmage: Square One and Archmage: Beyond the Crystal Mirror. Heavens know I've struggled with producing content lately, and it's no big secret I can be melodramatic about quite a few things. Well, here's hoping that the recent string of depressive events has left me dulled enough to the minute slings and arrows of Fimfiction and what few people I would deign to call friends.
The folly I speak of is, of course, my decision to outright cancel both stories. What kind of fool does that? This one. This one right here.
As many of you know, I posted a blog entry a short while ago detailing my plans for tying the two stories together into one over-arcing plot that spanned multiple dimensions, and was generally just too over-dramatic, over-thought, and to be frank, morbid. It only just recently dawned on me that I've laid the foundation for those endings to be fleshed out...
But also for many other, much better stories to take place. Rather than scrapping both stories outright, I have decided to take the stories in an entirely new direction; as I would hope would be made obvious with the two chapters I have planned to release this morning.
That's right, Loyal's back in the saddle.
Whether he's got his feet in the stirrups backwards or not has yet to be seen.
Both Archmage: Square One and Archmage: Beyond the Crystal Mirror will have one chapter each uploaded this morning, signalling their return from the 'cancelled' status; and with luck, will be seen through to completion. I realize now (probably all too late) that I've been trying too hard to produce content for one story or another, without exercising my one fail-safe plan for producing content period. It's advice that I've given to countless other writers over the entirety of my three-year Fimfiction career, and one pivotal point of view that I had intrinsically forgotten:
"Don't limit yourself to one avenue of expression. Branch out, and explore other works. Make several stories, and produce content for them when you please."
I think it all began when I sequestered myself to a time constraint. I told myself I would produce once every week, once every two weeks, etc, etc. Doing so, I believe, crippled my creativity, and shot the aforementioned productivity in both legs and left it to bleed in the gutter.
Thus, my return to production for these two stories comes with the news:
Do not expect regular updates. Any of the three-year Loyal veterans can tell you that I publish sporadically at best. Even the original Archmage saw an irregular update schedule, but that's what helped make it what it is today. I may produce a chapter for Broken next. I might do three straight Square One chapters. I might even start a new story, or return to doing one-shots on Mustard.
Who the fuck knows?
Allow me to stress one point in particular: The previous blog entry detailing the endings of both stories has become null and void. I will keep the blog entry up for those of you curious enough to do some digging and find it, but I am telling you now: Those endings are both foolish and idiotic. I regret ever trying to do something so over-thought and morbid. I know I have a history of knee-jerking and manipulation, but I hope you believe me when I say that I've seen the error these endings have led me to commit, and I wish to wash my hands of them.
On the other side of the coin,
I do not know what the new endings will be. I have a vague idea of where Square One will go, though I'm fairly certain that Beyond the Crystal Mirror will remain a simple story to explore other Archmage universes. It will not see a storyline, and will instead be a loose coalition of worlds that Twilight explores for the novelty of seeing what has changed, and to explore unique or genuine ideas I get struck with now and then.
In conclusion: I'm done trying to constrain myself to time limits and production expectations. If I feel like taking six months to focus on whatever in lieu of publishing, so be it. If I throw out three chapters of Square One in a single evening, rejoice! Anything and everything in between is a possibility, but this much is certain:
I am not giving up.
I am not leaving.
And I am.
Not.
Done.
That shot of honesty must have hit you like a Mac truck with no brakes trying to set a land speed record. Such revelations can be quite refreshing, actually, and I suspect that this one is one of those times.
It will be good to see these two stories continued. I'll be honest; I was saddened when you had cancelled them. That you have returned to these works is a sign of a possible new stage in your writing career. I look forward to seeing this pan out.
Welcome back.
Cheers! I wish you the best of luck and successes with any future writing, and it's great to see you back.
YESH! You're back! :D
I can't wait to read these new chapters!
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GET TO IT, FILLY D:
Woohoo!
img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120228224010/mlp/images/e/ec/FANMADE_Twilight_Clapping.gif
Yay, keep up the good fight (writing)
Welcome back!
Welcome back Loyal
Great nice to see you do not plan to destroy the universe and that your over depression, your story's where always a good read.
Being a recent fan, I can't say that I know much about what life's thrown at you or how you've reacted to it, but hey. Everyone has their faults and their ways of coping. That's what makes you you. I won't complain about it.
I *will* say that I'm happy you've chosen to un-cancel your stories. I *really* liked them and I look forward to where you take them next.
It's good to see you back in the saddle. Yeah, sometimes the Muse needs to take an extended vacation and time to "oil the gears" so to say. Hm, maybe BTCM could be a kind of muse dump for situations that could have occurred in Archmage, maybe even a few more adventures? It would seem like a good way to "branch out" as you've said. Since you have the multiverse as your oyster and something which is essentially limitless.
Again I'm glad that you're back in the Archmage-verse, I love the world that you've built and I can't wait to see more of it.
So is anyone versed in quantum mechanics and probability waves? Because I would really like to know the proability of stories to be updated and when. If only to bet against them, that is.
Cool, thanks for continuing the stories.
Yeeeeeeeh! Das my boiiii!
Thank God... or Loyal. Yeah that's more like it. Thank you Loyal you beautiful bastard.