I'm Still Around...

Hello all! It has been awhile.

I hope you've been well. I figured it was time I got in touch with you guys, since it's been a while since I've put anything out here.

First things first. It's going to be a while until the next chapter of LoP, mostly because I haven't started writing it yet. Yes I know, it's terrible of me, and believe me I feel crappy about it. I don't really have a good excuse beyond stress and work. Many days I seem to come home late and simply wish to decompress with something simple before I have to head to bed to start it all over again. But not to worry; the next chapter will be starting the next 'arc' of the story if you will, and I've got it all pretty well mapped out. Which means instead of one chapter it will probably end up more like three. Nevertheless, to reassure those of you who actually take my writing seriously, I will not be quitting this story or going on an kind of hiatus. I'm in it for the long haul.

Although I haven't written much, it has given me ample time to think. Not only on the immediate story, but also to reflect on more stylistic aspects of my writing. After reading far more accomplished writers than myself (more on that later), I couldn't help but notice that my story was lacking in characterization. I'd like to think that I've done a decent job of world building and a fairly engaging plot,, filled with ancients myths, a tense political backdrop and the unknown societal destiny of the pegasi. But when I go back to read own material, it seems the characters themselves fall flat. Particularly my heroes. Rainbow and Soarin's personalities are par for the course as far as the canon show goes, but as the story has progressed, they seem to get lost in the plot. Spitfire and Scootaloo I think I've been able to do more with, most notably with their interaction with each other and Scootaloo's recent loss. I've never had to worry about my villains, largely due to the fact that they're of my own creation. But for some reason Soarin' and Dash seem to be lacking. I can't put my finger on it, but I think I've tried to make them too well rounded, instead of sticking with a single personality trait. Whether its from Dash or Soarin's POV, both seem to be cut from the same cloth, just some bland, generic hero out to tackle the villain. Or it could just be the monster of a mess I've created with the plot.

Of course all these thoughts stem from the stories I've been reading lately. Take the character of Strummings from The Freeport Venture. Snarky, confident, mysterious and always has an ace up her hoof. The author even threw in the snack food quirk for her character. By that same token, Puzzle Piece and Kukri also stand out as well defined characters. Of course this could all lead back to my decision to juggle from several character's POV, rather than just Sunset's from The Freeport Venture.

At the end of the day I suppose it doesn't matter quite too much. I'll continue writing. Perhaps Soarin' and Dash will surprise me as I do. So I would ask you reader, what do you think of the actual characters of Soarin' and Rainbow Dash? Do they feel distinct? Is there a hook to each character, something you've come to expect from their personalities now that we've been with them for twenty chapters? I'm honestly curious.

Coming back to the stories I've been reading lately, you all should really check them out if you already haven't done so. Some of these I've listed here before, but I think they're worth mentioning again. Sunset of Time, Twilight Falls Sunset Dawns and the Freeport Venture are all excellent reads. Sunset of Time probably has to be one of the best time travel plots I've ever read, with quite the conundrum for our dear Sunset. I've also been reading Firebird Dahlia (I've been on a Sunset Shimmer spree lately. Really like her character, and I'm a sucker for redeemed villains), the only story I've seen that addresses Sunset's parents, her sister and the rift among them. I won't spoil who her sister is (though it should be obvious from the story image), but it certainly has me hooked. Lastly, I highly recommend Foundations, a Scootaloo and Rainbow story that again deals with a unique situation that I've not come across before. It's definitely an emotional one, but in a good way (I was all choked up at the end. My two favorite pegasi and Scootalove got me!). I'm also on a never ending hunt for good Soairn'Dash and SoarinFire stories, but well written ones seem to elude me...

There's more I'd like to share, like a little snippet of an emotional scene between Soarin' and Spitfire that's been stuck in my head and directly inspired by the song Princess Twilight Sparkle's Orchestral Suite by MelodicPony. I've been saving it for a story, but I think I'll write it up now for you guys, just to see what you'll think. I still plan to use it in a story down the road, but I think that by then most everyone will have forgotten a random blog post!

Anyway, I hope I didn't bore you with all my ramblings, 'woe is me' and whatnot. I'll do my best to get the next chapter out quickly. As always, thanks for reading. (Random thought: Is it bad that it seems I get more activity for When Princess Twilight Sparkle and Spike do Battle than Legacy of the Pegasi?)

Until next blog,

-secret89