On the Future: Thanks Yous and Farewells · 4:17am Mar 23rd, 2015
Of course, even the final blogpost is super late. Well, at least I stay consistent.
Now, to cover the future. When I first came up with the idea to write this My Little Pony fanfic, I knew I’d just write one. This was always the end goal, I wanted to publish a fic that I could be proud of, and that would hopefully entertain other people too.
And throughout it all, I truly do love this fic. I still remember when I would try to type out a chapter during the long stretches of nothing on my weekly commute by bus. I loved working on it, editing it, reading the final product. Everything. It's no masterpiece of fiction or anything, but it'll always have a special place in my heart. It means a lot to me. And I couldn't be prouder of it.
I said in the description that this was Loose Change's magnum opus. But in a way, it was my magnum opus to the pony world as well. I always wanted to write one sprawling, massive word-count, epic of Equestria's history as my thanks to the show. There was genuine love, thought, and hard work put into this fic, and that’s why I wanted to cover as much of the show as I could in it. Every little joke, every little obscure pony reference. I know Loose Change seems mean-spirited and all, but I’m really more like the polar opposite of that in real life. (which is why it was so much fun to write as her too) Because this fic was written purely out of love for this show, the franchise, its fanbase, everything.
When you write a fanfic, it shouldn’t be for popularity, or spite, or to prove some kind of point (like Donut Steel is best OC). It should be written because you love whatever work it was based off of, and you have a story that you want to tell.
And at the end of the day, that's the reason why we authors write, right? That’s what drives us forward.
I love everyone who supported me throughout it all! It really does warm my heart to see someone laugh at one of my jokes in the comments. I always appreciated every like, every last comment people leave; it showed that people out there are reading and laughing! And I've always loved that, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. A lot of these comments really did make my day, and they always put a smile on my face. And to everyone who continued to encourage and thanked me in the comments of these last few blogposts, so many users who I know by (user)name, a great big thank you to all you guys too!
I feel like I've learned a lot throughout it all. I've learned about how important it is to support content creators, all the hard work that goes into everything, and what exactly every like and comment means to them. And above all, I feel like I've learned the feeling of starting something and the joy of finishing it. Looking back at everything, 120,000+ words. It's like a marking of all the hard work that went into it, I've got something to show! And it's something I couldn't be prouder of.
Have there been some tough times, certainly! I know I'd get discouraged sometimes. But it's that feeling, y'know? When you look back and read an old chapter and think, "Hey, I wrote that." And it's that feeling of pride, more like "I can't believe I wrote all that." Or finding that one joke that you forgot about that has you laughing. And at the end of the day, when all is said and done, you just look back at it all, and say, “I finished that.”
You put over a year of work into something and when it ends, it's just like wow! I did that. And what a feeling.
My first ever fanfiction. 120,000+ words. Hard work, laughs, and love were put into this fic. And I couldn't be happier with the result.
And then it just comes back to me that it's just a funny little pony fic that I wrote and I'm probably being overly dramatic about it. But I do feel like it's made a difference in my life. And given me a great experience and a great feeling of accomplishment.
One day, I do want to write something. Something big. And much different from this of course! A real foray into writing. I've had an idea floating in my mind, something that's near and dear to me since childhood. And with the end of this fic, I'd like to start working on that. I have a dream of getting all of it published. I know I’ve still got a long ways to go before I can attempt something like that, and this fic isn’t exactly publishing quality tier, but I want to get started on this journey. I'm following a dream of mine, and I won't give up on it!
But this is most likely going to be my final pony fanfiction. What an experience it was! There are so many things I love; shows, books, anime, movies, everything. But I'm glad I chose this show in particular, this show about a purple unicorn and all her friends, to base my first real writing experience off of. It's really been something else. And don't think I'm getting off this pony ride! nobody does You can bet I'll be the first in line when Season 5 is released.
So, for one last time, thank you so much for reading.
It means the world to me.
And so now I lay down my pen. Or keyboard, but don't be a smartass.
So this is goodbye for now. But don't think of it as a farewell! More like an "Until next time!" (check sappy Rainbow Rocks reference off my list.)
Catch you later!
-Hoofry_Poneigher
Thanks for sharing your story with us, as I found it to be hilarious. I wish you the best in your future endeavors, whether it's in writing or something else.
2901441
Thank you for everything, Manaphy!
2901442 You're welcome!