Blarg Blog · 2:55am Jul 24th, 2012
Hello!
I'm still writing stuff, but it's going really slow. I've got like three stories I'm working on, one of which I just posted. Its number 11 in the queue right now. Yay!
It's pretty bad though, I was unable to write it like I wanted to, and I definitely had the problem of too much story in my head and not enough in writing. Things just sort of move, scenarios are skipped and whatnot. This was overload from the chapter I was trying to write for Competent Villains, it was something different but similar that I could work on while I couldn't think about CV. I decided to just post it. I have a RD scenario set as a follow up, but I'm going to try and avoid it for now as I don't like this story at all. It's super fetishy to the point of ridiculousness, and fueled by clop logic instead of anything resembling a story.
This is a good time to point out fetishes and fantasies. In this fantasy, there is no safety word. There was something equivalent, but it was dangerous and not something that was going to be utilized. It even is rendered moot about halfway through. The ponies go through and do something that should never ever be done by sane ponies/people. I understand this is taking some aspects to very much extremes, it's a silly fetish and a fantasy. Don't get too worked up about it. Writing is the perfect place to exercise that sort of thing, even if I write it terribly. And I did write it terribly.
There is no character development, not really, and the characters are wrong from the start. I gave it the Alternate universe tag because people were giving me crap about not having the tag in CV. I guess I don't really understand the AU tag. I thought it was for stories where the ponies go to an AU, or where some major change was different so the entire environment was an AU.
Both of my stories take place in what *could be "Equestria prime" as far as when they begin. If you go in under that assumption and take the rest of the tags in consideration, I wouldn't think they needed the AU tag. The base characters aren't Rule 63'd, or all sea ponies or anything weird like that. I know this sort of stuff wouldn't happen in the actual "Equestria prime", but that would hold true for ANY clop story. So ultimately, I'm not sure what I'm getting wrong with the tags. I don't really think this story needed it, but it got by moderation just fine with it. My other story got by moderation just fine without it. What does this mean? I don't want to tag my stories wrong! I want to do this correctly!
I think I'm ranting about things now. Things I'm working on that Might never get done but probably will because I'm cruel like that:
Chapter 8 of CV:C
Chapter 1 rewrite of CV:C (Complete re-write. should add a bunch of story stuff and not be quite as offensive as a first go. Gonna keep the same general material in it though, it's just now a much smaller chunk of a larger chapter.)
Rule 63 snails thing because I read Weavers comic. It was originally based off of one panel with no background on the R63 snails, and my interpretation from that one panel is very different from what the rest of the comic presents. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to scrub it and start over to be closer to his content, scrub it and forget it forever, or just write my own completely wrong interpretation of it.
I'm still working on the horribly named Spikes bad day story as well. I just wanted to get it uploaded because it's been a month since I uploaded anything. This is something that I would normally call 2/3rds done. It has no story to speak of right now, and flows terribly. But I'm having such a hard time focusing on writing that I don't know when I'll get around to "Finalizing" it, and it honestly is passable as a clop story right now.
A shitty half written RD scenario set as a followup. I don't really want to finish this because it would lead to me turning Spikes bad day into a series, and that wasn't the plan. If I do RD, then I have to do Applejack. If I have to do Applejack, then I have to do Pinkie... etc. But I started writing it and have a story line set up if I ever do decide to do that.
I have a few other distressingly attractive Ideas as well. I should probably try to write something without clop in it... Maybe that would get me to stop worrying and love the Bon Bon.
Well I'm not gonna lie, CV does follow clop logic...but considering it is a clop story that seems kind of redundant to point out. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Twilight_Sparkle.png
That being the case however I for one feel that a great amount of detail has been put into each characters arcs as the story goes on. We see them go through their ordeals and come out changed but not to the point of not being the character any more.
On top of that there is clearly an effort (a successful one I feel) to have an actual over arching plot to get invested in rather that a cupcakes style story of "hey look bad things happen, isn't that fun?!".
Finally...stopping the worry is always good. And who doesnt love the Bon-Bon?dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra_dealwithit.png dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Bonbon_gaze.png
well i see your slowly getting back in the swing of things so there's nothing to worry about anyway i do hope this lethargy that as beset upon you dissipates soon for i wish to see more CV soon
one more thing i still love your story you just haven't been able to come force anything as of yet. a small hint finish a new chapter then focus on the old chapters and rewrite them and if you become unable ot work on them again switch back to the new chapter. should help you flow faster... maybe
cheers then
Your view on the AU tag seems right to me. It should be a totally different universe, CV wouldn't need it.
AU should be when... for instance they have cars and phones and horrible things like that, or they're all gorgeous deer instead of ponies, and always have been.
Detouring from canon like you did in CV, a what if scenario, is not AU, just..what if.
You could say that clop logic could go under an AU where that attitude is such and such, but really it's more suited for heavy changes.
Moderation don't seem to check tags at all, there are many mistagged and even character tag abuse out there.
It can also be a very vague tag, for instance: that ... NMMXTwilight story (I always forget the name, despite adoring the story, even if it's kind of flagging atm.) by Peppy Greyskull, it could really be tagged either way. It could be put under a what if, not really needing it, but it's also different enough that you could say it is alternate.
All in all, I would stay away from it unless you do something like... Celestia eats ponies for breakfast and Nightmare Moon is trying to save everyone.