My Thoughts on my Interwoven Series #1/Help Wanted (Outdated Blog)

Note: The following blog is outdated.

This blog is tied to my recently released intertwining series, Oddies and Their Convergence. If you haven't read it and are looking at this blog while wanting to read it, please go ahead and read it first before you read this blog as it's important that you understand the story first before reading this blog.

Read it? Good, now let's discuss.

So, after two days of having this story in the public's eye, I noticed that immediately people have taken interest in it, which I am happy about. At the time of writing this, it's gotten six plus ratings with thirty-two users adding it to their bookshelves and has six users tracking it. It also has been added to six different groups, which I’m not sure how to feel about. I’m not sure what the groups hold their standards to. I could be writing a terrible story for all I know and it would still be added. Of course, quality writing with impeccable characterization is the highest priority when I write.

I got two comments on the story the night before writing this. One was just a question but the other was far more enlightening and informative.

Fluttercheer was nice enough to provide some criticism to my story which I greatly appreciate. According to their comment (I don’t know their gender, mind you so I’ll keep it androgynous), their biggest gripe with my story is my characterization with Starlight Glimmer and Diamond Tiara’s motif. After getting a second opinion with their criticism, I decided to validate it and consult with them about it. They make some really good points about why some of the content would be questionable such as why Tiara would suddenly want to befriend her mother again after being verbally abused as well as the mishap with Sunburst not being her fault.

Now, I am happy with the flaws in my story being exposed, but frankly, it has shaken my confidence in continuing this story. I want to make it clear that I’m not being anti-critic, but it’s just that I take great pride in my characterization skills and when someone criticizes my characterizations, I take it very seriously since I’ve been told again and again that’s one of my strongest points in my writing. I’m worried that by continuing this story, the flaws in characterizations will persist and the story’s quality will plummet.

I personally think that these problems in my story exist because of the material we were given in the actual show, or the lack thereof. What you read in my characterizations in my stories is how I interpret it. Maybe it’s because I didn’t read into it enough but my characterizations are a mix of seeing them often and how they react, respond, and act on normal circumstances. If I see a character often enough, I’ll get a solid enough grasp of how they generally act.

With lack of exposure to ponies like Coloratura and Starlight Glimmer, it’s mostly left up to interpretation and expanding on their character based on what was given to us. It’s like being given a select amount of Lego blocks and being asked to make the highest tower possible with those blocks as your only materials, if that makes sense.

Of course, I enjoy the challenge of expanding upon different friendships and odd ponies that we don’t get to see often, but I want to respect the characters with they are originally presented and not give the impression that I’m being biased against them.
So, I’m going to continue reviewing this story to see how it goes and if other people will comment on it. My associate said that he trusts my writing skills enough and told me to just go for it. At the same time, I’ll try not to be reckless about it, though.

However, I would like a few people who know more about the characters than I to educate me further, mostly on Diamond Tiara’s relationship with her mother, Spoiled Rich, and Starlight Glimmer’s past with Sunburst.

If you’re someone who’s reading this and have said knowledge, I encourage you to comment about it. Or, if you know someone who might be able to help and would like to see me move forward with this story, you’re encouraged to show this blog to them if you truly want to.

For now, while I play the waiting game to see if additional feedback is given, I’m going to brainstorm about this intertwining story series.

That’s it for this first update, thank you for reading and have a nice day.

Comments

[Fluttercheer]

it has shaken my confidence in continuing this story.

That's not what I intended to do with my feedback, however, giving it is important too, so I'm as sincere as possible.
I suggest you to get a thicker skin here on FIMFiction.net because occasionally, it happens that bronies here don't give feedback, but instead straight went into complaining if you don't give them what they want with the story or if they don't like what they read.
I even had it with my stories once already.
See my feedback as performance test for the harder cases that can happen here.

With lack of exposure to ponies like Coloratura and Starlight Glimmer, it’s mostly left up to interpretation and expanding on their character based on what was given to us.

That's something that makes me very surprised to hear. Even though Starlight Glimmer had a comparatively small amount of screentime, that Sunburst left her and that this is the reason for her inner turmoil was detailed enough to understand upon first watch.
I wonder, have you actually watched the Season 5 Finale or did you just write down things you heard about the Finale?
Here are some quotes from the episode:

"Sunburst and I did everything together. In fact, I don't remember us ever being apart. Until today."

"And just like that..... My friend was gone. His family recognized his magical talent and sent him off to Canterlot. I never saw him again."

Spike: "Why not?"

"Because of his cutie mark! He got his and I didn't! He moved on and I didn't! I stayed here and never made another friend because I was too afraid another cutie mark would take them away too!"

The first line from her reveals that she was very loyal to Sunburst and that she would have never left him. This is what rules it out already that she was selfish, that she didn't care about their friendship enough and didn't keep up the contact with him due to that, as opposed to either him not being interested in her anymore or that there simply wasn't a way for Starlight to stay in touch with him.

The second line from her is what shows that he left her.

And the strong emotional outburst after Spike asked her why she never saw Sunburst again, hints at it that his cutie mark was directly responsible for it that she could never see him again. Not just because he got it before her, but because of consequences that getting his cutie mark had.
This is up for speculation until we find out more in Season 6 (hopefully!), but here's a theory:

Maybe his parents didn't allow it. Maybe they are elitists and think that they are better than others without cutie marks.
And after Sunburst got his cutie mark, they didn't want that he wastes his time with somepony lesser talented than him, so they forbad him to see Starlight again and forbad Starlight to visit him.
Hence why she never saw him again. And maybe it's even worse and it's not just that, but also that they completely moved with him to Canterlot because they didn't want that he continued to live in the town he spent his time as a blank flank in.
Maybe they wanted that he advances and so they decided to pack their things and leave the town they lived in for a, in their eyes, environment that is more worthy of his talent in Canterlot. That also makes more sense because it explains why Starlight didn't meet him in secret in their hometown when he returned for the holidays.

So, as you see, the episode made it quite clear what happened, both that Sunburst left her and that Starlight had, for a still unknown reason, never a chance to see him again, even though she wanted to.

mostly on Diamond Tiara’s relationship with her mother, Spoiled Rich

Well, there isn't more than you saw already. "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" was Spoiled Rich's first and so far only appearance. Before that episode aired, it wasn't even known if Diamond Tiara still has a mother.
Have you only watched Season 5 so far, but nothing before?

[Kimmo Rabies Pronger]

3804618

I suggest you to get a thicker skin here on FIMFiction.net because occasionally, it happens that bronies here don't give feedback, but instead straight went into complaining if you don't give them what they want with the story or if they don't like what they read.

Oh, I didn't mean to give the impression that I didn't have a thick skin. It's just that I don't want to mess things up or give the impression of being a foolish writer. I care a lot about the true quality of my stories here, believe me. *Chuckles* My apologies.

"...but instead straight went into complaining if you don't give them what they want with the story or if they don't like what they read."

Is that so? Well in that case, it's a good thing that I don't pay much attention to what they want to see. I generally just focus on what I want to write or see.

That's something that makes me very surprised to hear. Even though Starlight Glimmer had a comparatively small amount of screentime, that Sunburst left her and that this is the reason for her inner turmoil was detailed enough to understand upon first watch.
I wonder, have you actually watched the Season 5 Finale or did you just write down things you heard about the Finale?

I did actually watch the Season 5 Finale but that was a while ago, so my memory is a bit faulty on that. There are some things I don't necessarily get upon first watch and you can say that it's my fault for not reviewing the source material.

...So, as you see, the episode made it quite clear what happened, both that Sunburst left her and that Starlight had, for a still unknown reason, never a chance to see him again, even though she wanted to.

I will continue to review what you have written for me. Thank you very much for taking the time to give me the information!

Well, there isn't more than you saw already. "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" was Spoiled Rich's first and so far only appearance. Before that episode aired, it wasn't even known if Diamond Tiara still has a mother.Have you only watched Season 5 so far, but nothing before?

Good call. A friend of mine showed me bits and pieces from episodes here and there that got me intrigued enough to delve into this fandom. However, Season 5 was my first dedicated season that I saw from beginning to end. There were a couple of episodes that I could never get to watching due to various reasons, but I was able to catch the key episodes. But yes, I mostly have not seen anything prior to Season Five and it would require me a lot of time to catch up, which I do not have at the moment as I barely have any time to do my hobbies.

Thank you ever so much for taking the time to comment on my blog. Now, after you read my response above, I'd like to ask you a question in addition to whatever it is you have to say next: Seeing as how Season Six is nearly upon us, do you think that it's a good idea to just wait and hold off on writing this idea until we perhaps see if possibly, ponies like Coloratura and Starlight Glimmer might get some more screentime? Believe me, your feedback has been very helpful thus far in determining the best course of action for this story series.

[Fluttercheer]

3804672

Oh, I didn't mean to give the impression that I didn't have a thick skin.

I was referring to it that you said you are now feeling not so confident with the story anymore after my feedback. That's what made it look like you don't have a thick skin.

There are some things I don't necessarily get upon first watch and you can say that it's my fault for not reviewing the source material.

If you want, I can send you a link to where you can still watch the episode per private message.

But yes, I mostly have not seen anything prior to Season Five and it would require me a lot of time to catch up, which I do not have at the moment as I barely have any time to do my hobbies.

I recommend you to take that time and to watch the episodes in their chronological order from S1 E1 to the S4 Finale. And Season 5 again too, as you probably only saw it once so far.
Not only is it an excellent show you shouldn't miss out on (it's the best ever, actually), it's also vital that you know everything that happened so far if you want to continue to write fics for it.
Only doing this gives you a profound enough understanding of the characters, of everything they went through and of everything that happened and changed to be able to appropriately portray their personalities and how they would react in certain situations.
I can also send you the link to a site where you can watch all episodes in a convenient way.
And let me see how long it would take to watch all of them..... With each episode having 22 minutes length and 117 episodes so far, you could watch all of them in 43 hours.
That's less than two days and therefore, it's still be possible for you to watch all of them before Season 6 starts.
You don't even need to bingewatch them over these 43 hours.
If you would, let's say beginning with tomorrow, watch half a season (or the whole season, for Season 3) a day, which takes you approximately five hours per day, you would be through with it after nine days. Which would still be early enough to be up-to-date for Season 6.
You won't need so much time for it like you think.

Seeing as how Season Six is nearly upon us, do you think that it's a good idea to just wait and hold off on writing this idea until we perhaps see if possibly, ponies like Coloratura and Starlight Glimmer might get some more screentime?

That's hard to tell for me. It depends what you have exactly planned for Coloratura and Starlight Glimmer (and perhaps Coco, it's not unlikely she will have a role in Season 6 again).
For all the other characters of your story (except for Sunburst), they had definitely enough screentime to give you enough information to write about them.
For those three, though, it really depends on what you have planned for their respective arcs and I can't give you advice here without more information.

[Kimmo Rabies Pronger]

3804751

I was referring to it that you said you are now feeling not so confident with the story anymore after my feedback. That's what made it look like you don't have a thick skin.

Ah. Well, at least I'm showing you that I am looking at what you have to say. You took the time to write what you thought about it, so it's only right I look at what you have to say as well as put into consideration when moving forward with the story.

If you want, I can send you a link to where you can still watch the episode per private message.

Yes, please link me. If you are using YouTube, please put down key timestamps for me to pay close attention to as well as how I should look at it.

I recommend you to take that time and to watch the episodes in their chronological order from S1 E1 to the S4 Finale. And Season 5 again too, as you probably only saw it once so far. Not only is it an excellent show you shouldn't miss out on (it's the best ever, actually), it's also vital that you know everything that happened so far if you want to continue to write fics for it.

"Not only is it an excellent show you shouldn't miss out on (it's the best ever, actually)..."

This made me grin and chuckle. Buck yeah! I love it! XD

I can also send you the link to a site where you can watch all episodes in a convenient way.

THAT would be extremely helpful. PLEASE. If it'll contain all the other episodes at once, it would be a major convenience. My eyes lit up when I saw that part of your reply.

And let me see how long it would take to watch all of them..... With each episode having 22 minutes length and 117 episodes so far, you could watch all of them in 43 hours. That's less than two days and therefore, it's still be possible for you to watch all of them before Season 6 starts. You don't even need to bingewatch them over these 43 hours. If you would, let's say beginning with tomorrow, watch half a season (or the whole season, for Season 3) a day, which takes you approximately five hours per day, you would be through with it after nine days. Which would still be early enough to be up-to-date for Season 6. You won't need so much time for it like you think.

Intriguing! That's pretty commendable for you to do the math for me on that. That's pretty cool of you to find out for me.

For those three, though, it really depends on what you have planned for their respective arcs and I can't give you advice here without more information.

I have more questions. Please bear with me.

1) Would you like to know what ideas I have in a private message once I'm finished brainstorming?

2) If your answer is "yes" to number one, then would you like me to brainstorm before or after I catch up with the other four seasons?