Decided to drop a scene from chapter 49 of Second Chances, Many Changes · 12:55pm Aug 5th, 2016
Hello, all. After much consideration based on reader feedback, I removed a scene from Chapter 49 of Second Chances, Many Changes. It involved Candy talking to a pegasus named Summer Wind who was working at the hayburger place and was attending the same high school that Candy was going to in the fall. I had meant it as another sort of slice of life that showed Candy acclimating to her new life, but it was interpreted by many as a prelude to a full-on romance subplot despite the lack of said tag on the story.
Since introducing romance had not at all been my intention, I examined whether that scene was vital to the plot of the story, and I had to answer honestly that it wasn't. It would have led to one more scene later on, and it really wasn't necessary, either, to tell the overall story. So it was easier to remove the scene rather than work it into the plot. If I do decide to reintroduce anything like this in a future chapter, it will be without any sort of suggestion of romance.
This is again why detailed criticism in the comments of the story are much more valuable to me than upvotes and downvotes. Thank you all for your continued support.
Awww... I kinda liked it. I read as you intended (apparently), Candy getting into the way things are in her live, which include starting to check out the colts (and wondering where the line between checking mark and checking out is XD) and be checked out in turn, being awkwardly approached by colts around her age.
Plus a new possible friend. Not romantic or anything. Just a new friend.
Oh for crying out loud. How in the world could it have been interpreted that way. I saw it as nothing more than a foreshadowing of the upcoming school year and nothing more. Sheesh. I liked it.
I don't think that's a good idea, to remove the scene. Sure, people may have commented about shipping (myself included, honestly), but have you not seen the ships this fandom make? If a mare and stallion have appeared in the same scene together, no matter the lever of interaction, they're shipped. Honestly, I think it's best to leave it in and develop a friendship outside of the main cast and Cherry. Right now, Candy's social life includes one quasi-pony and a trio of small children.
Also, you can have a minor romance subplot and not need a tag. Tags are for the story's focus, not content. I explain it better here. Though, I admit, it is a bit early for a romance.
Wholeheartedly agree with the rest. Only meeting people who could not be romantic interests would be quite odd.
I have thought about it more. The scene was important to understand what the average pony felt about the situation at hoof and the dialog the interaction resulted in.
I think dropping the scene might be a mistake.
As others have said I think the scene was rather important for showing more of the town's opinion concerning Kevin. The mention of the buttons in the meeting later is good but this is a first hand look that does a lot to really make the point a lot more, which I think is really imporant since as readers we didn't actually get inside the meeting.
I also never saw any shipping from the scene, just maybe a bit of Candy's confusion from not knowing the body language coupled with her being totally uninterested in the idea. I just saw a comically confused recently transformed pony and a nice guy happy to see a new face.
I think you should've left it in. As several other people have pointed out Candy needs friends outside of the Mane 6 and the CMC. Plus he was her age and it will help you when you have her start school to have a way to meet more ponies. Plus it helped set up the common ponies view on Kevin. I think it worked well and I think we all agree Candy is not looking for anything more then friendship right now.