So I re-read Dash of Humanity · 6:16am Nov 24th, 2016
I was bored, and started to re-read DoH. I mentioned it my last blog but thought I'd give some thoughts now that I've finished.
TL;DR - Enjoy Turkey Day. Two pones 1 skull... or something, dammit just read the blog.
1. Yeah I was a better writer back then. Or perhaps, "more motivated", since writing isn't something you forget like what setting to use when making toaster strudels without burning them. I'll have to re-read Puppet to her Fame, because I think Dash of Humanity may be a better story! I mean, they both hit you in the feels even though you know what's coming... then again, Puppet was pretty much designed for a maximum kick in the feels.
2. Don was a f*cking asshole! I laid the smart-ass on pretty thick but looking back, I don't regret it. I think the Don-Dash dynamic was what made the story different and made the humor work, even if some people had to "Nope!" out of the story early. It kind of makes me want to write a Don-Fluttershy or something story, but then I had another realization. I think the Smart Ass - Dash dynamic worked because of Dash's personality. If it was Smart Ass - Fluttershy or Smart Ass - Applejack, it wouldn't work nearly as well. So maybe I'll start a new HIE, you never know. Why, if you'd told me 6 weeks ago Trump would be President I'd have unfollowed, unfriended, blocked, muted, ostracized, and exiled you. So maybe a new HIE from the Kaidan? lol.
3. Soarin.... wasn't that bad. Yet. I mean, for the sake of the story I wanted to tell I kinda had to paint him in the worst light from Don's perspective. I still wonder if I should write a companion story that covers DoH 1-2 from Soarin's point of view. (You know, make him the victim for a change?) And while that could be interesting... I think that for now, I prefer him to be the mustache-twirling villain.
4. So much innuendo. Sexuality is a critical part of the human experience, but it's fairly obvious "3 years ago Kaidan" that wrote the story had... shall we say, a lot more "pent up energy". Again I found it pretty funny if a bit childish, and we can all agree Fluttershy has the best flanks so it wasn't much of a stretch either! If I wrote another HIE, I think I'd have less innuendo, sex, and smart assery, but at the same time, I can't help but feel the fact I put so much of those in there is part of the reason it stood out and did succeed.
5. Two people in one body dynamic. Aside from an episode of Stargate Atlantis, and Star Trek (or Twilight zone? I forget) I don't see it done much. Usually it's the human in the pony and the pony assumed "Killed in Action". I suppose this kinda ties into the last half of #2, but I can't help but wonder about what Human-Pony combo might work well for another story. I also can't help but wonder
what the fuck happened to "Ponified Without Consent"
Ponified Without Consent has every bit as much potential, probably more, than Dash of Humanity did. Clearly, the only reasonable and adult thing to do is relentlessly spam Deamon of Decay, Seven Fates, TypeWriter Error, and Jaestring to write more! (At one point there was talk of getting new authors to contribute...) Anyway, for whatever reason the more authors you have the harder it is to get your shit together. So, like, someone kidnap us all and make us all write the story at gunpoint or something. It worked out just fine in the Stephen King novel...
6. Write what you enjoy. I guess that's the moral of the blog post I'll leave you all with. I nearly lost my shit a few times, mainly at the train bathroom scene, while I was in class reading. I think part of the reason my writing slowed down and died is I got more focused on writing to be a popular author and less on writing to write what I enjoy. That's as good an argument as any against dragging stories on too long, or getting too many stories at once and getting overwhelmed. I suppose it's a good argument against commissions too...
7. RIAA / Getting banned. Yeah, apparently Don wasn't the only asshole. 3 years-ago Kaidan seems to have been in trouble with the law, which is kinda funny in hindsight. I mean, I'm totally mature and not an asshole anymore which is to say I direct my angst into more healthy channels like other drives on L.A. freeways or homeless people, and not site admins.
8. Did I mention most of the comments were 52-160 weeks ago?! Seriously, has it been that long? I've been writing (sorta) for 3 years? Has it really been a year since my last update? That's some crazy shit, man. Twilight's got a freaking castle now! The changelings are no more! Here's my quaint little story with comments attacking me for "not tagging it Alicorn Twilight" and we've got Flurry Heart spewing reality-destroying magic-jizz left and right. It kinda makes me feel old. Luckily, 31 is the new 13, so I'm ready to have unprotected sex with high school girls... wait, shit that didn't come out right... it was a metaphor. I'm not really into 13 year old school girls, unless they're Japanese, because all their games and anime....
You know what, fuck it, where's the delete button?
Anyway from here on out, enjoy Turkey-Day everyone. I'm going to be reading, start chatting with people more, and work my way back into the fandom. With luck, my enjoyment of the fandom and fiction writing in general will spur further writing, instead of me waiting around for enjoyment to come back and not writing until it does.
ABOUT TIME!!!
Get your shit together and pump out what YOU wanna write bro. The best stories are the ones where you write what you want. Read a story once called the bad hero, hardly any real story line to it and full on randomness but the comedy was right up my alley and i loved it. Plus the author wasn't afraid to get fans involved( hell he even let me get in some guest appearances). Do what you need to do man but please do finish what you started.
That sounds familiar.......
*looks through a ton of bookshelves until accidentally clicking on "Too Painful to Read Again"*
*realizes what story it was and dies a little on the insides again*
Yeah, this story kicked my feels like a fucking bucking horse to the nuts. Maximum feels achieved.
It's good to see you writing stuff again, even if it is just journals right now. This journal was a good read. Hope to see some new content from you soon, but until then, have a good thanksgiving and I hope things go well for you.
Typo: "Other drivers" not "other drives"
I read the first one for the glorious snarking and interplay between the two characters and the humorous banter between them, not so much for the innuendo's. They may have been entertaining, but they didn't contribute to character building as much as the casual humour did. IMO.
The whole point 5 thing is something I like to read and is really under-explored, like you've said above, but I do feel Soarin was over-done as a villain, and preferred the original story to the sequels, which I don't like as much as I did the original and first half of 2, but read because I feel obligated to finish the storyline properly.
Point 8. Yep, it's been a while, but hey, I'm still around, and so are a bunch of your other followers, so you must have done something right along the way.
after reading this blog post I have the feeling you are finally seeing what my self and a few I talk with have known you are one heck of a good author (when you are true to your muse) just let the story flow and stop trying to make the readers happy BE YOUR SELF.
and I must say #6
I loved that part.
happy turkey day to all.
Harts Fire
Human In Equine?
I do have this idea for a spin-off involving Pinkie Pie getting stuck in a human's mind...
It is one of the best components of the story.
*cough* *cough*
You could always go the other side and do PoE.
I think Soarin is okay as is. You needed a reason for Dash to leave him and how you did it made sense. Anyway look forward to an update man have a happy thanksgiving.
Yup, see lots of stuff when re-reading material you have written. You nailed a lot of points on the head, including the two mind in one body dynamic which coincidentally I use as well. It was a weird and tough format at times, but I really grew to love it. And now with the sequel focusing on a different character, I can't do awesome mind to mind talks that I really enjoyed.
Regardless, Happy Turkey Day, and looking forward to the next update.
I was always a believer of "write what you enjoy and others will enjoy it just as much". Writing what others want is harder than writing what you want because no one knows you better than yourself. It doesn't mean to ignore what everyone says but it neither means to follow everyone's bidding. Just take into account everything and write what you feel is best.
And this is coming from someone who hates English and writing and yet is trying to make a story here.
its funny how time changes things. i use to read alot of stories all the time and it was my favorite thing to do in my spare time. i dont think i have read a story in over a year now. i still come and check if any of the slow updating stories post a new chapter every now and then. once one of my favorite stories (Forgiveness Pending) finally came to a close i pretty much quite reading. I loved DoH, and DoH2 was good too, still have DoH3 listed as unread chapters in my favorites that i just never gotten around to even tho its 2 years. i have several stories +100k word stores i want to read still but dont think i ever will. i guess i am slowly loosing interest in pony afterall