I have my doubts about Eigengrau · 6:54am Apr 20th, 2017
It's not doing very well. Each chapter suffers a significant drop in the number of views from the previous, the story never 'caught fire,' and I can't help but feel that I have made a mistake. This is far too involved a story to invest time and effort into if only a handful of people are reading. Honestly, it feels as though it has withered on the vine and I feel as though adding the last two chapters has been a dreadful mistake.
I think it might have been better off as a single chapter one shot, and as such, it might be corrected to become as such once more. I'm going to think on it for a while, but for now, consider it on hiatus until I decide what to do with it. I understand that there are people who want for it to continue, but the numbers suggest the story is terrible. With so many other stories and projects to finish, I really feel I need to focus on what a majority of people are actually reading.
My apologies for this blunder and I shall decide what to do after a few days of consideration. But as for now, all work has ceased so I can focus on other projects that demand my time.
I've been reading it slowly, for now.
I haven't caught up to it yet, myself. I am far behind.
Can't speak for others but I'm liking it so far. I'm enjoying the strangeness of it.
Sorry, you are writing faster than I can keep up with. :)
I have just started The mask makes the Pony and have 63 chapters to go.
i am in take it or leave it place but i would not call it a blunder by any stretch
Hard to tell what people may or may not bite into. Any writer and artist may end up getting excited and passionate about their latest piece, but others find that piece mediocre or even bad.
Personally i liked the idea. But i felt that Dim would be hard to really engage with as a character. It can be difficult to find something to relate to in an unstable sociopath that lived in a tower or depravity for twenty something years. :P
Maybe the issue is that people did not see him as a character that could carry his own story. MAyb have him pop up after the escape in another of your stories?
Though honestly as a guy struggling to write even a one shot, i would have LOVED to get even the limited views that story got >_<
I haven't read it yet. but it is in my "stories to read list", which is currently sitting at 100...I don't get nearly as much time to read as I would like, what with work and a 11 month old kid. But I digress. I am sure it is a fine story, you put out consistently good work, and a lot of it I might add. I say do what you feel you need to do, just don't leave this story unfinished...please?
on a personal level you know i love dark fics.
this isn't your normal fic so yes people don't dive in but the idea itself is good and it's worth writing in my view
I'll understand if you decide against continuing it, but for the lack of attention, it's because of how different it is from both The Chase, and the Weedverse. Obviously if only one person reads a story, there is no point in devoting tons of resources into it. I think a lot of people are turned off of it from the very first chapter, and how Dark(heh) it is. I personally love it, but I'm a sick fuck. *Shrug*
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It might be worth writing, but time is an issue. I can only do so much and manage so much of a workload.
4502783
at the moment it's 454 views UP 98 DOWN 21... don't see it as bad for a new fic
and while yes you have a lot of other things to write, it's an unusual idea you are writing, and the "strange" isn't common... a good place to put all your dark ideas into play in compare to other fics... and between us, you write like crazy anyway
4502784
The actual views, seen at the bottom of the chapter pages, are quite different. People saw the first chapter, and then abandoned it, more or less.
4502785 well... the first chapter was "dark" and "extreme" in many ways... might change it from first to last chapter for background and add extra warning... and "extra dark back story of dim"
4502787
So, even more work, more time to support a story that has stumbled out of the gate.
Really, all this is accomplishing is making me feel that I should change this to a single chapter one shot.
4502790 NOOOO... no one shot... again you don't have to write chapters to this or any fics on a daily basis
you already output way over any writer i know... some write a chapter once a week, once a month even...
Maybe you're looking for the wrong audience. Have you considered adding the story to one of the grimdark focused groups?
I still wonder when you're going to be going to return to The Chase and make at the single longest thing ever written.
4502790 I hope you appreciate how... lucky you are, and how cool your situation is? Because I, as a smaller writer, can only DREAM of the day when I can have a story hit the feature box, get 95 upvotes, and then consider abandoning it after a few days of working on it. That's a luxury that I hope to enjoy, someday.
Mind you, I just had a story that was a collaborative project HIT the feature box, but I took it down because it was generating followers and interest for ME, but not generating much for the people I worked with to create the project. That felt unfair, so I un-submitted it for five or six hours (after discussing my misgivings with my colleagues and getting their consensus) so the heat would die down. So, uh, maybe I'm being a hypocrite?
I, for one, don't mind a hiatus on this if you feel it's necessary. That being said, please understand that a lot of us that read your stuff are in the middle of the work week, and you've dropped a lot of chapters for us to read across the board. This is a new story, and it is picking up interest. I typically don't read until the weekend comes around, and then binge myself on stories while I have free time. A lot of these stories are yours, too.
Might I suggest an alternate option? Slow down on this story, but don't give up on it or scrap it to a rewrite bin. You've been going full steam ahead on three separate stories, now. You could decrease the pace here, and start something different, or refocus yourself without giving up on this.
Anyway, there's my two cents. I enjoyed the first chapter of this story, but just haven't had time to read the newer chapters. I haven't caught up on any of your stories over the last few days, actually, but that's all planned for a weekend... or a sleepless night of insomnia, whichever comes first. Tonight might be a good night for that, actually, haha.
4502812 This link takes you to the 'sort by longest' option.
The Chase is the single longest story on this site, the next being a whole 242,933 words behind. The longest real-life book ever written is 275,261 words behind, and the longest fanfiction ever written is a whopping 1,715,868 words ahead.
Also, the chapter limit on this site is 1000. So, if it were to try and beat the record, there'd be a The Chase 2: Electric Boogaloo.
Eh, I really like it.
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Pretty much. I mean, Kudzu hits the box pretty much every time he uploads something. He's been in the box more than I've posted comments, stories, chapters, and blogs on this site. If he wants to watch a story struggle and die, he can read Lovesucker.
4502813
I do, actually, but I've also taken a very clinical eye to how a story develops. There are stories that start out with a lot of interest, a lot of buzz, and people say, "Keep going!" And in the past, I have, and then I've watched viewer counts dwindle with each successive chapter, going down, down, lower and lower, and then, after I post a new chapter, a week later there are less than twenty views on that chapter, and people wonder why I stop updating.
Sometimes, the actual numbers do not support the initial hype. It's been a hard, painful lesson I've had to learn and I must confess, it's left me a little bitter.
I didn't notice you adding another story or I would have read it already. Frankly you publish so much stuff that I'm finding it hard to keep up. It doesn't help that I'm also trying to catch up on your previous stories while still reading stuff from other authors. There are only so many hours in a day.
It could be just suffering from season startup. New season brings a lot of new content on all at once on the site that detract from views. Might have done better released a few weeks earlier. Timing is everthing after all.
Not every story is a huge hit but I am getting into this one. I like where it is kind of going. Perhaps a suggestion, have it be a 5-6 chapter "short" and end it there?
4502882 same probelm here he updates too fast and i'm constantly complaining to other authors that they update too slowly, however i just gave up on the longer stories for now and am mainly focused on the newer stuff.
I'll admit that I was having trouble getting past the first chapter on this one. Personally it pushed just a little too far outside of my comfort zone and I decided to set it down. No harm no foul for trying something very different, especially with the fair warning we had going in. I have been considering trying to give it another go, but we'll have to see. Perhaps I just need to get "past the manticore" before I start enjoying it, to use an event from The Weed as an expression.
4502909
The first chapter is awful. It is. Honesty, I think it's bad enough to be a story killer. The first chapter of The Weed lacked explicit details, which Eigengrau provides in spades.
I knew going into this that it would be a niche piece, but it feels like the first chapter is a story killer.
4502915 Yeah, the scene n the Weed initially put me off enough to set the story down, but looking back I'm immensely glad I gave it another shot. I'll push through the first chapter later tonight and see how the rest of the currently released story goes.
4502915
I'm curious what you mean by this.
Too many details makes people not want to read? Because there's no mystery/compulsion to keep reading to fill in the details? Or some other reason like there just isn't enough entertaining happening at the beginning and the details bog it down?
And is The Weed a good example for having few details, or is it a different sort of issue?
4502909 man I had to get to when he met maud before I actually enjoyed that story....
I usually like kudz stuff so i kept trying.. it took me until venomen iokus came out for me to finally get past the first part.
Personally it feels like this story started strong, then we get the lull, and felt like it was about to pick up again.
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In The Weed, we don't actually get to read about the manticore coitus. It gets glossed over.
In Eigengrau, there is a very vivid picture of incestual coitus exploitus.
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Oh! I see.
I was thinking the reason was less straightforward than it was, and if I had actually read the first chapter like I intended I might have already known what you meant.
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I read the first chapter.
Sorry bro, 2dark4me.
Completely random: but between this story and this Reddit post, I'm really wanting a story about some old curse that forces Celestia to allow any all-black pegasus to have run of the castle.
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Gosling comes to mind.
I like this story but I understand why some people may have trouble seeing past the first chapter. I have faith in you and your stories and I honestly think you should continue this one if only to show how even the darkest person (pony) can come back to the light. I don't know and to be perfectly honest, this story came out at a perfect time for me as I was dealing with some bad family crap so I kinda was in the perfect mindset just like the main character. Feeling loathing for those I'm related to and trying my hardest to be anything but like them. If anything, you at least helped me get over my family stuff a bit easier because I had a character going through something much darker than me and he was able to escape. Those are my thoughts and I trust your judgement and I trust you. Good luck!
4502915 move the prologe to the end of the fic... add a warning
4503016
So, move the beginning to the end?
No. That's just.. backward.
4503016
No, really, this is a terrible idea.
Then, the reader has no understanding of who Dim is, why he changed his name, why he is in another country, why he is fucked up, why he goes on and on about the darkness and the dangers therein... removing the prologue completely fucks the narrative. That would completely torpedo the story.
You know what, you might have a point. I should do this, because then the story would suffer a fatal, mortal blow and then there would be no guilt in watching it die.
4503037 it isn't as it has a point, the normal one is extreme grimdark chapter
you can add to the actual first chapter a note in the begining that the grim dark prolog is found in the end of the fic and add a warning on how dark it is
4503037 there's no guilt in watching it die now.
You're the author, it's your story do whatever you want.
But it's not a bad story so far.
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And that is what is bothering. It's not a bad story, it's just not a story that most folks want to read.
And I get why, I do.
I'm trying to learn from this experience, but I'm still not sure what the lesson is.
I've taken the time to read the first chapter. It's definitely different from the other stuff I've read from you so far and I can see why some people might not want to keep reading. That being said, the story isn't bad enough to warrant it's current like / dislike ratio. I've read much more disturbing material from other authors so this story's content isn't going to distract me from it's other elements.
The concept is certainly original and I'm curious where you plan to go with it if you decide to keep writing this story.
I plan to read this after enough chapters are out. I like to read in long sessions
4503063
There's an audience for everything, but sometimes you don't find it or it just isn't that big?
I like Eigengrau, Dim, and all his psychological and physical problems. And the first chapter sounded like good old adventure roleplay setup in a new location, the Grittish Isles, one that we haven't heard terribly much about yet.
On the other hand, we kinda already have the unlikely hero goes questing with Dogged Determination. But on the other other hand, I think our little doggy and Dim are different enough to make it work.
So... Do what feels good. If the story ails you, don't write it.
The prologue is going to be a huge turn off, we have indoctrination, incest, rape, exploitation, backstabby family politics, really it's just a whole slew of shit. Most people don't really go for that. I was intrigued and pulled in by it, but I think a lot of people are just colored in their views and disgusted by it.
Whatever floats your boat, man. I enjoyed it immensely. Dim's perspective and upbringing is a refreshing drop of cyanide in the crap-saccharine world of The Weedverse. I think it would be better off however you wish it, as long as there is some form of character interaction with Dim. His thought process and pure, unfiltered rage would be a relishing kick in the moral nuts for some of the Weedverse characters.
Whatever you do, it's your choice. Those're my two cents. Ciao.
4502878 That sounds frusturating. Well, you know what you're doing, so I'll leave the call to you.