Random Ramblings CCVII · 9:00am Nov 16th, 2017
IN WHICH I CAN'T BELIEVE IT
Note To Self: A pot of coffee will make the part of the brain that makes writing happen function, apparently. Also, living on a heavily forested hill gets annoying when all your trees are deciduous, leaves are fallen and wet, and your driveway slants at a steep angle -- this is the second time in as many weeks I've had to rake my driveway. So...
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING RANT MAKES EVEN LESS SENSE THAN USUAL. ENJOY!
I'm a tad bit manic today because I decided to temporarily go off my meds in order to enjoy some booze for the first time in months. It's honestly not a great feeling because without crazy pillz, all the thinking about what to do about all my ex-girlfriend's leftover stuff before the end of the year causes me to panic. I'll be back on the meds tomorrow, but I just really wanted to enjoy me some Arkansas Farmhouse Ale. Yes, when I drink not-wine, I only drink microbrews. Perhaps this makes me a hipster. But honestly, I do it because I can -- even before being put on medication that said DON'T DRINK ALCOHOL, I rarely drank alcohol, so I can justify spending more. My preference increasingly is hard cider -- the drier the better (less sugar). I'm going to go off pillz again on Thanksgiving next week to enjoy a Chardonnay I bought months ago that I found chilling in my fridge.
Where was I? Oh yeah, writing. I do that sometimes. Why else would I write a blogpost?
Remember a few days ago when I said I wasn't sure if my historical adventure fic would reach 25k by the time I finished the final chapter? Yeah... Much to my own surprise, I wrote another 3,000 words this evening after drinking a pot of coffee and then laying back to write for a few hours straight. The last chapter (not counting prologue and epilogue, which I haven't even started yet) is currently 5,000 words and I'm not even close to completing it yet; there's still too much that needs to happen. The fic as a whole now sits at well over 26k. However, I seriously doubt it'll hit 30k unless I massively expand upon earlier chapters. That is LONG for me: the guy who writes short stories.
Yes, I write while in bed. I have over two dozen stories up on this site with a few more in the pipeline. Nearly all of them were written from my bed. I've found it difficult to be creative (or even analytic) while at a desk. Hell, I wrote most of my college senior thesis in bed. H&L is the major exception -- I distinctly recall sitting up to write that one because I was so fucking wired that day. Ninety minutes led to 1,273 words (plus one word added later) of utter nonsense that - thanks to massive positive reception I didn't anticipate - kick-started a giant arc exploring the concepts of mental illness and forgiveness, now containing a dozen stories and two non-canon side-stories (one yet to be published). What is my life.
I was curious a couple months back, so I actually wrote the stats on each chapter of this monster in its current state (when transferred to Word document, single spaced but gaps between paragraphs and page breaks with each chapter, it currently sits at 64 pages incomplete). Before today, the shortest chapter was the second, at just over 2200 words; the longest was the fifth chapter -- the one with a fight scene I thought would be quick and easy -- at over 5400 words. But no, the seventh chapter is so gonna blow past that. I have no idea how long it will be.
Okay. Yeah, my unfinished Pinkamena fic I summarized earlier this year is longer, as its associated parts total well over 60k. But it's also mostly shit, which is why I never published it. Unfortunately, that means I can't publish the Babs Seed side-story -- the only part I feel is legit good (and is fairly long by itself for a one-shot).
My "fixfic" for Anon-A-Miss is 12,795 words unrefined, consisting of ten chapters of varying lengths -- not bad for 48 pages of comic (some panels of which were skipped because I adapted Twilight out).
It's rare for me to barf out 3000 words in a single writing session. I think the last time I did that was either ODNDAL (which was written over two nights, mostly the second) or When There's Smoke, which is just over 3000, written in a single go, then barely touched after. Usually I struggle to crank out a couple hundred. Most of the Recovery Arc stories were written slowly, a paragraph at a time.
Speaking of which, I feel kind of proud to have written one of the only positively received Flash Sentry stories. Seriously, its score is sitting at nearly +130 with surprisingly few downvotes (knock on wood). Readers have complimented me for making Flash relatable. Thanks. Well, I figured the poor schmo needed some motivation. Rereading the flashback I added to the beginning of Exes Meet, I see where I could have expanded upon it even more. But, I really shouldn't George Lucas it again. Readers seem to enjoy it the way it is, and the details I left out are addressed in The Rejected.
Yeah, I reread my own fics from time to time. Maybe because I hate myself? Maybe because after more than two years of writing over a dozen Sunset Shimmer stories in a single continuity out of order, I have no idea what the hell is going on. Thank CoffeeMinion I made THE GUIDE (although I was considering it even before he suggested it).
Same with Sasha. Posh was absolutely right when he said Rarity's come-around was too quick. I really should have let that part breathe. As it is, it happens in a single paragraph or two. But, again, water under the bridge; everything else about the fic holds up beautifully, so I shouldn't think about messing with it.
Night of Faded Sun is, in my opinion, as perfect as I can make it. I have no desire to change a single word of it.
Well, that's all from me for now. I should probably sleep at some point. Then back to writing tomorrow. Will I finish my long-fic? Probably not, but I'm damn sure gonna try. Wish me luck.
Peace out!
Please do not make a habit of going off your pills.
You are better when you are stable and full of zest and health.
derpicdn.net/img/2017/11/13/1585355/medium.png