The future of The Stranger and Her Friend · 10:10pm Dec 20th, 2017
Hello everybody! Long time, no see.
I recently got a comment on my user page that said:
Are [we] going to see more of The Stranger and Her Friend?
This is a question that I've been avoiding answering for quite some time. As some of you might already be aware, it has been a while since my story The Stranger and Her Friend has updated, and even before its last update, there have been ever-increasing hiatuses between chapters. Seeing as these gaps only continue to get longer and longer, I think it's only fair that I offer some sort of explanation.
"So, are we going to see more TSaHF?"
The honest answer: it's hard to say.
Consider this: The Stranger and Her Friend is currently about 315,000 words.
In comparison to other epic fantasy novels, that's about the length of a typical A Song of Ice and Fire book from George R. R. Martin. It's longer than any one of the books from the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's longer than first three Harry Potter books combined.
So yeah. You get it. My story is long. It's not the longest ever written--it's not even the longest on this site. But it's long.
Therein lies the problem: By my estimation, in order to complete the story of The Stranger and Her Friend, I would need to write approximately another 300,000 words.
That's right, my friends. It's only half done.
Of course, you easily might say, "You've already proved you can do it by writing the first half. Just do that again! Write another half!"
In theory, that's possible. However...
When I first started writing The Stranger and Her Friend, I had the ability to essentially write eight hours a day with little to no interruptions. I lived with my parents, had minimal expenses, and had a job with reasonable hours. I was only responsible for myself and had a lot of free time, meaning I wrote... constantly. However, my capacity to produce writing like that has been severely limited since I first started writing TSaHF in 2012. Here's just a couple of things in my life that have happened/are happening:
- I started doing school full-time.
- I moved out to live on my own.
- I got married.
- I had a baby girl.
- I am in my final year of college, which means doing my capstone and looking for internships.
- I am planning to apply for law school.
...And the list goes on. All of this means that as much as I want to, I simply can't write like I used to. It's impossible. I literally do not have the time anymore. Between my schooling and my family, I'm lucky to get even an hour or two in between fulfilling my various responsibilities.
All of this makes it very difficult to get any writing done.
It isn't solely because of my reduced time, either. In part, it's because my writing habits involve me writing for huge stretches at a time. The only way I can write is when I know I have at least 5 hours to spare. When I write, the first 3 hours or so are essentially warm-up – getting into the groove, so to speak. For this reason, I am an extremely slow writer. I take my time. It's the only way I can craft something that I'm truly proud of.
So even if I technically have a cumulative 7 hours to spare of the course of the week, having one available hour per day just doesn't work for me. Whenever it rolls around, I say to myself, "Meh, it's only one hour. I'll never get anything done." At that point, I don't bother making an attempt, lest I accidentally write something sub-par. It's a bad habit of mine, and I definitely need to cultivate a better writing routine. I know it can be done. There are other writers out there that have done more with less. I struggle with it.
Another side effect of my current life responsibilities is that I can't obsess over my story anymore.
Back in the day, The Stranger and Her Friend was literally all I thought about. My headspace was almost exclusively dedicated to it. Every creative cell in my body was dedicated to writing it. I daydreamed about it. I would lay awake in bed every night, thinking about what the next chapter would bring. I practically lived in ancient Equestria. And my writing subsequently reflected upon my deep thought about it. If a chapter or character arc seemed particularly well thought out... well, that's because it was.
Nowadays, I'm preoccupied with so many other things it's ridiculous. I find I can only focus on one creative project at a time. School, among other things, tends to call for my undivided creative efforts, especially as I approach graduation. I do still think about TSaHF. Every single day, believe it or not. But as much as I want to (and believe me – I desperately want to), I can't dwell on it exclusively anymore.
For example...
To see the kind of writing I produce when I am only able to work in short bursts, see my other stories:
These are stories that I wrote specifically to practice my ability to write in limited periods of time, under the pressure of my current constraints. They're not bad... but they're definitely not up to my standards.
So, what does this mean for The Stranger and Her Friend?
Well, one thing it doesn't mean is that I will never write TSaHF ever again. I will continue to write it when I get the chance from time to time. Those chances don't happen very often, but I do try to seize them whenever I get the opportunity.
Will The Stranger and Her Friend ever be completed?
Again, it's hard to say. You can judge for yourself based on my situation. It may be worth mentioning that my situation could always change; for example, if I graduate, perhaps I'll decide to delay law school and take a year off, which will certainly leave me with much more free time. Or, perhaps over the summer, between semesters, I will be able to write more. Or maybe I'll find it within me to write faster in the limited time that I have. It's unclear, which is why the story is still marked "On Hiatus" instead of "Cancelled."
"But what about Celestia! Lucky Break! Cotton Cake! Apple Crumble! Cotton Cake!! I'll never know what happens to them!"
Maybe. Maybe not. I have toyed with the idea of releasing the outline for TSaHF as a reward for those who have stuck with it for so long, and to provide a bit of closure just in case that closure never comes. I haven't decided though.
Last but not least...
I just want you all to know that I am still in love with The Stranger and Her Friend. I love the characters. I love the world. I love the story. I think about it a lot. I'm proud of what I've done. And I am so, so thankful to have been able to write to an audience who was just as invested as I was. The fact that there are still people inquiring about the progress on TSaHF really says a lot to me. It gives me a warm feeling inside. It gives me confidence as a writer. Truth be told, despite my references to school and possible future careers, I truly dream of being a novelist. My whole experience with Fimfiction.net and The Stranger and Her Friend gives me the faith that my dream is possible – someday, somehow, despite the overwhelming odds. That faith, along with the friendships I've made along the way, is the greatest gift that I have ever been given.
The Stranger and Her Friend is special to me, as are all of you. Regardless of what writing I am able to do in the future, I want you all to know that I am deeply grateful for everything. There is nothing more invaluable than the gift of your attention; it is not a gift that is lightly given, especially when it comes reading for entertainment. To anybody who has enjoyed The Stranger and Her Friend: I am honored to have been a writer to you, and I am honored to have had you as readers.
Thank you.
LUNA OR RIOT
4754631
Who the heck is "Luna"?
4754636
First off, congrats on life! As much as I love TSAHF, and would be immensely pleased to read some more, nothing makes me happier than finding out one of my favorite authors is fully engaged in those things that make the universe a better, happier place!
Second, keep writing, even if it’s other short stories, if only because it makes you happy to do so. You deserve it!
If at some point in the future you are able to write more, great. If not, that is also quite understandable, doubly so as you've spelled out your writing style. I do quite appreciate the possibility of an outline being posted if you come to the conclusion at a later date that the story is no longer possible. Knowing the ending, even in outline, lets me a reader have a much more fond memory of a story.
Yooooo this is a story I haven't seen in a long time. I'm glad to be hearing from you again!
I understand that you don't have the same time as you used to for writing, and I'd definitely understand it if (as a worst case scenario) you weren't able to update ever again. I do want to thank you for putting out the chapters that you did put out though. Thanks for the story, thanks for the fun, (and once I reread what's out right now) thanks for the memories.
Hey, thanks for the update. I'm honestly glad to see you're doing things with your life that make you happy, and I can relate to your time being so stretched that sometimes there's not enough left for other things you'd like to do. I just wanted to let you know that, no matter how long it takes, if you decide to continue with the story I'll be glad to read it and will follow it as long as you decide to. And whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best in your endeavors~
Have a great life and if you have time please do write more.
Thanks for the update best luck at your endeavors
Thanks for the update on the story's status. Love TSaHF, and as long as it makes you happy to try and write more, I'll wait till the end of FIMfiction.
You do you, life and stuff. Good luck.
I understand the feeling of stress and such that comes with approaching graduation, having just recently finished my last full semester of school myself. All I can say is, I personally understand that creativity and hobby-type writing often takes a back burner to our more immediate responsibilities. I am glad you are not straight up planning on scrapping this story, as I am very much a fan (if a quieter one than most). I still have a digital copy saved in my Pony Fic Library, and i regularly re-read this story.Whatever happens, I would like to say thank you for writing such an amazing story.
Also, congrats on starting a family and almost finishing college. that's something not everyone can do easily. Good luck, friend.
-C.Storm
Thanks for the update at least. TSahF is one of my favorite stories, and I'm glad that it wasn't just forgotten about and left behind. As someone who is also finishing their last year of college, I can empathize with what you're going through. Don't burn yourself out trying to balance everything in life, and finish the important things first. Update the story when you can, and we'll still be here when you do. Thanks for creating such a great universe in the first place, and good luck with life!
Graduation year is a nightmare, I know it feels like an endless rush of work, but it feels amazing when you are finally done. Your story was the first Fimfiction novel I ever read, and was the final push for me to join the fandom
so while I'm sad that the updates have slowed, I understand that time is a precious resource that you have little of, so take your time to find your balance and we'll all be here when you return!
Till then,
Tison
Good lord...honestly I had expected this wonderful tale to have been canceled long ago. The fact that it's not makes me grin, but considering how much further you have to go? ANOTHER 300,000 words? That is insane and I have to give you props for not simply closing up shop and moving on.
It's...weird for me to think about honestly. I vist this website rarely (and stay to read and respond even less), but I do hope to discover more of your wonderful tale as I pop back in.
If I don't see any more work from you though?
...well...I'll have the 1st 300,000 words you gave me. Those alone were some of my favorite I found on this website (and surpassing many published work too truth be told) and I'm incredibly thankful I got that many.
Thank you for creating what you did and sharing it. If you never get to finish it, due to it's massive size and the challenges that adult life provide thank you for sharing this much, and I hope whatever challenges you are presented with are fulfilling.
Regards,
~Treil
4916072
Thank you. Yours, and everybody's, readership has been a huge blessing to me, not just with this story, but with my overall confidence as a writer. I will never forget the experience of creating and sharing this story. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it really has informed who I have become as a person.
Maybe you should find somebody who can continue "A Stranger and Her Friend" but still have creative control. Just a thought.
4919893
I'm not too keen on that idea, but even if I was, the people who know the story/outline well enough to take up the mantle are all too busy with their own projects.
Heck we’ve stuck around for this long, I mean this was THE story to check up on for me for years. High quality writing and the nostalgia of the first ‘epic’ fanfic in my reading career.
You know what? We’ve stuck around this long, I don’t really see any rush to end it. Instead of releasing the outline, or having someone else take over id much rather wait and be absolutely stoked when a new chapter comes along.
Do whatcha gotta do and keep on life-ing! Full support
I have reread your post about the possibility of continuing your writing. I am curious, on how your life is going at this point and if you are truly finished with "The Stranger and Her Friend?" I see the story is now canceled. Does that mean that it truly will never be finished? Or is now shelved?
Hoping for an update on your and its current status.
-ShieldStar