May
11th
2018
So I'm thinking of making a decision soon... · 3:23am May 11th, 2018
And it revolves around Foster Father.
I'm getting demotivated about writing it because I get nothing but negative comments about it. And I can understand that.
Aus wants to scrap the whole thing and rewrite it, and I really can't fault him for that either.
I'm going to give it two weeks to introduce the one character I really wanted to before I decide either way.
In the meantime, I'm spinning another story idea with him. One that I really think might take off.
i do mean it, it's your fic, do it as you want to. some people like it, others don't.... no one is making them read it (and yet they do)
i like it as it is
Please dont. It's the highlight of my Wednesdays when new chapters come out.
I'm enjoying the story so far. If you are going to scrap it then just save it to google docs so that anybody wants to read the old version can.
Even though I haven't been reading it, it did look interesting and I was hoping to catch it one day (to make sure of that I put it on follow recently... a couple seconds ago as of writing this) and hope you stick it through. But I can understand demotivation.
please, don't give up on it. I've enjoyed reading every chapter, looking forward to them even! you have, what a pretty much perfect 10:1 like ratio? I don't think the majority of people dislike it. you'll just have to trust in that.
Personally I love this story, it’s one of the only things that gets me staying on this site if not this fandom. However I understand where you’re coming from but just know that no matter what your choice is you’ll always have my support.
I enjoy the story greatly, while I do have some issues with it, like sometimes you go a bit far with a few references and honestly the fighting is a bit... all over the place. The fights are few and far between, and I would love to see that rewritten when you come to more experience about pacing it and making it feel more flowing, as it feels like its a bit heavy handed. One power is whipped out and then another thing that feels a bit "what" is brought then to counter it, instead of it being through skill or ability. If you're gonna have a VERY powerful main character, and the opponent is going to battle them, it does limit your pool.
And kamehameha.... really?
That is my literaly only gripe in the story. is the fighting is poor, though they are so few it isn't really something i care about. I enjoy the character you placed in the story, they make me laugh and i genuinely feel like their naturally doing as they do as well. Only once did I feel like it was a bit hamfisted, and only it that last chapter did I feel like our favorite artist alicorn is being kinda left out of it; however, that doesn't remove form how this story been a highlight of my time here. Is it perfect? NO! Is it good. Yes. Its a good story with good characters. If you feel like you must rewrite this, then do as you must, however, I ask that you do not, but instead put this on hold, and experiment try different styles you feel weaker in short stories. Try to experiment with new combat writing and such. Then come back and decide then will you touch it up, Rewrite it entirely, or scrap it.
I will repeat though this is a wonderful story, having done a great job writing it, flawed yes, but wonderful all the same.
please don´t delete it this fic is very fun to read, i like the direction the fic is going
One of the hardest things to do as a writer is to look objectively at your own work. Most people are either their own best cheerleader or their own worst critic.
I don't follow this particular story, so I can't really make a personal request, but what I can say is this:
Take a good look at that story and decide if YOU like it. Sometimes there are fundimental flaws than require a massive rewrite to fix. Sometimes there are plot holes that need a bit of retcon-ing. And sometimes there is nothing wrong. You don't get a paycheck for this, so in the end, it's your decision.
So, do you like the story or not?
I mean, it's decent, but I stopped following it after a certain point, but I'm also just one voice in a crowd of people that love it, so I'd say keep going.
Please don't end the story just because of some negative comments from people who don't like the story. I really likeyour stories.
This is a major highlight for my Thursdays it's funny it pulls me in please don't change or abandon this amazing fiction.
I'm enjoying the story. Please don't abandon it.
If you do end up redoing it, then please don't take this version down. Just mark this one as cancelled and add "rewrite" to the new version.
if it doesn't involve helicopters I will be disappoint
I haven't read Foster in a little while - I think I'm maybe 7 chapters or so behind - but I kinda liked it
I’m of mixed opinion of the story itself. If you aren’t excited and want to rewrite it or work on something else, then do what you wish. Some say to save to google docs and maybe you should so there’s a record of the original for others but if you don’t like the way it is, rework it. Most authors rework their works because some things just don’t work upon reflection or cause the story to go in directions you don’t prefer.
I personally quite like it. I can see why people don’t, because admittedly Chris is a Mary Sue, butI like it because it’s a collab between Aus and you.
As for the side story, if it has ANYTHING to do with Shifting Melodies, I’m all in!!!
Keep going. It's a story you want to write, and you shouldn't be discouraged, especially when its as popular as it is. Story line is fine, I like the character (most of the time), and its fun to read.
I got my gripes/criticisms, and I've voiced them a few times. I do so because I like the story. You don't need to rewrite an entire story if there are only a few things people don't like about it. Remember that there are a lot of people who love it but don't comment. You don't get over 900 upvotes because its bad.
Listen to what your critics are saying, not how they are saying it. If its the same thing over and over, its time to stop and reevaluate that aspect of the story, not the entire story, or you're going to keep getting that same criticism.
I like the fic pls don't take it down it's the highlight of my weeks on this site, and honestly if the people that don't like the story are soooo important to your fanbase then why are they not here telling you 'that's what you should have done from the start'. Well let me tell you what I think of them, they are trolls and they don't deserve you being depressed over them. Even StardustSurvivor the one guy that doesn't follow the story anymore on this chat is like 'keep going'.
I really enjoy this story, please don't scrap it
I like the chracters, i love how they interact with each other, and i want to see more of it
Scrapping it is a bad idea. Even if its junk or no good garbage, its better to keep it around and public sso that you dont forget your mistakes.
For all its faults your story is hardly bad, it wouldn't have survived so far if it did. But in all fairness I have to agree with some of the comments on how OP and Mary Sue-ish Aspect has gotten as of late, though perhaps not to hate-mail extents.
You aren't going to get many comments telling you to delete Foster Father from this blog post, I feel. Just won't attract that kind of comment. But I won't argue if you truly feel that's the best way.
For me, what really got me intetested is the whole culture clash part. Human bringing older, more utilitarian views into the modern world, rediscoveries of old magic, the pictomancy...honestly only disagreement I truly ever had was the romance parts. Relationship with Bon Bon felt somewhat forced, probably because the hook was her cooking, but I grew used to it. As Rainbow Dash and Twilight (however briefly) came in, well, it's not an unbelievable progression of romance, but it did seem ever so slightly out of character to have them pursue a committed romance with someone so starkly different. I'd also bring in age but mental maturity matters more when dealing with immortals. You know the rest.
If I could change things, I'd have just kept them at Friends-with-benefits level. Sex is fine, just not so often. Plus, outside of that one mention I'm having kind of a hard time believing he's never had any advances from stallions. With how long he's lived I would think he would at least mention some past occasions. Even if he wasn't interested. Not saying Aspect had to be bi, but with how open he is about every other kind of sexuality related thing it could at least be mentioned by others. All of that together made the story feel like a harem fic after sex started happening every other chapter.
As for fights...well when you're dealing with god-level powers you just have to top it with something grander its just expected. Perhaps keep thngs slightly more mundane next time? It'll leave you more room to make things bigger.
I know it isn't much...but please don't delete it. I want to finish reading what is still here...
Please don't scrap it, every week I wait for the new chapter, and every week you don't disappoint. I love this story so much and if you scrapped it, well, I don't know what I'd do. It's actually very hard for me to find a good, detailed story that I actually like that isn't just filled to the brim with cliche after cliche. So please, don't scrap or discontinue this story.
I like your story. Although I found some consistencies here and there, but I think overall is pretty good - both in idea and narrating. The decrease of the frequency of detailed intimate scenes in the recent chapters also a step in the right direction in my opinion.
It's really inevitable that you would get negative comments from posting your story online. If you think your story is fine and going to the direction you want it to be, then I suggest you should take those negative comments with stride. You might find some angles that could help with your story, who know? If that comments won't do your story any good, then you can just outright ignore them.
At least over 900 people who vote like your story seem to think it is still in the right direction. Heck, your story has only about 10% dislike so far, a pretty good reception rating in my opinion.
I'll tell you what I tell every other author of every kind, be it fanfiction or published work, or even just an essay for class: don't scrap an idea. Finish it, see it through to the end. Wrap it up in a way that you and your audience are both happy with. And if you want to rewrite it, rewrite it separately. Let the original stand on its own, as a finished piece. Learn from it, grow from it, but never abandon something just because it's not exactly how you wanted it to be, or worse because it's not exactly how someone else wanted it to be.
At the most, I suggest this: finish the story, then go back and rewrite it after it's done. Edit the original if you really really want to not keep it as its own fic. This is a worst-case scenario option, because the haters will just see it as you trying to capitalize on the popularity that the original already has. Because that's the thing about people like this: they're not really interested in your improvement, they're interested in making you feel bad.
I personally enjoy this story quite a lot. It's a breath of fresh air from all the people who think that a work of fiction has to follow extremely arbitrary guidelines. People treat Mary Sues and Gary Stus like they're 100% a bad thing all the time. They are absolutely not. They're a literary device meant to tell a certain kind of story. Superman is the most ludicrously overpowered, ridiculous, unrealistic character ever to grace the world. But the story that is being told is made for a character like that, and written for an audience who enjoys that kind of story. Don't write for people who don't like that kind of story, write for the people who do. And above all, write the story you want to tell.
Please dont take it down or cancel it. I really enjoy this story. The humor is perfect. And the plot twist a fantastic. Please see it to the end!!
Aus, Thad.
Please. Don't give up.
Like some already said, peoples writing comments in a story are hardly a majority of your reader, just the most vocal slice ! Among them, yeah, there are critics, that like to tear down your work because they want the text to be exactly of their world vision, which is impossible. You will always upset someone, it's an inevitability of human nature. Pleasing everyone is impossible. Sadly, the "upsets" are also the most vocal. And with the number of readers you have, this minority of "upsets" seems big, but I can tell you that a great majority of your readers LOVE what you two are doing. Proof ? On this blog, normally silent readers are voicing their opinions, trying to convince you that yes, you are doing good.
Myself who is generally silent on comments chose to speak up to support the two of you. You two are awesome. Don't forget it.
Please don't.... even if story have some minor problems it's still very good fanfic and I really enjoyed her......so please no
Ps. I'm silent reader.......or lazy
This story is one of few that prompts me to reserve some time in the evening in order to read the new chapter, rather than wait for the free time to come around on its own. Sure, it has some elements to it that could've been done better, but no one is perfect. I almost feel like quite a lot of the commenting people did not read Shifting Melodies, because there is quite a few similarities between the two fics, recurring characters aside. That's just how you write fics, that's what your readers enjoy, and that's what is too much power, near mary sue, and anime-like battles for some other readers who did not yet expect all this to happen (I am honestly not the greatest fan of some of those aspects either, but I can live with them for the benefit of everything else that this story has to offer).
Sure, you can't please everyone, but please believe me that even if most negativity is in the chapter comments, while most positivity is here in the blog, all of those "nice" people are there, jumping on every new chapter that pops up. Turn that frown upside down, we all (or at least most) really enjoy your writing.
like most commenters on this post plz for the love of all that is good dont cancel or re-write this story its one of the few stories i track that updates regualry besides Tats Pwny verse fics
Please do not cancel it, it is a wonderful story, i love the humor in it, and Aspect is a funny character
Hey, no pressure, but, uh...
Are we getting a sequel to The Betrayed? Like, ever?
4857975
I think your thinking of the divine series, the one with Atlas, the runes and the Greek Gods.
NUUUU!!!!
please don't scrap this.
Another case of the hundred people who didn't like this fiction making more noise than the thousand that did, eh?
I like it as it is.
Dunno what you mean by tons of negative reviews, your like/dislike ratio is almost 10 positive to 1 negative, so you certainly do something right.
Of course you could always put it on hiatus for a bit, or even write alternative version!
Whatever you decide, be sure it's your own decision and that you're happy with it.
negative comments i have never given you a negative comments on this or any of your story's.
i think this story is a real blast it is a vary fun read with a ton of good action.
forget the nay Sayers and wright for your self.
after looking over all the comments i can say i think the people have spoken.
yes i may not always comment on a chapter even if it is awesome but this is me, some times it is just hard for me to put feelings in to words.
please if you decide to redo this story keep the original up.
i feel you have so much vested in this story keep it as is.
and i also look at it as if people are hating why are they still reading it??
lat the haters hate. if you don't like it to bade you are missing a grate story.
i love this story .
Please do not stop.
Im going to throw in my lot with the "please continue" group. I can see the arguments of Aspect being OP mary sue, but his abilities in my opinion would wreck an adventure story. It would end up like the original DBZ airing with a power creep into even more ridiculousness than the powers he already has.
That being said, he doesn't HAVE to use all these OP abilities in this day and age since it's more or less peaceful now. This is more about him re-learning to enjoy life, sharing some world building by reintroducing forgotten arts and their history, and his retirement and soon to be marriage.
I love this slice of life setting this story has setup with episodes thrown in here and there, especially last chapter where you tied the wedding invasion into one of Aspects daughters basically forcing him to do something for his own good(sometimes thats gotta be done to get results). So many other stories I see try to use episodes just copy paste bits and pieces, or in worse cases the whole episode into their story which is INCREDIBLY BORING.
This post is pretty much rambling train of thought and a mess to read most likely, but I would love to see it continue as its originally written. Maybe have any re-write ideas for an alternate world/timeline spinoff?
Dont Change it i love the way it is now
I understand demotivation all to well. It's why I haven't kept writing my own stories. But I and many, many others love this story. I personally have a time-slot saved every Wednesday for reading this. It is literally the highlight of my week every week and I eagerly await every time for more. Don't let yourselves get distraught over a few negatives when you have so many more who love this. I hope you keep moving forward and finish what has easily become one of my top favorites on here, and if either of you don't like it in the end, rewrite it then afterwards. You're never going to please everyone but for those that you have we all love and appreciate all that you have done.
Im lookin at those comments and the only negatives I see are those that say Aspect is OP and well, he is when he had several aspects within him, but seeing how he pretty much gave them up to create some of the races, he lowered himself steadily down to well 'Normal' level but seeing how he is somewhat an alicorn, has runic magic, aeromancy, geomancy and a bunch of ancient artifacts of unknown power levels, he is more akin to a high level dungeon n dragons character who didn't bite the bullet yet. He is powerful because he worked hard and earned that power, it would be more Mary Sue/Gary Stu if it was just given to him on a silver platter with no strings attached, but it wasn't, he actually had to fight and train to get where he is today.
And also, your story's rating is pretty much a 10/1 positive/negative ratio, so your good on that department.
Just keep on working on it, haters gonna hate, they are just being petty hoes cause they cant write as good as you can.
There were numerous red flags and signs of utter laziness as writers on your and Aus' parts in this story that have been glaringly obvious. I enjoyed Shifting Melodies, and for it, yes, keeping a small focus on the more sensual/sexual aspect of things worked. After all, the main character there was a changeling and as such it was appropriate.
Aspect's story went way too far, too fast, into sex. Then more sex. Then rapey rapey vibes with Aspect pushing himself all over Twilight. It was disgusting how that entirely bit was handled, from the introduction of Realm's crush on her, all the way to Aspect forcefully pushing himself onto her. This story should probably have never been stamped Mature, or you should have done what you did with Shifting Melodies: Made a story exclusively for the mature scenes.
Speaking of mature scenes, there's far, far, far too much of them. Aspect is not a changeling. Putting such a heavy focus on his sex life has been a mistake. You wanted to play up the whole angle of 'Oh, he's been out of touch for so long and has poor social skills' fine. But the extreme focus on sex detracted quite heavily from everything else.
Which also leads into the whole 'I'm gonna put a foal in you' nonsense. Dear fucking god, man. Did you want us to read a story, or the sexual RPs of two people? Because the latter is how it keeps coming off. You distract from the overall story every single time a mature scene pops up, and they're almost always exactly the same. A pretty bad mistake to make, there, when you have small variations, but the overall pattern is the same. It gets boring. It distracts. It pads the word count. The sex has stopped being of any real importance to this story or its characters a long time ago.
Another thing I felt was poor writing and/or laziness was the sheer ripoff from Pokemon and Dragonball out of what was pretty much nowhere. I mean, really? Pulling fighting moves from video games because why? You two are more than capable of scripting a fight where they use actual, proper magical abilities and their own ability to fight rather than having to rely on the crutch of ripping moves from other IPs. You generally see this sorta stuff in low quality, poorly written wish fulfillment stories by teenagers who just wanna be the biggest Mary/Gary Stu they can be! It was beyond a disappointment to see it here.
While I'm listing off flaws, for a story that's meant to follow alongside Luna's return... you have had very little impact on the actual 'story' of MLP for what seemed was going to be such a big thing. Aspect hides in his home, leaves the town, or generally avoids every, single episode of the show with rare exception. There was one or two where he was around and did absolutely nothing to contribute. It's godawful in a sense. You either fully commit, or you don't touch it at all. Don't have him hiding in his home avoiding everything so you can instead write about Aspect fucking his mares while Twilight and Co are out handling X situation. And if he does get involved, it should have a distinctive difference. He's supposed to be some godslayer, in a sense. He should have rippling, noticeable impacts that ripple. The few times he properly got involved and made a difference (Diamond Dogs, Dragon Migration, to name two) were actually enjoyable.
So, yeah. That's just off the top of my head. This story in its current frame? I've stopped reading. I don't know if you two forgot to get an editor to give you opinions (and not a yes man, an honest to god editor who would tell you when something was a bad idea), forgot this was supposed to be a story and delved too deeply into the RP angle, or what. But, this story has been flawed with numerous errors, and it went from a potential diamond to carbon dust that got everything dirty and disgusting.
tl;dr Too much sex, got too rapey, got lazy in its writing, got too RP'y instead of story.
Honestly I liked the story and it's chapters. I saw a comment about how Aspect acts in the bedroom and all I can say is lay the fuck off. Its his fucking kink idiots. Ill admit It might go overboard but we all have our questionable kinks, so get off your damn high horses. Best I can say is tone down how much sex happens but do keep this story M rated, as it gives u more freedom to move around and not have to watch whats said. Its stupid how people want sex scenes split out of the main story into a side story. If u don't like the sex scenes then skip em. U dont have to read them. As for being along the cannon, its a fucking AU, some episodes just don't work with certain things. And lets be honest here, some of the episodes are god awful. Let the author do what he wants with his OWN story.
Its your story, your decision on how to write it. Unfortunatly people will not agree on something but they can suck it up, you're writing this theing, not them. Keep it as it is and ignore the few bad comments.
Your story is a highlight of my week and every story is bound to get negative comments, but remember, those negative comments are because the minority which dislikes it is outspoken, those who enjoy the story have nothing to complain about so you don't see as many comments from them, but just look at your likes-dislikes on that story, its safe to say its not one that the community thinks bad of at all.