Takka Takka Takka: May 2018 - No Rest for the Wacky · 1:01am Jun 2nd, 2018
First of all, hello to a bunch of new people! Many of you I met recently at EFNW. And because EFNW was so flipping huge, well… normally these are long rambling rambles of rambly rambabble.
But considering how I just did a 23,000-word followup to Everfree Northwest 2018 and I’ve gotten 6 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours… this one’s gonna be a short one.
March Word Count: 18,941
...yeah, I really wish I could count my blogs right now.
Writer’s block and I are still in a bare-knuckled brawl. A lot of this is trying to regain momentum, which has come to a dead stop. You see, typing up a massive retrospective isn’t actually creative writing. That’s writing from memory (well, that an interviewing because I asked so many people for help), which is a different skillset from actual story-writing. Not to mention all the rewriting, editing and working in existing timelines I’ve been doing.
...I miss story writing, but when I try lately, it takes massive effort just to get 250 words down. My writing lunches are nightmares where I’m literally fighting myself to stay focused.
I need a new fun project. Something original and random. But I’m not sure what to do. I need an idea to grab me and basically demand to be told… and I don’t have one right now.
I hope something comes to me soon.
Signal Boost: Rose Quill Help
I already did a blog on this, but Rose Quill is still shy of her goal to help her keep her house for the month. Please help her out. She’s got a GoFundMe going.
Everfree Northwest 2018!
I’m still exhausted from this. So much happened. Oh right, minor correction. I strongly recommended the story Crystal’s Wishes by Crystal Wishes during the Shipping Express panel, as it’s a brilliant story showing a filly with very naive concepts of romance growing up… and finding out that happily ever after takes a whole hell of a lot of work.
There are a ton of other minor corrections (mostly on where people were or weren’t at certain points… apparently I misremembered a few of the crew at Jack in the Box).
But anyway, if you somehow missed it, I strongly recommend you read it. If nothing else, read the stuff about the Writing Panels! I tried to grab as much information as I could!
Here’s the breakdown:
What I'm most proud of from EFNW
Pre-Con Madness
Panel: Writer’s Block
Panel: Writing Into The Sunset (EqG Panel)
Panel: The Shipping Express
Panel: Vexed by Villains
Panel: Fallout: Equestria
"NovelCon"
Panel: Beyond Equestria: Worldbuilding
Iron Author Results
Equestria Daily Panel
Panel: Characterizing Characters
Final Thoughts & Random Pics!
Once again, thank you to everyone who helped make EFNW a reality and a second thank you to all the people who helped me remember all the little things!!!
May’s Event Bookshelf:
A Study on Chaos Theory - Lunar Hyptotheses, Twilight Rendezvous & Evening by Sunset
So, this has been a bit a rough month for Sunset. Then again, it hasn’t really been super easy on her friends. And next Monday, we’ll find out the result of all the hard work to this point. I hope you’re ready.
I’m not. At all.
Heh. 
Codename: Serenade - Ongoing
Putter putter.
June’s Bookshelf:
A Study on Chaos Theory - Ongoing
This Monday, the big one, Resonance, will be out. After that, we’ve got another Interlude, two more chapters and finally the Epilogue. If all goes well, in around five weeks, this story will be complete!
I know I speak for the entire Wavelengths Editing Team when I say we’re eager to put this one to bed. It’s been a long road… and I’m glad the end is in sight.
On the Brewing of Saddle Arabian Teas - Coming Soon!
Yes, I’m using the same picture again. I like my deerpones. Deal with it.
This is probably one of my biggest Writer’s Block problems here. Rewriting this story feels like a huge task (and it is). It’s necessary, but this may end up being a slog for me. And I don’t want that to translate to a slog for you.
As such, there will probably be a break between Chaos Theory and Teas (and Teas is probably going to be renamed). We’re also aiming to get this at around 95% before going to print. So yeah. Not sure when. But I’ll update you when I can.
My Little Pony: Unity - Silver Lining - Coming Soon!
Yeah, with EFNW and a bunch of other things, this got pushed back. Hopefully this month this will come out. It really just needs an edit polish.
I’ve also got two other Unity stories waiting in the wings, including a collaboration! It should be super fun… except the one that’s not. Hey, I was bound to get a story with a sad tag eventually.
Gardens of Equestria: This Coming Storm - In Development
Something just happened on Friday that totally got me all jazzed up about doing this again. Now, this isn’t my project at all, but this reminds me just what’s possible in Fallout: New Vegas.
Seriously, this… this is my goal. Not a complete remake of the world… but something that looks this epic. I don’t know if we can do it to this level. But this is going to happen.
One way or another.
The "Currently Reading" Bookshelf
Eyes on You by UnlicensedBrony
I actually finished this a couple days ago. Twixie has never really been a big thing for me, but this story was recommended to me as part of my EFNW Reading List. I got around to it and found it incredibly fun.
Set only a few weeks after the events of “Boast Busters” (Trixie’s intro episode) in Season 1, Twilight helps Trixie recover from some major injuries and find herself actually tolerating that annoying bookhorse. This only leads her to swallow (some) of her pride and asking Twi to join her in a giant magic competition in Manehattan… one that’s required to be done in pairs.
It’s actually really fun. It’s a slow-burn and fairly subtle romance story with plenty of interpersonal connections. It feels very natural and legitimate. The best part is that Trixie still remains Trixie. The character still has the same flair for dramatic, still talks about herself in third person and all sorts of other things!
Strongly recommended!
Monthly Story Recommendation
Corejo drove me crazy trying to get me to read this story. You see, he likes dark stuff. That’s his thing.
I don’t like dark stuff. Not my thing.
I decided to give it a shot anyway. More because he’s my friend. I got fairly invested until I read a certain point and then I went to a screeching halt. You see, there are times when I need to know how the story actually ends before I’m willing to walk down the road. I know that’s cheating a little, but that’s just how my brain works.
I had to pry it out of him in person at EFNW.
But once I got what I needed to know, I burned through the rest of it… and it was gorgeous. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this story is epic. We have fantastic stories, twists upon twists, promises that will last forever… I honestly don’t have the words to do this justice without spoiling it.
How about this:
It’s a story with a “dark” tag and I’m telling you to read it. That should be enough to recommend it!
That's it for this month folks. Be good! ^^
-NI
AppleDa- is shot.
Probably won't find anything interesting, but have some old ideas I had :P
Am interested in this Serenade you mention.
Well, I sincerely hope that you manage to beat back your dread writer's block soon.
And I have confidence that you will.
But for now, I eagerly await the next chapter of Chaos Theory - and all that come after it. It doesn't seem like the story will last much longer at all by how you put it! Though, of course, 5 weeks is still 5 weeks. And a break between it and Teas is completely understandable. Take the time you need to get it up to your satisfaction.
I love how you've written Sunset Shimmer as a maturing yet flawed adult. If you are looking for a fun project idea, I've got a couple, that I won't be able to do justice, but I think you'd be great for!
So when Sunset first crosses over from the mirror she likely appears as ~14 yrs old right? Well what if she's found by her Human alternate, who is a grown woman (~24) ? I wrote a prompt for it on my slush pile, Shards of Sunset - Recursive Parenting
PS - Sorry if your comment on needing to find a fun project was not meant as an invite to pitch ideas, I just really like your writing style, and thought it would be cool to read something like this from you!
Hmmm... ideas... they're the easiest and the hardest part of writing, I think. If you want to seek out inspiration, rather than waiting for it to strike, you might try something like what Pen Stroke did a while back--ask the community for short, almost mad-libbed phrases with some story potential. Something might strike you.
First:
take a short break. long as needed, but not too long. Do some fun brain recreation. Burnout happens. I pretty much had to take all of March off this year--you'll see zero fics published by me then.
Second:
So I mean
There sure is a lot of Sunset in your repertoire
Which is great. I mean, she's great training wheels
Zero flaws ('cause she beat 'em all), goes great with nerds, easy brain candy
But... and just putting it out there
if you want a real muse-stimulating challenge...
you want to step up to the big leagues
derpicdn.net/img/view/2017/12/23/1614172.gif
derpicdn.net/img/view/2017/4/29/1424417.png
think about it 😎
4874472
This man knows hoerswords.
Shitfic collab?
*eyebrow raises super high at that last pic*
4874461
Oh right, I remember these... none of these really pull at me, sorry. ^^;
4874462
That's nice!
4874464
Let's hope so!
4874469
As someone with kids, doing a story like that would be... awkward. ^^;; Heh. But thank you!
4874582
More singing?
4874472
I wish it worked like that for me. If I spend too much time away from something... I lose interest. Must keep writing. Words will eat me.
4874481
...not exactly my style.
4874489
Well, she is!
4875802
It isn't the horse that my eyebrow is raised about. It's the fact that the scene depicted is eerily similar to one from one of my stories. I guess what they say about great minds is right.