Oct
6th
2018
Fun With Revision · 7:42pm Oct 6th, 2018
So:
As detailed here, I found myself recently under a sudden deadline.
Paul Asaran had somehow picked my unfinished Baal Bunny story from 2014, "Grouchisaurus Rex," to review in his regular column. But he doesn't review unfinished stories. Which meant I had to finish it.
And now I have. When I wrote it originally during season four, I had no idea what it was about. It's only with the events of season eight that the thing came together in my mind. So while I know some folks don't care for the school and the students and all that from this past year, I'm grateful to them for letting me finally spackle this thing into shape. 
Mike
Jeepers, I heard a few people complaining about the school (just like a few people complaining about something in every new season), but if you mention that here like this, kind of like you feel the need to protect your creative decision in this story, there really must be a lot of people who hate Twilight's school.
I really don't get why that many are so outraged over it that Twilight has founded a school and that we get school-themed episodes as a result..... It doesn't make any sense.
4949305
Well of course, as you say, there's always someone who will complain about anything the show does. But I think the biggest concern regarding the Student Six is that they take away screentime from the Mane Six—who've already been pushed into the background by episodes focusing on Starlight and/or the latest guest star. Personally I think the staff have done a good job balancing the school this season but I can understand the concerns.
I haven’t been following you for very long, so I’m kind of lost. So Baal Bunny is a pseudonym for you?
4949349
That I could already gather. But..... that doesn't make it any less unfair and petty. The Mane Six can't carry MLP: FiM forever, they have started to get stale as characters last season already, which is also why they don't get many episodes anymore since the start of Season 7 (in which nearly every episode either had a Mane Six member sharing screentime with somepony else in an important role or was entirely about different ponies; Season 8 follows pretty much the same trend) and I strangely didn't see any complaints about that there. On the contrary, I saw quite a number of people say that Season 7 is the best season.
And there is no particular reason why MLP: FiM has to be about the Mane Six until the bitter end, or, why it should be. There is creative potential far beyond them and insisting on it that it has to keep being about them and ceasing to support the show if there is a new manecast would be foolish, especially if it's done because of the childish refusal of many bronies to open themselves up to new mane characters, because this would kill MLP: FiM.
4949357
Yes:
For reasons I'm still not sure I understand myself, when I started submitting stories to The Writeoff, I made another account. So all the stories under the Baal Bunny name are things I made originally following the rules and restrictions of the contests over there. As they say on The Goon Show, "It's all rather confusing, really."
Mike
4949470
Indeed, because opening yourself to new people the entire point of the show's premiere.
4949533
Exactly!
4949533
4949677
For my part:
I'm always happy to have new characters and landscapes to explore. Like I said in the post, "Grouchisaurus Rex" has been sitting around quietly glaring at me for four years 'cause I couldn't figure out how to finish it. Then the show gave me the material I needed, and now it's done!
Mike