Okay, Really Need to Talk About This · 10:35am Nov 13th, 2018
So as anyone reading this has no doubt noticed, we're approaching the one year mark since I last updated Research Project: Sparkle. Again.
I'm writing this because it's been on my mind again - it always is, to one degree or another - but I don't want to go making more false hope by updating it and getting everyone excited for a continuation that, for the foreseeable future, probably won't happen yet. This is going to be pretty mixed news so temper your expectations.
The recent Legacy Operations FreeLC for XCOM 2 has got me back into XCOM, just about, and combined with the fact that I don't think I'm ever going to completely stop liking ponies to some degree means I could probably throw out another chapter right now. I've mostly moved on to other interests, notably I've started collecting Warhammer again, but that also means I'm reading Black Library stuff which right now is mostly Imperial Guard, which kind of feeds back into XCOM and gives me more of an idea on how I should be writing action scenes (I know a lot of people have been skipping the ones I write and personally I think they're too blow-by-blow myself).
On the other hand, between collecting Warhammer again, having to do an engineering project this year (and what I'm going to do a project on still hasn't been finalised, which is typical of where I work...) and now being called on to GM a weekly game at my usual roleplaying haunt, I'm concerned that I'm not going to have time to start writing again as well.
So I think I'm looking at two avenues of approach; either wait a year for the engineering project (and with it my apprenticeship) and most likely the roleplay campaign to be over, and for my time and creative juices to free up again, OR hand of the fic to another author.
I've got the bare bones skeleton of the fic's plot ready in my head for another author to write from, and I'm kind of debating writing it up and hosting it here for people who don't want to wait for the fic proper/want to see if they want to take a shot at writing it.
Please let me know your thoughts on which route you'd rather see me take below.
I suggest you take your time and wait one year if needed.
I'd say that as long as you consider it at least a 50/50 chance that you will one day finish the fic, then you should move forward as if you will. Anything less and you should consider all options.
I think the best idea is to let others try, then update the original when you have free time
Set yourself up with a writing schedule. BELIEVE ME, if you let it go longer, the harder it will be to jump back in. You don't need to publish a chapter every week (or month!) but, little by little it adds up. Example: I had no idea Ranger would get this long... but short chapters stack up.
If you want to tell your story, that's what I'd recommend. Giving the story to others sounds nice in the sense of legacy, but then the story will inevitably go places where you would have never taken it, and then if the person loses interest, your story is stuck forever.
ever read helsreach?
I'd prefer that you kept it your own and put out 1-2 chapters a year.
It's always be a nice surprise to see an update.
i'd follow you even if you didn't finish it, but i like your style of writing, i'd rather wait each year for an update, then pass it off to another artist. hugs.
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Thanks for your input, guys. I'm going to mark the fic as On Hiatus for now and come back to it in a year's time or so. Any urge to do anything with it I get before I have actual free time to spare will be used sorting out the loose plot threads into an actual plot rope that I then just have to flesh out into a proper plot blanket. Also developing my metaphor skills.
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well you take the time you need to make it awesome!
we'll be here!
in the mean time, I might do some fan art of sparkle and the good doctors.
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Sounds good to me.