Paul's Thursday Reviews CXLIX · 10:40pm Feb 14th, 2019
I have good news for the ten or so of you still reading Life of Pie. I just finished the rough draft for the next chapter and will soon have it to my prereader. Hopefully I can have it published before the weekend is out, but it may be a little later than that. That’s not actually the good news, however. The good news is that, since Life of Pie is so close to being finished (I’m thinking another three or four chapters), I’ve decided to forgo my usual methods and focus on completing it. No more BPH, no more Fortune, just Life of Pie until it’s over and done with.
In other good news, I’ve decided to start working on my new Aria story in earnest. Since it’s a short(er) story than my usual big works, I’ll be developing it alongside LoP, probably alternating between the two on a day-to-day basis. My goal is to try and keep the Aria story to a maximum of 40k words. It’ll be a challenge for me to keep it at that length because of how much I could put into it, and I may have to call on some extra help to make it work.
The Aria story will also be a proof-of-concept for myself. As soon as it is completed and released, I intend to start converting it to an original fiction format. My theory is that if I can do it for a 40k story, getting something bigger done in the same way (like BPH) will be easier because I’ll have some experience with the pitfalls of the process.
Then there’s the… semi-bad news? Depends on your perspective, I suppose. I’m now working daily on getting Audience of One converted to a publishable format. I’m almost finished with the main story, and I intend to add a bonus element at the end for the heck of it. The bad part in all this is that it eats up roughly 1/3 - 1/2 of my daily horsewords activities, so the creation of new material feels like it’s slowed to a crawl. On paper the numbers say I’m pulling off ~2k/day and have been for two weeks, but since as much as half of those numbers come from my editing work the reality is far less rosey. Heck, it’s taken me over two weeks to finish this latest LoP chapter, and it’s only 11k words or so. With my wordcount, you’d think I’d have had it done a week ago.
Oh, well. At least I’m still producing something, yes? Let us move on to the review portion.
Reviews!
Stories for This Week:
The Longest Night by Tundara
Thus Dwell in Joy by the parasprite
You Scratched My Cello?! by Moowell
Interesting Nights by Azure129
For the Moon so Loves the World by Ayla
Again by OfTheIronwilled
Elected To Bat by Melon Hunter
The Glimmering Gardener by ArgonMatrix
Grief is the Price We Pay by Scyphi
When the Stars are Right by Broken Phalanx
Total Word Count: 701,296
Rating System
Why Haven't You Read These Yet?: 2
Pretty Good: 4
Worth It: 3
Needs Work: 1
None: 0
The Longest Night
6,218 Words
By Tundara
Seeing that Tundara has no intention of finishing Myths and Birthrights in our collective lifetimes, I decided it was time to explore some of their other stories. This one, which is set in the same universe and apparently acts as a prequel, occurs immediately after the defeat of Nightmare Moon. Princess Celestia, victorious and miserable, watches in surprise as a pair of stars crash to earth. When she goes to investigate, she is startled to find Twilight Sparkle and Luna in the resulting crater.
What immediately draws my attention is the worldbuilding. A war that raged for years instead of a one night sibling squabble, the idea that Twilight’s domain is ‘granting wishes’ rather than magic or friendship (bear in mind this was written in 2012), wishes can linger and continue to exist in some nebulous fashion long after they are made, and so on. The one that had me raising my eyebrows was the idea that alicorns can only cry once every century, an idea that is immediately disproved when Celestia cries more than once over the course of this story. Consistency, author, if you please.
On the surface, it’s a story about Twilight and Luna unintentionally going back in time to comfort a post-war Celestia. Yet I can already see the stirrings of something much bigger. It makes me wish all the more that Tundara would stop chasing the plot bunnies and end the main story so I can finally read it. Alas, such will never be, so I shall instead explore the rest of this author’s library in hopes that the rest is just as good or better, because this was definitely worth my time. It’s a pleasant story, albeit a short one, with an endearingly dorky Twilight, a ceaselessly playful Luna, and a good deal of worldbuilding elements for its short length. A shame it ends so quickly.
By all means, give it a go.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Thus Dwell in Joy
8,718 Words
By the parasprite
In this story, which was written before Discord was reformed, we discover that Discord is god. Yes, the little G is appropriate, because in the grand scheme of things even being a god is not saying much. But no gods are so pathetic in the infinite noninfinite of endless nonexistent existence as Celestia and Luna. And this story, told by the Master of Disharmony himself, is all about that. Don’t bother trying to comprehend it. Your mortal mind is far too tiny.
I have read many a parasprite story in my time, but I can say with confidence that this is my favorite. In the ceaselessly disdainful tone of Discord, we get to learn how Equestria was made. But not just Equestria: time, light and dark, harmony, peace, existence such as it can be comprehended by mortals all exist through Discord. And why? Because living in a voidless void of less than less than nothing for a timeless noninfinity gets boring after you’d been through it for forever notimes, and he’d just met a pair of pathetic gods with some interesting ideas like happiness and sunlight and companionship and time that he just had to try out.
The only problem with time and finite spaces is that it means things have to have an ending.
It’s fascinating. It’s somewhat mind-bending. It’s delightfully voiced (I swear I heard the whole thing being read by John de Lancie in my head). It’s tragic, but honestly, I was too busy thinking to be properly horrified by the inevitability of it all. Regardless, it is a little disturbing. It would be a whole lot of disturbing if the concepts being spoken of here could be comprehended by a mortal mind.
I enjoyed this. It’s not the ceaseless black misery that tends to plague the parasprite’s usual material, but nor is it a happy ray of sunshine. It is a significant piece of worldbuilding wrapped up in the tonality of a disdainful, whimsical draconequus. And if it were true… well, it would put things like Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie in a whole new light. Or non-light, as it were. Or perhaps something in between.
Bookshelf: Why Haven’t You Read These Yet?
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Solitary Locust — WHYRTY?
Listen and Learn — Worth It
Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie — Worth It
Luna’s Communistastical Adventure With the 1959 Soviet Space Probe Luna-2 — Crackfic
You Scratched My Cello?!
1,000 Words
By Moowell
Vinyl has a purely hypothetical question for her roommate regarding a purely hypothetical situation involving a certain cello purely hypothetically getting scratched.
I have often been critical of authors who fail to use the narrative to support their dialogue. This is not because narrative is absolutely imperative to get the emotions in dialogue to come to the forefront, but because most authors struggle to do so without it. Enter Moowell, who proves capable of writing a story with no narrative whatsoever and yet manages to perfectly convey the voices of Vinyl and Octavia as they discuss this purely hypothetical situation. That, my friends, requires skill.
This story is great. It’s funny, achieves everything it needs to in the shortest wordcount possible (on FIMFiction), and its dialogue is something to learn from. I can think of no reason not to indulge in this one.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Interesting Nights
9,983 Words
By Azure129
In this silly story, we find that Discord and Celestia regularly get together for ‘game night’ (how regularly is unclear). Discord has a thing for foals’ games, but soon it’s decided to try something more mature. Like a friendly game of poker. What follows is a silly night of not-quite-cheating, serious questions, high-risk bets, and far more cupcakes than is probably healthy, even for an alicorn and draconequus.
Looking at the title, you’d think this is a romance. And to be fair, it is tagged that way and the hints are there. But this doesn’t end with a roll in the sheets or a heartfelt declaration of adoration. It’s much more of a friendshipping tale than a romance, and it works wonderfully that way. We get to enjoy as the two immortals have a lot of silly fun with one another and start to form a bond that both have been struggling to grasp for some time.
My only complaint is that I feel Azure129 relies a little too much on dialogue for this one. Not that there’s anything being said that shouldn’t be, it just feels like sometimes the narrative gets far too short and repetitive in nature as the dialogue starts hogging all the space (that makes sense, right?).
Still, I liked it. This is a relaxing, laid back story that is neither terribly serious nor overly silly. Pleasantly slice-of-lifey, really. I can see no reason not to recommend it.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
For the Moon so Loves the World
10,483 Words
By Ayla
When a comet approaches Equestria with no solution in sight, Luna decides to sacrifice herself to save the world. Then there’s the aftermath.
In this story, Ayla attempts to create a grieving Celestia unwilling to survive without her sister. Whether Celestia is that weak an individual is highly debatable, but it’s not an overall bad concept. The events of the story open up a plethora of possibilities with chances at worldbuilding, atmosphere, and drama. I’m sorry to say that the author pulls off none of it, though not for lack of trying.
Ayla skips all the necessary character growth and development in favor of jumping immediately to the critical moments. They also make no attempt at all to develop the atmosphere of a scene, such that even the most interesting moments seem drab. It all comes down to the author trying to do far too much far too quickly with far too many characters. There’s no time to let things sink in, no opportunity to get to know the players, and the story leans on extrapolation like a crutch in order to hasten the plot to its inevitable and predictable conclusion.
That’s too bad, because the base idea and how Ayla tried to approach it are good. There was a ton of potential with this, and I can see it being grown into something amazing under the right direction. This just… wasn’t it.
Bookshelf: Needs Work
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
It's Okay Baby Girl — Needs Work
Again
1,792 Words
By OfTheIronwilled
Well. This was a fine thing to wake up to.
Long ago, Megan was kidnapped and kept away from her family for years. That’s not what she remembers, but it’s what they all told her. Stories of ponies and adventures and best friends are nothing more than fantasies conjured up by a little girl trying not to remember horrible traumas. But she’s better now. She knows there are no ponies. At least until another one falls into her well.
This is one of those stories that is hated just as much as it is loved. I didn’t expect it to be quite so dark, despite the tags, and the end truly horrified me. It’s about a young woman desperate to be ‘normal’ and willing to do anything, even something inhumane, to finally grasp it. Even if it means the destruction of an entire world.
I am getting flashbacks of George R.R. Martin’s Sandkings, particularly when the protagonist sat in his chair and ignored the horrible sounds of one of his friends getting eaten alive piece-by-piece in the basement. Except this time it’s not the protagonist’s best friend, it’s one of my own.
But – and only the true sadficionados will get this – that’s a good thing. It’s memorable, it’s emotional, its visceral. It's done without gorey details, just a sickening awareness stringed along by simple, occasional reminders. OfTheIronwilled never forgets that this isn’t a story about Rainbow Dash, it’s a story about Megan and how broken she is. They play to that with remarkable skill.
So I love this story, and I hate this story. Like Sandkings, I don’t expect it to fade from my memories anytime soon.
Bookshelf: Why Haven’t You Read These Yet?
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Where All My Layers Can Become Reeds — WHYRTY?
One Small Mistake — Pretty Good
Pies — Pretty Good
An Owl Without His Books — Worth It
Why — Worth It
Elected To Bat
1,322 Words
By Melon Hunter
In this bout of random silliness, we learn that Fluttershy still occasionally transforms into Flutterbat, although she retains her sanity while doing so now. Twilight, being determined to ‘fix’ her friend, has been coming up with more and more crazy solutions to the problem, all of which just cause Shy more trouble. Surely this latest one will work fine though, right?
This is essentially a constant play on words. Well, except for the last part, which doesn’t seem to have anything to do with ‘bat’. But seeing as it’s all nonsensical silliness anyway, I doubt anyone will care. While the focus does appear to be on Fluttershy herself, the point seems to be Twilight having an extended, guilt-ridden freakout with a touch of “for science!” thrown in for good measure.
I have no complaints. The story is decently written, the humor’s not bad, and it’s all in good fun anyway. Read it if you’re in a Flutterbat mood.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
More Than She Could Dream Of — Worth It
The Glimmering Gardener
33,396 Words
By ArgonMatrix
Lilligold is a uniquely talented pony whose gift is breeding fantastic plants with incredible magical properties. She’s also shy enough to count as a unicorn version of Fluttershy. Living in the city of Elmshire far to the south of Equestria, she leads a life that may be more interesting than she’s comfortable with.
This ends up being not one story but a collection of mostly unrelated shorts that focus on Lilligold’s many adventures. These range from surviving in dungeons to dangerous mountain expeditions to struggling attempts at romance. Throughout it all we find that Lilligold is one of the sweetest and most passionate mares you’ll ever meet.
What I like most is that while none of the stories are directly linked (and indeed, are clearly not in the same timeline), the main ones seem to build off one another. The first six chapters are the ‘main’ entries and, if I’m reading them right, are chronological in relation to one another. The rest are bonus material that may or may not be canon to the main events, which makes me question why ArgonMatrix bothered to include some of them. A few seem like they should be the start of their own separate stories. I suppose I can’t blame the author for wanting to dump all Lilligold-related shorts and non-stories into a single location though. Generally speaking, I enjoyed the main shorts significantly more than the bonus material.
The one catch is that there are going to be lot of unanswered questions. You’ll never know who the cruel dictator that (presumably briefly) ruled Elmshire was or how he came to (and apparently lost) power. You won’t know anything about Lilligold’s past. None of the extra characters who come along get more than a brief background before disappearing for good (with the notable exception of the Duchess). You will probably want to know a lot more than is given, and ArgonMatrix is almost certainly never going to give you that information. Ever.
If you can get past that, this is still a nice collection of shorts that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’d like to see ArgonMatrix do something bigger with Lilligold. Maybe they have and I just haven’t seen it yet. Whatever the case, I enjoyed seeing her in action for the short duration that I could. She’s certainly a worthwhile pony to get to know.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
A Draconequus' Guide to Immortality — Pretty Good
Don't Feel — Pretty Good
Grief is the Price We Pay
609,417 Words
By Scyphi
Requested by Dlaf rferg
The last thing Spike ever expected when he defended Thorax before the royalty of the Crystal Empire was for them to not be swayed. But that’s exactly what happened, and even his best friend Twilight refused to back him up. In the end, Spike and Thorax find themselves banished from Equestria. Spike has to pick up the pieces and help his new – and now only – friend survive in a world that doesn’t want him.
There are two things you have to get over in order to read this story. The first, obviously, is its gargantuan length. The second, and far more substantial, is the changeling known as Twilight Sparkle.
No, not literally. I haven’t given away some big reveal. Twilight’s just Twilight. Except that Twilight would never do in this story what she did to Spike, and we all know that. It’s a huge sticking point that can be very difficult to get over. In Scyphi’s defense, by the end of the story they’ve laid down some very compelling arguments in favor of Twilight’s decidedly un-Twilight behavior. I am still not convinced, but it’s good enough to let me handwave the issue. What can’t be handwaved is that the story starts after the banishment, and it take a long while for the events to get an explanation. I can easily see people putting the story away with the first chapter because they can’t justify Twilight’s actions and aren’t willing to wait it out for an explanation that may never come. I definitely believe that was a poor decision on Scyphi’s part.
But if you can get past those two significant humps, you may find a worthwhile story in there. The majority of it has to do with Thorax’s and Spike’s life in banishment. Which isn’t as bad as one might think considering they manage to stay in Equestria right under the authorities’ noses and live in general comfort. The real meat and potatoes of the story is how Twilight’s betrayal harms Spike psychologically, Thorax’s ongoing efforts to be there for his new friend, and their ongoing efforts to keep from being found out. Along the way we get to see a wide range of characters get involved, directly or not, including Fluttershy, Trixie, Ember, Princess Luna, and a handful of well-crafted OCs.
And that’s just the beginning. Along the way we get to learn huge amounts regarding changeling culture, including their unique language, religion, and societal idiosyncrasies. The detail the author puts into creating a wholly alien culture for the changelings is nothing short of delightful and one of my favorite parts of the story. You may never look at acorns the same way again.
Did the story have to be so long? Eh, hard to say. Probably not. But where the ridiculous length succeeds is in giving us plenty of time to appreciate Thorax and Spike as individuals, making the more dramatic moments in the later half of the story all the more memorable. Scyphi did a great job making the characters relatable and personable, especially in regards to Thorax. It’s hard not to like and root for the ever-inquisitive and friendly guy, and Spike’s story-long personal struggle over his grudge against his former friends – and ponykind in general – keeps the tale going when Thorax’s cheerful arcs start to grind. All in all, they complement one another well.
There are some issues. The most notable is the woefully telly and extrapolative nature of Scyphi’s writing style. It’s like the author was terrified of leaving even the most minor of plot threads loose and so went the extra mile to detail out all potential thought processes, regardless of their actual value. This is a big part of why the story is so god-awful long. Did we need a few thousand words describing all of Trixie’s past activities? Absolutely not, and no, author, that Author’s Note does not provide adequate justification for wasting our time (more on those in a moment). We didn’t need thousands of words of Spike sitting there thinking about how miserable he is (I’m talking about Chapter 90, BTW). Scyphi desperately needs to learn some lessons regarding pacing and start to do a lot more ‘show’. I can see plenty of people giving up on this on the basis of the huge portions that relate every tiny element we don’t need to know.
Scyphi devoted over 100,000 words of this story to a tiny 24-hour period of time where all related characters were doing nothing but talking. On. An. Airship. Four months over hundreds of thousand of words, and then 24 excruciating hours of sitting around on an airship talking. I can’t imagine how many readers the author lost over this segment of the story alone.
And then there’s the Author’s Notes. Look, I’m fine if someone wants to use these to convey more information about the world due to a lack of realistic chances to put things out there. What we don’t need is the author talking about how excited they are to do X, Y, and Z. Or, far worse, telling the readers “Hey, it may seem like there’s nothing to this chapter, but you’ll be glad I wrote ten chapters from now! *wink wink nudge nudge*”. For the love of Luna, Celestia, and Discord, stop it. You’re not ginning up excitement in your readers. We don’t need to know that you’ve planted something in the chapter that will be necessary for later. It is the story’s job to reveal these things, and by cluing the reader in you are doing nothing except cheapening the effect. You are clearly writing this story for adults, so stop treating the notes like the “next time on!” segment of a Saturday morning cartoon.
Going back to the story, I was also particularly annoyed with this whole inquiry thing that took up half the last chapter. It seemed like that was something that should have been addressed earlier, leaving the more personal parts to be the ending’s highlight. It was especially bad considering the inquiry effectively doomed Equestria to its enemies by overloading royal decisions with an overbearing bureaucracy incapable of effectively responding to anything. Congratulations, Chrysalis; you may not have succeeded in overthrowing the country directly, but you’ve certainly softened it up for the kill. Try again in a year and you’ll have far more success.
Oh, and that brings me to something that is unquestionably good about this story! Obviously, the story starts mid-Season 6. One of the best decisions Scyphi could have ever made was to make it clear that the season is still ongoing with the story, meaning the events of the other episodes continue despite the drastic changes caused by this story. As soon as you realize this, you know where this story is going, and Scyphi played to that aspect beautifully. As the story (extremely) gradually moves further and further along with the events of the season, my anticipation grew because all signs pointed to the inevitable. And then it happens and the author blended the story’s events and circumstances into the season finale like a pro. I may not like certain aspects of how Scyphi wrote the story, but I can’t deny they’ve got the plot aspect down pat.
Twilight, believe it or not, is one of the better aspects of that plot. While her initial actions are entirely unlike her to the point of significantly risking a potential reader’s ability to dive in, everything after that is nicely in-character. Her actions are driven by an obsessive semi-insanity, amounting to a long-term freakout the likes of which Lesson Zero can’t compare. That this persists even as we see her friends start to question her actions – directly or indirectly – makes her one of the story’s more interesting characters.
Grief is the Price We Pay is a story that excels in terms of its plot, but leaves a lot to be desired in how that story is directed. An ill-advised start, pacing that makes glaciers look like comets, and an extreme desire to extrapolate on every minute detail is countered by an excellent plotline, stellar worldbuilding, and a constant theme of “actions have consequences”. I was frustrated at times, but also driven to some high emotions and thorough approval for how the author approached the plot. It’s by no means the greatest ‘big’ story I’ve ever read, and it won’t be earning top marks due to its many issues. But it is still a good story, and an ambitious one.
And as we all know, I like ambition. I just hope that the future stories I read by Scyphi will reveal the author learning to rein in their extrapolative tendencies.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
When the Stars are Right
21,136 Words
By Broken Phalanx
Requested by ???
This one slipped through the cracks. I had it in my Request bookshelf, but somehow didn’t know it was there until Broken Phalanx contacted me asking who had requested it. I have no records whatsoever of anyone having done so, and I always write that down. Best guess? It was a recommendation from Seattle’s Angels that got put in the wrong folder. Barring that, I’m clueless.
Anyway, the story starts with us learning that a… creature in the guise of a pony has been delivered to Twilight for study. It claims to be an extraterrestrial being that eats stars. Whatever it is, it is fathomless in comprehension, such that uttering its true name is enough to literally break a pony’s psyche. It seems to be curious about ponies as a race. Twilight finds it just plain frustrating.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Twilight lose her shit quite like this. It was unexpectedly funny in that regard. But this isn’t a comedy; this is a science fiction starring a Lovecraftian entity trying very hard to understand a bunch of creatures that, compared to its manner of existence, might as well be ants. It is alien. It is odd. It is at times annoying. It is extremely dangerous.
But it might also be friendly.
The one thing that gets me is that Twilight, for all her queries and research on Apostrophe (as the entity becomes named, tongue-in-cheek style), never bothers to ask why an entity that eats stars is now on Equestria. Granted, she doesn’t seem to believe it is what it claims to be, but one should recognize the consequences of this concept. Anyone who does will know where this story is going within the first few chapters.
At times thoughtful, at others amusing, and usually told from a perspective so wholly alien it might take a couple tries to understand a passage or two. None of this hinders the story, which is fascinating and quite original (whoever heard of the “Friendly Lovecraftian Horror” idea played straight?). I enjoyed it from beginning to end. If you like science fiction and unusual perspectives, by all means give this one a go.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Stories for Next Week:
For Whom We Are Hungry by Cold in Gardez
The Sun Also Sets by SaddlesoapOpera
The Shortsighted Princess by Summer Knight
Pony Up A Tree by Estee
Twilight Sparkle vs. the Situational Multiverse by pixelbit5
Supper of Scootaloo Stew by Lucky Dreams
in tenebris by Crystal Moose
Because She Can by Erisn
The Silver Standard by PatchworkPoltergeist
Time Turner's Discordian Detective Agency: The Panther of the Bluebloods by Rodinga
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Paul's Thursday Reviews CXLIV
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Paul's Thursday Reviews CXLXIII
Paul's Thursday Reviews CXLXIV
I myself found my story's Twilight's inability to simply ask less than ideal, but found it to be a neccessary weasel to keep the forward momentum going; an plot-hole a more practiced author probably could've vaulted over, almost certainly, but one I needed. Thank you for the review, sincerely.
Bunch of great-looking stories this time 'round, and next week looks cool too!
Once again, I haven't read any of these. I have read a few of these authors though—I remember liking a few stories by ArgonMatrix and Melon Hunter.
5013425
Pretty sure I'm the one who requested it. To answer that question.
5013470
Ah, well, thank you for doing so; I enjoy seeing critiques and reviews of my works a great deal. :)
i c wut u did thar :V
That's, uh, that's actually exactly it. Like, word for word.
I won't bore you with my reasons why I thought that, but if it helps, "Grief" was a learning experience on that front, and I've since been working on...reeling in that particular bad habit.
I'll also work on the author's notes. Wish somebody said something about them sooner, actually--very few ever commented about that, so I didn't really know.
Currently, I'm working through a final edit of "Grief," and what has been getting termed as the "airship chapters" are on the slate for a overhaul, to hopefully address those massive problems they had. Will probably use the chance to address a few issues regarding Twi too.
If you knew how I had first conceived of "Grief" and had started out writing it, you'd understand why I began it where I did, but as obviously no one but me does, the beginning has always been...controversial. Unfortunately, there never seemed to be a consensus on it. Some people liked it as is, some thought as you, and some thought something else entirely.
All in all, a fair review. The criticisms sting a little as criticisms do, but they're largely justified. I can at least take comfort that the story still pulled through where it mattered most.
I've read For Whom We Are Hungry before. Good fic, that one.
Looks like I am one of ten, I guess. I’ve been following LoP from the start and adore it, but don’t normally comment on things.
Greatly anticipating the finale then if it’s wrapping up.
It's always been non-intuitive to me whether "Pretty Good" or "Worth It" is the higher rating.
5013470
Ah. I was definitely curious. Now I just have to figure out how I forgot to add it properly to my lists. Seriously, Paul, you’re getting senile.
5013489
5013572
As far as the author’s notes go, it’s an easy trap to fall into. I did the same thing when I first started out. Then people finally started complaining and explaining why it’s a bad idea. I keep them in place in my old stories just to remind me of how cringe-worthy I used to be.
It astounds that you’re bothering to still work on Grief. If it were me I would have been done with it the moment the last chapter was posted. But meh, if you’d rather perfect one story rather than release new material, that’s your prerogative.
There is no such thing as a ‘consensus’, at least in literature. There will always be that group that doesn’t like what you did. This is why I try to remind myself that even my most scathing review is just an opinion; there are things I think as sheer literary idiocy that other well-knowns treat as modern Shakespeare (the cretins) and vice-versa. It’s great to try and please people, just don’t go out of your way trying to satisfy everyone or you’ll be stuck working on the same story for an eternity.
Wait...
5013835
Glad to hear from you! Always good to know I’m not the only one enjoying my material.
5013924
Really? It seems pretty intuitive to me. Just the phrase “worth it” seems blasé to me, whereas there’s no question where “pretty good” stands on matters. But I guess I shouldn’t assume other people think
properlyas I do.5014150
Originally I was going to finish posting "Grief" and then move on entirely--the editing to "Grief" initially was just supposed to be combining some of the shorter chapters together for logistical reasons, something that would be easy to do. But then I figured since I was in there, I might as well make a few other edits. Other than the aforementioned edits planned for the "airship chapters," most of the edits are relatively simple--correct a typo here, adjust a bit of lore there, omit a word there, etc. So we're not talking super extensive edits, really.
And "Grief's" not the only thing I'm working on, I have other projects I'm juggling at the same time. Otherwise I probably would've already finished with said edits by now.
You're right though, at some point I'm just going to have to leave the darn fic alone and move on already.
5014150
"Pretty good" seems kind of "eh, it's okay" because "pretty" means "sorta", whereas "worth it" is much more definite. I never would have guessed it was the other way around if you didn't order the ratings at the start of each review set.
Looks like I'm gonna have to read Joy and Again. Long time since I had a good bout of mental gymnastics.