The Enchanted Kingdom - Chapter 17 - Reflection · 7:22pm Oct 7th, 2019
A few thoughts on The Art of Falling Apart. Spoilers for the chapter follow, obviously.
So there it is.
I’m not actually even sure what I want to say, but I feel like after my internal buildup to this moment, I want to say something.
I’d never really written a fight scene like that before, and especially not one that required that amount of detail and care, so I’m just really happy I was able to pull it off. I sound like a broken record, I know, but the mental health aspect of TEL and TEK are some of the most important things to me so getting this right was crucial--especially as someone who’s been on both sides of that fight.
I wrote more about this on my Tumblr a few weeks ago, but stuff like this scene and what will come next in these following chapters is what keeps me going. If TEL was about learning to forgive yourself, TEK is about how that’s only the first step, and how the important thing isn’t that you will stumble and fall over and over again, which you will, but that you’re getting up and getting better despite this all.
This was always a story, or at least a thematic act, I wanted to write. That the journey is hard, will be hard, but god damn it, we’re gonna see it through and take responsibility for what we have to take responsibility for. Something that doesn’t try and sugar-coat anything, but is also the first to reach out and help you up.
I don’t know. Does that make sense? I suppose that’s also why I don’t like to tag my stories sad. Because sure, what’s happening is rough, but I’m in the business of helping characters pull through and recover.
As JMP noted in the comments, this is also a reason TEK is from Twilight’s POV, and initially when I first set out to write this story, I was worried that had been a mistake. However, honestly, even though I know I still have three chapters left in the act so I shouldn’t be celebrating my victory just yet, I think this chapter alone validated my decision.
I’ll probably have a bigger blogpost about this, way more detailed once the entire act is done, but I’m honestly just so happy I trusted myself when, two years ago, I was afraid I couldn’t really pull any of this off.
But I did! I think! I hope. Talking about mental health was worth the goddamn hard work this has been and will continue to be.
Thank you all, as always, for trusting me and supporting me, and I’m really excited for what’s still to come.
- Mono
This is a test ily plz disregard yay TEK!
While I appreciate the mention, I'm afraid my comment was referring to something much simpler: You couldn't build up to that fight if we were privy to Rarity's mind. That being said, I think your theme shined through wonderfully in this chapter.
5133701
Yeah!
I DIDN’T EXPRESS MYSELF WELL, but that and other stuff were the reasons I went for Twi. I do think TEK would have been really interesting from Rarity’s POV, but also a really radically different fic.
Which is kinda fascinating to think about.
One thing I figured out in the course of my authorial fumbling about over the years: if a story is about one character, very often the most effective viewpoint may be someone else observing that character. I’ve applied that rule of thumb strongly in both Cookie Pusher’s story arc and Rose Brass vis-à-vis the sirens in Amphorae. Come to think of it, the “where do you put the camera” idea can work for settings as well—Mister Cook Goes to Canterlot applies the principle to Cookie Pusher visiting the city as a tourist during Hearth’s-Warming.
. . . Maybe there’s a journal post in all that. Hmm.
Anyway, all the kudos in the world for pushing through this and trusting yourself!
I'm sorry for ignoring everything else and only focusing on this little bit, but only three chapters left?
It feels like there's much more to do before everything is tied up in a neat little bow. Even if they manage to pull Luna out, there's still Lil' Ol' 'Lestia.
5133720
three chapters left of act 2! We still have two more acts till TEK is done! TEK isn’t going to be over any time soon ahahah
5133727
Oh phew TT_TT I read the AN of the chapter as "this is the final chapter of act 2", and though the last three chapters were Act 3 xD
Welp, I'm good at misunderstanding things too