Revisions and Reminiscence - Chapter 3 · 4:06am Mar 14th, 2020
If I didn't know any better, I'd hazard that Chapter 3 of EG:BFF was written as a rebuke to how Chapter 2 was composed, as if to say "Look, fool, here's how you do flashbacks properly: you make the time periods distinct, and you make sure to clearly identify which period is taking place at the current moment!"
Just a shame that my past self is too busy scarfing down candy to pay attention...
Chapter 3's revisions are now complete, and that undertaking mostly just involved correcting a few grammatical errors and tightening up the sentence framing. Honestly, as much as I hate praising myself—for fear of losing the humility crucial to not being an arrogant prick—I'm still rather pleased with how well it turned out on the first go. It feels like it carries many of Chapter 1's strengths, but with the benefit of more characters and angles to work with.
With the obvious exception of Rarity, every one of the Mane 7 gets some screen time and humor, their characterization feels relatively on par, and the story continues to be advanced through the progression of current plot points, whilst establishing future ones. Add onto that how fun it is to write for someone like Pinkie Pie, and it was just an enjoyable chapter to plan all around.
(Actually, one of the first jokes I envisioned for this story was Pinkie's suggestion to turn the phones off and on again. It's one of those fallible solutions that shouldn't work, like smacking a TV or blowing on a cartridge, and yet it does in real life. It's the kind of thing that you could see Twilight overlooking and Pinkie instantly thinking of, and their contrast just felt so perfect!)
The one thing I'm not terribly fond of with this chapter is the subject matter of the flashback itself. Strange as it seems, I'm a fan of sticking closely to established lore. That's why I make so many references to past specials and moments that actually occurred within the show, so as to maintain a firm continuity (also to serve as a reminder for the audience). Not that I don't appreciate those who can write outside the box, but it's just not something I'm good at—the best I can do is extrapolate a trajectory based on previous readings.
As such, including this never-before-spoken promise between Applejack and Rarity, as well as her hat featuring some hitherto unmentioned silver twines, just feels a bit too close to being a retcon for my tastes. That said, the fact that these details wouldn't really influence any of the prior continuity in a meaningful way makes me feel a bit less critical of it all.
Furthermore, and with no disrespect intended, this is fanfiction. Many people have their own interpretation of how a show would progress if it could, and our stories are all equally invalid when faced with the truth that they're not acknowledged as actual cannon, no matter how much we wished otherwise. Even if they were declared as such, that doesn't stop others from deviating in protest with their own interpretations. Are they any more wrong than I? Do the words of any creator overrule the views of the populace?
Well, whatever. To my future self, if you ultimately go the direction originally planned with this story, just remember not to be too bothered by some of your more avant-garde decisions. It's fine to stick close to established lore, but new stories cannot flourish if they're completely chained to the past. Otherwise, they're just biographies, and we both know how boring and stodgy those can be.
As a final note, I suspect this'll be the last chapter I can sweep through before getting Chapter 7 out. After that's all straightened out, I'll tackle Chapters 4 and 5.