A question about 'serious' shipping · 8:37pm Nov 19th, 2012
So I started working on an Apple-Dash fic and I was having some trouble with the opening, so I re read the openings to my other couple of stories to see what I did back then. And holy god, Acquiesce's is so terrible.
Rainbow Dash shook her head fiercely and pressed her hooves against her forehead in an attempt to forcefully drive the fatigue out of her body.
Sometimes I want to go back in time and slap myself. This is why I make a point never to re-read anything I've written. I rather liked the other two though.
Anyway, someone told me something about writing shipping recently and I was wondering if someone could confirm/clarify it. They told me that if I was trying to write more serious themes, (ie. what love is, or the importance of trust in a relationship) it was inappropriate to include little, clop-esque, physical/sensual type descriptions. But as I write, I keep finding myself doing just that.
For example, from Rarity's Mare of the Evening:
Applejack’s attention kept getting caught by the shapely curves of the unicorn’s flank. Occasionally, Rarity cutely swished her tail to one side. Applejack tried to look away, but found herself entranced. Her gaze anchored to that pearly white flank, willing the tail to swish again.
While RMotE can't be considered serious by any stretch of the imagination, I'll almost certainly remove that passage whenever I re-write it (which is next up on my to-do list, just as soon as I have time). But, does it really matter? Do these sorts of descriptions distract from the more serious themes and detract from the overall quality? Or does it not really matter?
Final note, I just realized that if I had some sort of dedicated/permanent pre reader I could just ask them and not have to make an entire blog post about it. Anyone know how I might go about doing that? I know of a couple local writing groups, but I'm not sure if pony shipping is really the sort of thing I'm comfortable discussing in public. And the only other writers I know have made it very clear that they have zero interest in fanfiction. Especially shipping.
Oh, and what the hell, might as well explain this now, since if you're reading this it must mean that at some level, however small, you care about my writing. I'm writing 5 more stories, because I feel obligated to do so, and then I'm pretty sure I'll be done.
1. Silly little AppleDash for a holiday fic exchange
2. Pinkie-Dash multiparter, it has more problems than anything I've ever written, but I'll die before I give up on it.
3. Another AppleDash that I promised myself I would write forever ago.
4. Rewrite Rarity's Mare of the Evening, specifically to fix the rushed 'and then they made out and everyone lived happily ever after' ending.
5. RariJack sequel to Acquiesce, because there are loose ends in that story that need to be tied up.
6. Never write anything but school essays for the rest of my life. Probably starting around spring.
I really need to get back to work now...
I don't think little bits of "physical" shipping detract at all from the themes of a story if they're well written. Part of a relationship is the physical side, and a story that can handle that side in a mature way is stronger for it.
518594 I agree. When done right, some of the physical side can add to a story, and not turn it into some clopfic.
I will be trying to do just that with the story, One Wing, that I am working on.
I'm not a writer and can't help, I'm just posting to say YESYESYESYES! Looking forward to your new stories