On the Bulletproof Heart · 12:24am Sep 14th, 2020
No, no, wait! Put away those torches and pitchforks, I promise BPH is still in production.
Today I finished the rough draft for the latest chapter of the next BPH story, which has been titled Famous Last Words for a long time now. That done, I went to check how many words it came out to. It ended up being ~41,000. And my thoughts as I saw that: "I am okay with this."
The obvious question: "How can you be okay with this? That one chapter is longer than most stories on the site! What is wrong with you?"
Ah, but in the question lies the answer. The original Bulletproof Heart tells one big story about Rarity coming to terms with her new life as a drifter and gunslinger. For the sequel, I wanted things to be different. Specifically, I wanted each chapter to be a story unto itself. Chronologically told, and building off of one another, but still a series of independent stories. And if one of those stories happens to be much longer than the others, fine by me. I'll almost certainly divide up individual chapters into pieces for easier consumption by the reader in the end, but the goal remains.
Another reason I'm okay with this is my decision in recent months to split the sequel into two books, which means the first one can be padded with more depth if I want. I already know I'll need to go back to previous chapters to add some content now that this is an option, but I'm not complaining. It allows me to tell a fuller, more complete story with each chapter, and that is something I can get behind.
Yet it also brings to light a new problem, one that's been on my mind for a while but I couldn't quite describe. Until now, when the latest 'story' finally brings the topic forward. Bulletproof Heart had a central running element to it, that being Rarity's sense of morality and guilt over the actions demanded of her in her new lifestyle. By the same token, Famous Last Words was also meant to have a dominant theme, which is itself enshrined in the title. This theme was supposed to recur again and again in a minor ways throughout the story before getting a big crescendo in the conclusion.
But now the sequel is going to be two books. And if the first book is going to feel complete, it needs its own thematic connectivity and climax, preferably one separate from the second. This was a big problem, because the theme of Famous Last Words was perfectly on display in the intended conclusion of the original Book 2. But Book 2 Part I won't be featuring that climax. Suddenly, the theming I was going for doesn't work, because Book 2 Part I ends at a completely different climax that itself needs to be big and grand and important all on its own.
This latest chapter gives me that theme at last. I now know, in a general sense, what I want to be the final conflict, who the villain will be, and what lesson will be learned not only by Rarity, but by her companions who have joined her on this journey. One, in particular.
Now I face the latest problem: all the prior stories were gearing towards the original climax when they should have been gearing towards this new one. Some of these issues are not such a big deal; just change a few lines and call it a day. But what about other chapters? Some of them might no longer be appropriate for this book at all. Should I rewrite them? Cut them and retool them to fit in the third book? Pick out specific scenes and only rewrite those? It's not clear at all. When I finally get done with the full rough draft and pull in some pre-readers, I'm going to be hoping for them to catch things between the two themes to help me identify issues, because I get the feeling I'll need it.
Some of you might think this is a headache. You may read all of this and believe I'm frustrated to the point of grinding my teeth. On the contrary, I'm actually kind of excited. I have discovered a flaw in my original plans, and I have a chance to correct them and make the story better. Back when I was releasing chapters as I wrote them, this possibility didn't exist. I want the next book to be as good as it can be, and my latest epiphany, courtesy of my latest chapter, gives me the chance to do that. The one and only downside is that it means more time taken to get there. That, I'll admit, is a little frustrating.
Also, I need a new title for this second book. Famous Last Words no longer works. I'll have to dive into some My Chemical Romance songs in search of a new one. (For those of you wondering, Book 3 (now Book 4) is planned to be called Keep Running, a reference to the MCR song Sing.)
Writing is at times tedious, at times fun, and at times frustrating.
Planning a story is always and forever fun, and I doubt I will ever tire of it.
Now it you'll excuse me, I have ~41,000 words to do an editing run for before I start the next chapter.
I'd tell you to stay sane, but having edited chapters barely not that long, I know that it is too inadequate for the harrowing ordeal you must edit yourself out of.
I just like the idea of more stories of a wild west Cowgirl named Rarity traveling the world with a pistol and passing through and helping out.
Plus that pic is pure 1920's nior. Love it.
Hey, if something needs to be written it needs to be written, regardless of how long some chapters might end up being. Great to hear how much you're putting into it too, after reading BPH the sequel is probably the story I'm most excited to read on this site, whenever it comes out. Good luck and have fun writing!
So long as we are getting updates, can I ask about The silence?
5354959
As I said, when someone does anthro but keeps the hooves instead of hands, it really bugs me. I feel like if they aren't on all fours, they should have hands.
That said, I'm a die-hard Rarity fanboy, so no,that doesn't strike me as shocking at all.
5354960
My sanity will remain intact. It's my work ethic that I fret over.
5354962
It's surprisingly hard to find any Cowgirl Rarity images to support my blogs on this subject. But I won't ever complain about Noir Rarity. Always one of the cooler ones.
Thank you for the insightful update about your work on the next parts of one of my favorite stories on fimfiction. I'm far happier to know that more and better word is on its way .
I loved your work before so you go and make what feel is best and I'll trust to your proven excellence.
Also, is totally buy a lulu book of bullet proof heart if you were to sell them. And if you're headed towards a the volume set.... : )
5354984
Ah, The Silence. This actually came up in my reviewing of potential work in the near future. I came to a few conclusions in regards to it.
First and foremost, my ambition got away with me in regards to The Silence. The overall story I wanted to tell and what would be required to tell it was just too much. I thus faced the prospect of either cancelling it entirely, struggling to redirect it to a faster conclusion, or changing the methodology. I went with Option #3.
I can now say that the FIMfiction version of The Silence will probably be discontinued. However, that does not mean an end to the concept. I have instead re-imagined The Silence in an original fiction format, with a much more tightly controlled narrative. I can't say when I'll get around to writing it, as I am already working on multiple projects at once and just can't squeeze it in at the moment, but I can say that the new ideas and brainstorming for this re-imagining gets me excited every time I return to it.
I understand that this decision may be disappointing to some fans of the FIMFiction version, and for that I can only apologize. But I have to do what's best for the story and for myself. In this case, restarting the concept from scratch from an original fiction standpoint is absolutely the best course for my own goals and for what the story could become.
5354999
Ah, right. Lulu. I keep forgetting that the site's redesign in the past year has rendered my BPH copies on it obsolete and unsellable. I need to get my bum in gear and fix that.
Then why not just rename the chapters to 'parts' and then label the pieces thereof as chapters? I mean, if the two books are no longer halves of the same story that should work, right?
5355002
Oh, well I just checked after reading that and see they went up in June last year? I missed that somehow. Apparently you did already have the books available and I just hadn't rechecked since chapters had ended being posted. My bad.
You coulda prefaced this post by saying “this is actually good news”, otherwise the beginning gives the impression you’ve hit a stumbling block rather than cleared one.
At any rate, always love getting progress reports. Badly looking forward to Famous Last Words Untitled Marshmallow Horse Shoots Villains Story.
5355022
Assuming I understand your description correctly (and I'm not sure I do), that was the plan all along. It'll be along the lines of "Chapter Name, Part I", "Chapter Name, Part II", etc.
5355025
No worries. But apparently the books on Lulu don't work anymore since they redesigned their site, so I'll have to go in and re-do them, possibly from scratch, in order for them to become available again. I've known about this for months, but for some reason I keep forgetting to go in and do the job.
5355027
Perhaps you're right, but the 'torches and pitchforks' line always amuses me, so...
Also, I'm seriously considering the new title of A Shot to Remember, which is a line from MCR's song The Sharpest Lives.
5355044
Ooh, nice. Evokes a fateful decision, shot-heard-around-the-world kinda thing.
"I'll almost certainly divide up individual chapters into pieces for easier consumption by the reader in the end, but the goal remains."
Whew, thank you. If you hadn't mentioned that, I was planning to suggest it. :D
A ~41 kw chapter may be fine for story purposes, even useful in contexts like this, but it's a bit much to get through in one sitting. :D
(...I mean, okay, yes, the other day I did accidentally read something nearly twice that length in basically one sitting, but that was a somewhat special circumstance. :D)
Anyway, yeah, even if all the chapter parts are posted at the same time, still useful to have them divided up that way, I think.
Thanks for the update on how things are going with the writing process, and I'm glad that seems to be "pretty well, overall". :)
And good luck going forward!
Best of luck in rejiggering the themes of the second book. I'm glad to hear you're more excited than annoyed by the prospect.
5355106
As someone who reads an average of 30 k/day like clockwork, this amuses me.
5355115
Coming up with ways to improve a story is always a pleasant experience. Even the act of doing it doesn't bug me as much as it used to. I think I finally got over that typical writer's hump of not wanting to change things already done.
It's fine it's fine, just hit your screen with a keyboard until it works. That's how i handle writing anyway
5355132
You must use up a fortune in monitors and keyboards.
Glad to be updated! I, personally, can't wait for whenever the new second book is coming out!
5355161
You and me both.
5355162 True true! While I certainly await with bated breath, you can't rush perfection (or satisfaction, because nothing is ever truly perfect), and the time you spend refining it will certainly show in the final product, I'm sure!
Can't wait to see it!
5355141
Gotta spend my cash on things aside from booze and video games, after all
YAY! Always happy to hear updates on one of my favorite works! Eagerly (and patiently) awaiting.
Fallout: Equestria's The Shadow of the Ministries chapter was nearly 52k words long and it remains one of my favorite chapters ever. If this chapter is as significant as you say I have absolutely no qualms about the length.
I eagerly await the sequel, good luck with the rewrite!
5355123
Oh, yeah, in isolation it's not that much for me, either, and indeed I happen to have read over 30 kw in basically one sitting yesterday, too. Even when non-story things have opened up enough of a time window for me to do that reading, though, that doesn't necessarily mean I won't also have other stories take chunks out of the total day's word count for themselves. Smaller chapters mean smaller amounts of time needed for each, allowing the use of windows smaller than those needed for handling larger chapters in one sitting and thus, since the smaller windows are more common, more flexibility in scheduling around and with as-yet-unknown other things. :)
Sorry if that wasn't clear (or still isn't, I'm typing this in a hurry and on less than three hours of sleep (As, uh, said 30-k-plus single-sitting reading from yesterday was, as if to demonstrate, not without costs in time from other things... very fun, though. :D)), but glad you got amusement out of what I said before. :)
Ever since I accidentally got a glimpse of some of your early work on this while pre-reading for Bulletproof Heart, I have been waiting with absolute joy for this. This is going to be so awesome!
If you are looking for pre-readers I would love to be one.