Update on Things (as of 1/2021) · 2:12am Jan 20th, 2021
So...you might have noticed, it's a new year.
To that end, I've been going around and vomiting thoughts on what plans I have for the year ahead, and I figured I probably ought to do the same thing here. Only there's one problem:
There's...not all that much to tell.
There's really only two active fanfiction projects I'm currently working on. One of them is still conceptual and part of a larger group project, so there's not really a whole lot I can say about it just yet. The other is the "swansong fic"...you know, that one fic I keep hinting exists for literal years now but never saying what it's actually about. Which is probably a gimme anyway, as I always say it's still an active project whenever I do these update blogs.
Altogether, it's not really much news at all, but that's sort of why I'm bringing it up--I'm just not writing fanfics like I once was. I often don't have the time anymore, I have plenty of other projects that are prioritizing my attention, I'm often turning down potential fic ideas more often than picking them up...heck, I've basically sworn off long form fics altogether after finishing "Grief is the Price We Pay," because, despite successfully pulling it off, I really can't justify the time for projects of that scale anymore...at least not for the realm of fanfiction, where the returns I get back for it only go so far.
I mean, it's fanfiction--this is to be expected.
I guess what I'm really trying to say here is I'm not sure how much longer I'll remain in the fanfiction game. I've seriously considered "retiring" multiple times before, and admittedly kept going on anyway, but...each time this comes up, the closer to becoming a reality it gets.
I mean, now does seem like the time to consider it. MLP FiM ended, and I've noticed the fanbase is slowly moving on. FIMFiction itself is far from dead currently, but I've also noticed it's no longer the hive of activity it once was either. The heyday has ended...maybe only until G5 comes along, true...but it still makes me wonder if my own heyday in the world of fanfiction is also ending.
After all...the only reason I call the "swansong fic" the "swansong fic" at all is because I've long recognized it as a great fic to "sign off" with...and that hasn't changed even now, as I still think of it as my literal "last fic," though whether or not that proves true remains unseen.
I'm also looking at my current count of fics and realizing that after these next two, I'll be at a nice and even twenty, and it's very tempting to just call it quits once I hit that magic number.
This isn't to say I am stopping fanfiction just yet, nor that I'll stop writing--quite the opposite, in fact, as I'll just start writing more original stories instead, as that feels like the natural next step (and if that does happen, of course I'll try to share it with all of you however possible).
I guess I'm just forewarning you all now--you may not see that many more fanfics from me.
But to counter that gloom and doom, I should also point out it's still not an end just yet, so there is still more to look forward to--part of the reason that "swansong fic" has taken so long to write is because I want it to be the best darn fic it can be, so I'd like to think the best is still yet to come, or so I'm hoping.
And even then...all this sort of makes me want to call back to a major point of "Grief is the Price We Pay": just because one thing is ending, doesn't mean others can't continue on still...or even start anew. 
Amen, mah fren.
I'm still holding out on the hope that Gen 5 sparks renewed interest and brings this place back to life, even if just a little bit. Things have really been slowing down over the last year or so, but the complete lack of decent websites for other fanfiction pursuits keeps me here. I just like this site and the MLP universe too much to give this up. Looking forward to whatever you put out, no matter if it's your last or not. :)
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I like FIMFiction too, it's well designed for what it does and definitely one of the better fanfiction sites I've used. Used to frequent FanFiction.Net back in the day, before going brony, and it's a pretty decent site itself, but it's system for posting fics is...convoluted, and once coming here to FIMFiction, it was hard to go back...which is largely why many of my MLP fics never got reposted on my FanFiction.Net account.
As for FIMFiction's end fate, it'll really depend on how G5 goes and what the fan reaction is to it. But I suspect FIMFiction is not going to be anywhere any time soon regardless, so if nothing else, there's that much.