Cozy Glow Contest #2 · 4:04am Jul 19th, 2021
Source: https://derpibooru.org/images/2655378
Just a blog to spread the word about the Cozy Glow group's second annual contest. I'll be participating, as I did last year (I write a lot of Cozy Glow stories anyway, so it's not like I need an excuse to write another one, right?). Like last year, there will be prizes, so please consider joining the contest. I'm not interested in prizes or contests in general (last year's Cozy Glow contest is the only contest I've entered on the site to date), all I care about is that it means more Cozy Glow stories. That's my 'win' for the contest.
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/213908/cozy-glow/thread/474182/short-story-contest-2-announcement
The bad news is this means I'll be shifting some of my focus away from 16 for the next two months, until my entry is completed.
The good news is... Snowcatcher's first two chapters are done. Her first chapter is nearly ready for posting, while her second chapter is still in the pre-reading phase. She's definitely getting a third chapter... and possibly a fourth (that depends on whether I want it to go in Act I or Act II - I'm leaning toward the latter at the moment; we still have three more ponies to learn about and I'm anxious to start working on them, too).
Speaking of 16, there's a new cover image (likewise for Business Trip & Mr. Jones Goes To Equestria; a theme is very noticeable between the three). Most people will only get to see the new cover art when they get the notification a new chapter has been released, so if you're reading this, consider it an opportunity to offer feedback. Like it? Hate it? Is it an improvement or do you want the old cover back?
Expect a deluge of Cozy Glow stories over the next two months (and as hard as this is to believe, not all of them will be written by me 
). If anyone would like to enter the contest, but needs an idea for one of the prompts, let me know. My mind's already come up with a few different scenarios, and I can't write all of them!
Great guess who will edit all those Snowcatcher chapters.
Good luck, and thanks for the notification! I probably won't have something to enter, but, well, maybe inspiration will strike and also find the time to be expressed (I did already have one idea; I'm not sure if it'd fit under any of the prompts, but even if I turn it into something and that something isn't valid for the contest, I could still just publish it without entering it.).
As for the new cover art, though... hm. Well, one issue is that I don't recall what the previous art was, but honestly, I'm afraid I don't really care for them, personally; sorry. I think the Business Trip cover is probably the least-bad looking to me, both in terms of direct aesthetics and in terms of relation to (what I recall of) the story's content; that one might actually be pretty neutral, though it is still an ad on a roadside billboard (which is, granted, probably not as much a problem for the average reader as for me). Mr. Jones Goes To Equestria, eh, I guess is not that bad to me either, as the "Visit Equestria!" sign is at least centered, and the story is about a journey originating on Earth (though as it's been a bit, I'm afraid I don't recall how much of the journey was made by car). 16, though... To me, the most prominent thing in the image is pretty definitely the car. And while the license plate is a nice touch... what does that really have to do with this story? As it is, it draws attention away from everything else, and to the automotive infrastructure around it, and while this means that the billboard being a billboard is now a plus, its also kind of small. The story's title seems to be actively trying to escape my notice by blending in with the sky while my eyes start on the car and are then drawn up and left to the billboard.
I don't know, sorry. Hopefully that helps? I'm not that used to trying to describe this sort of thing. And I'd definitely advise not making any changes based just on my feedback here, instead looking for a larger and, importantly, more representative sample; I'm not sure even I'd be as harsh if these were less new and I wasn't looking for problems to point out for you, I am, as I said, not that used to doing this for images, and my impression is that my baseline feelings about cars are somewhat more negative than those most of your readers are likely to have.
Good luck with the art, too! And, again, sorry I didn't have more good things to say.
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That was kind of the problem. It was rather forgettable. I wanted to commission art but never found any takers.
What I like about the new covers is they all match instead of having three unrelated covers. Of note, the Business Trip cover is cropped from the billboard from 16's cover. It also makes it very clear from the start that the setting is Earth.
As for overall appeal of the new images, you're not the first to indicate this may be the wrong artistic direction.
I can't draw, but I take decent photographs (or at least I used to, when I still had a working DSLR instead of a point & shoot), so I was trying to play to my strengths. The rest of my thoughts will be in the blog post to go with Snowy's first chapter.
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Ah, sorry about that.
Hmm. One thought does come to me: maybe 16's cover fits better (than it does now, at least) for the whole story? After all, for the readers, barely any of 16 has so far been set on Earth.
...Hm. Still, unless a car very much like that one ends up playing a significant part in the story, I think there might be too much focus on it.
Ah, sorry. And yeah, the images are not themselves bad, I think; it's just a question of how well the two for 16 and Mr. Jones Goes to Equestria fit their stories (I'm pretty sure the Business Trip cover is actually fine, now, I think).
...Oh, though did you edit the art for 16, changing the color of the title itself? If not, I don't know what I was thinking before, but if so, I think it's a great improvement; now it's the actual title that first draws my eyes.
And no problem waiting for the rest of your thoughts there; as far as I know, this doesn't need to be sorted out urgently.
And I'm glad it sounds like you do have feedback from more than me on this. :D
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Once we get to Act II & Act III the cover will fit better, yes. We're drawing nearer to the conclusion of Act I. With 3/4 of the cast introduced, we only have four ponies left to meet (and some bonus chapters). Of course, Snowcatcher is getting three chapters in Act I because she's the closest the series has to a main character. The first of those chapters will be released very soon. It's undergoing some minor touch-ups and should be released this weekend (if not sooner). Her second chapter is already in the hands of my pre-readers, so hopefully that will be released in early August.
I hadn't been planning to make a red Mustang convertible central to the plot, but you make a good point, and I think I can manage that. Oh darn, I need to write one of my favorite cars into the story.
Of note, it's a match for a car we've already seen in the story: Molly's. I hadn't intended Molly's car to have much focus, but that's a thing that can happen. I even know how to work that in before the end of Act I. 
That I did, based entirely on your feedback! I like subtle, but if too much focus was on the car, it was a simple edit to make the title bolder and bring eyes there first. Judging from your reaction, it was the right call.
Going back to Ploomette's chapter, she said something that's relevant here:
Pre-readers, commenters, etc. Why let folks offer feedback if I'm not going to listen to it? If it's a good idea, it's a good idea. The story's already gone in a few new directions than I originally planned thanks to comments people have made, but that's the great thing about discovery writing: we're not confined to a locked-in plan, so we can go anywhere!
I truly thank you for your feedback. The readers are just as vested in this story as the writer. I know I can't please everyone, but if I can please folks and still tell the story I want to tell, I'm going to try my hardest to do so.
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Ah, thanks.
Huh. Well, that could work too, changing the story to fit the art instead of vice versa. :D
(Of course, it could also be executed quite badly -- but much there depends on author skill and how much room the story has to shift gracefully, both of which seem to me auspicious here if such a change is to be made. :) And it sounds like you already have some ideas for how it can fit. :D)
I'm afraid I'm not recalling at the moment who "Molly" is, though, sorry.
Aye, I think so. :)
Heh, aye, indeed. :)
Well, you're welcome, and thank you, for that and for writing in general. :)
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You've been following along with the story for a while. I like to think that's your vote of confidence in my writing abilities.
I've made several changes to the planned narrative as the story's evolved. When you consider that my planning is very loose to begin with, it's not that difficult to adapt the story as I go along. If I had a list of bullet points to hit each chapter, the story would read like a shopping list. Instead it flows organically. I was already planning a car chase in an upcoming chapter. Now it has a red Mustang convertible in it. Simple solutions are often the best ones.
Megan's younger sister from Ploomette's third chapter. She drives a red Mustang convertible.
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Right, I think so. :)
I think I recall you mentioning at least some of those changes, aye.
And, heh, glad that's working out so well. :)
Ahh, thanks.