Early April Writing Update - Harmonic Resonance, Firefly and Feathered Hearts · 7:23pm Apr 6th, 2022
Hey, folks. Here's another of my general writing update blogs. Skip ahead or skip over to whatever story you're interested in. They’re listed in the order I’m working on them. Tagging Eros readers for this one since the blog does mention and describe the next Eros chapter to be written within the next month.
1. Harmonic Resonance
To begin with, I'm sorry to be scarce on updates lately, and so overdue on a new Harmonic Resonance chapter. But it's just not been coming quickly, thanks in part but not entirely due to my recent illness. It's no secret that the new chapter is about Pinkie Pie's ascension to Daydream status, and not helping is that she's probably the hardest of the Mane 6 to write for, especially in a sexual setting. The one author I've seen that has done so consistently is my good friend and occasional partner in crime AJ_Aficionado, who has written Pinkie well twice in my recollection. Trying to replicate that is difficult, to say the least.
I think I've finally found the right approach, though, and what you're going to be finally getting this weekend--chapter release is aimed for Sunday morning, pending prereads and story commissioner approval--is a suitably surreal chapter involving what's become the customary story combination of magical exposure, nudity, sisters, and sex-fueled transformation. Pinkie's personality is unique (to put it mildly) and keeping her in character as all this is going on is not easy, since unlike her friends, she's simply not the type to be embarrassed by being undressed or in any way afraid of what's happening to her.
I was also left with the question of how the transformation would occur and what Pinkie's post-ascension name/powers will be. I'll keep those a surprise, but I think they're suitable to both her and my particular version of her, as you'll hear echoes of the Pinkie Pie from Midnight Rising here as well. It's worth noting again that Harmonic Resonance is not, in fact, canon to any of my other stories, existing off in its own private verse, but that doesn't mean I can't do an occasional reference or callback to my other stories within it.
Chapter currently sits at just over 6k works with at least another 2k to go. Expect it'll be draft complete by Thursday evening, at which point I'll give it a single editing pass and send it around for comment from the commissioner and prereaders alike. If all goes well, expect it out on Sunday morning. If that slips (again), I'll let folks know.
2. Firefly
Firefly is on deck after Haromonic Resonance, as readers may recall I promised no less than six new chapters of the story by summer to make up for a long drought of them. The objective there is to complete the third book in the magnum opus that Into the Storm has become, which will end with the Loyalty sailing for war again as the campaign around Maresk concludes and first steps to form the Bolt Knights are taken. The coming chapter is the third of the six chapters, detailing one final engagement at Harness Hill, and showing the immediate aftermath of the Captain's Mast as perspective shifts to Tailwind.
After that will come the final impetus behind Thestralslovakia's entry into the war (our earth pony maintenance crew and an altered song from Sabaton will be involved), followed by a time jump to a week later, post-punishment for Fell Flight and Firefly as Cloudsdale reaches station near Windy City and the Princess's grand plan to delay the Imperial advance is put into motion. We'll also find out who the replacement Aerial Corps Commanding General will be, as Typhoon has only taken the title temporarily.
So, plenty planned there, and I'd like to thank everyone who came over from stories like Feathered Heart to give a Firefly a try. Finally seen some good rise in the like count on the story recently, so if you haven't already tried it, give it a look. For Feathered Hearts fans especially, if you like the battles I've done there, I promise you won't be disappointed in the ones here.
3. Feathered Hearts - C&C and Eros
Speaking of Feathered Hearts, I'd like to give a warm welcome to all new readers off this weekend's release, which went well and seemed to be quite popular to judge by the comments I got. The plan right now, as I said in the Author's Notes of the last chapter, is to do two chapters of Firefly for every one of Feathered Hearts: Continuation and Chronicles, at least through the start of the summer.
Fans of Eros will also be happy to know that I've decided to do a new chapter of it before coming back to Midnight Rising. I'm doing so mostly to keep a promise I made to someone, but I've also wanted to get back to that for a while. I want to do an alternate viewpoint of the previous chapter, this time from Chris's perspective, who hasn't had a turn in the story yet. So you'll be invited to come along as he teaches Marco the joys of gay sex, coaching him through giving oral to Giraldi for the first time. After that will be the viewing of the movie Midway, in which you'll get to see what Gilda, Giraldi and Fortrakt all think of seeing massive ships and metal birds in battle, and what shenanigans it may spark.
I finally saw the movie recently and can strongly recommend it. It seemed to try very hard to be true to the story, though I think it took some serious liberties with the amount of tracer fire involved.
That's about all I can think of, except to mention that either Midnight Rising or Harmonic Resonance will be the next clop chapter I work on after Eros. I expect the latter would go easier than this last one, only because I think Rainbow Dash will be a lot easier to write for. We'll just see how I'm feeling at the time.
Nothing else to say, except that whatever of my works you read, thanks again for following! 
Thanks for the good word! Pinkie Pie, of all ponies, made an appearance in my first fanfiction, The Scent of Prey, and was one of the main characters of note in Fulfilling Pinkie's Dream — the latter a particularly memorable and lauded characterization. Even Shakespearacles, who thought the story overall was pretty bad (A sentiment I mostly agree with) really loved the way she was written.
I think the quality that sets apart a good PInkie from a bad or hack one in a sexual-themed setting is where you draw the dividing line between "le dank maymay" canon PP and "sensual motherly figure and supportive companion" PP. Lean too hard into her randomness and you get a Manic Pixie Dreamgirl and lean too hard the other way and you get a generic waifu that resembles nothing of the Ponka we know and love. Worst-case scenario is you get just another horny female with a color swap that's more or less an OC.
I will lend all the expertise I can to this endevour.
Funny you mention Sabaton.
I'm looking forward to the next chapter of Firefly.
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I thought he was a bit too harsh on the story overall for reasons we’ve already discussed, but I certainly agree that you nailed the depiction of Pinkie there.
Well, my PP has varied a bit over the stories, and I’ve certainly dipped into her Pinkamena side in at least a couple works. This version of her isn’t so much motherly as leaning more towards the completely surreal side of things without losing sight of who she is and what she’s supposed to do for people. You be the judge of whether it works.
And that is very much appreciated. You’ll be starting tonight, after I get the final few hundred words written and can do at least one editing pass on it first. I hate it when I pass along stuff that’s got incomplete sentences or unfinished sections.
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That’s one of my favorites, and I actually do have an analog battle at the end of the pony/gryphon war already in mind for that song.
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I’m glad! I can’t give you a release date yet, but the first 1200 words of it are down.