The future of Flesh and Blood · 11:03pm May 30th, 2014
I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I've had a lot of trouble with it. I want to continue Flesh and Blood, I really do, the fourth chapter has been practically done for a long time now. Yet, I'm constantly making changes to it, editing this paragraph, deleting this section entirely, adding new scenes... it just goes on and on. On top of that, I've been thinking a lot about my previous chapters, and I'm not all that satisfied with them, especially the third. I want to change a lot, and I mean A LOT. I want to make the writing less hectic, change some portions of the story completely, and overall just make it better. But I just don't know how to approach this. Should I start over or should I try undoing what I've done? I've even considered making Flesh and Blood a comic instead, maybe that would at least have a steady release date. I just don't know. What do you guys think? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Comics would be great if your art is good
You can get some people to look it over and give an outsider's perspective.
Sounds like you might not have had a clear idea where you wanted this to end. Maybe you should think of what you really want for an ending. Like, do you want a Pinocchio ending where she becomes a "real" pony or maybe everyone learns to accept her because she was created to be so realistically? Of course no matter what, who created her like that is something you'd need to address but as long as you have a clear idea of where you want the story to end you'll be able to fill in everything in between. As for rewriting what you did...that's always possible. I've seen one writer that made a story...then using that one as practice started a new version that was actually better. It's not a bad thing necessarily.
I agree, comics are always cool. I follow just as many DA profiles for comics as I do stories here, but I am equally interested in a good story here.
Maybe storyboard out the entire plot line very roughly and make changes that way, before you fill in the fluff that is each chapter? Sorry this is a programmer talking (and a bad one at that), not a writer :P
Either way is alright with me, although if you are going to turn it into a comic, I'd personally appreciate it if you put a link to it here on the site.
I support a rewrite if you think it would definitely be better, but I would still totally read it if it were a comic.
I find that if you set a deadline that you will release the chapter on, it helps a lot. I know that if I am getting pressed for time in a project, I will really get stuff done on it that needs to be done, rather than just prettying up what's already completed.
I aggree with AppleTank a different perspective might be what you need.
I hope you do realize that this story is wildly popular. While some of that is probably due to Sweetie Bot hype, you must also come to terms with the fact that a great amount of that attention is given simply because people like the story.
You know, they like it for what it is. Not for what it could have been, or what you might rewrite it to be. They like it as is. Rewrites tend to aggravate readers and undermine the story. I honestly don't think it'd be worth the loss of readers and general interest in the story. Not to mention the inevitable span of time it'll take to do the rewrite.
In case I'm not hammering my message in quite hard enough, I'll employ a cliche analogy/metaphor/whatever:
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
It's just my 2 bits though, do whatever the hell you want.
I think you should first imagine how you'd like the story to progress, then continue writing
2161059 You bring up some good points, but what I've written aggravates me to all hell, especially chapter three. The way I portrayed and wrote certain portions of the story did not create the desired effect, again, chapter three being the worst offender. Another problem is that I can't just simply change chapter three. If I want things to fit properly between the three current chapters, I'd have to go back and change a few things in chapter two at least. My edits wouldn't dramatically change the story, just some things here and there to make things a bit more "believable". Yet, I'd hate to force a reread onto people who enjoy this story.
Really the best thing you can do is sit back, take a break, and decide how you want to proceed instead of worrying about the small details; look at the bigger picture instead.
Well, first and foremost, do what you most want to do. That being said, you shouldn't second guess yourself. Don't let the perfect become the enemy of the good. If you really think a rewrite would help the story, go ahead, but be careful of trying to fix what isn't broken, and becoming George Lucas fiddling with the Star Wars films.
As to a comic, I'm not sure. It's the same amount of writing, just with the descriptions rendered in art instead of words. Indeed, because you need to script and draw, it seems like even more work, although split up into smaller issues.
Beyond that, have a rough idea of where you're going, and fill in the details later; set a deadline; get an editor, not so much to help with editing, but to crack the whip, as it were; and perhaps consider breaking chapters up into smaller chunks. Currently all of your chapters are between 7,000 and 11,000 words. Nothing wrong with that, but you might find it easier to get a chapter half that length finished and printed before working on the next bit.
First of all, let me say that this story is one of THE top ones that I've been desperately waiting to update. It's that good.
Like what others have said, stop second guessing and publish. It isn't going to be perfect since nothing really is, but it'll be really good. Trust yourself!
Something I've noticed with a lot of artists and writers: The good ones are overly critical of their work, and the bad ones think their work is the best thing since sliced bread. You seem to be strongly in the former category, but you need to take a leap of faith and just trust that your writing is good. 1172 upvotes are there for a reason. A good creator is their own worst critic, and this works both for and against them.
Last: Rewrites. I would advise against this unless it's a minor change. If you do change something, please tell us what was altered in the author's notes. I'd be willing to reread your story if you're just tweaking some minor detail or event. I've seen people scrap their story and try complete rewrites, and it rarely works. The new story might not be what the readers had enjoyed (losing readers), or you might end up in the same situation you are now with indecision, only it might come at a different point in the story. If you're unsure if something's good enough to post, perhaps have a few select people look over your chapter and note any obvious flaws the storyline.
This is my favorite Sweetie Bot story on this site, and it's easily in my top 10 favorites. I hope that you decide to continue it.
Three things:
1. You started this story doing what you wanted, and got popular because you do it well. The real fans will stick by you, whatever you decide, so don't worry about perfection.
2. We're still here, so you've already pleased us with your ideas. Do what you want, we'll support you.
3. Don't be so hard on yourself. We aren't bloodthirsty sharks that will only be sated by ponyfic, and you aren't a machine that can write at the speed of thought.
I like it well enough as it is , but a wouldn't mind reading it again if you did some small changes in there.
A complete rewrite feel like it would be a bit much . Unless you want to change the plot drastically I wouldn't advise it.
Lastly , I don't like the comic idea. The story would loose a great deal of details , like all the small "clues" In the writting style or the foreshadowing. Unless we are speaking about an incredibly detailled comic , a comic simply doesn't compare to a well written story... and if you tried to do that kind of comic , the update schedule would actually be slower.
Bottom line is , do what you want/like to do , as that's the most important thing.
2161114
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/37540750/_ponies/gilda%20this%20up.PNG
2161496 <- also this. That was a terrible pun btw.
I'm not a writer, so I can't give you an opinion from that perspective. I would prefer if you kept this as a story, just because I haven't really gotten into comics. (Though this may be more because I haven't looked for them; there are plenty of good stories here to read.) However, whatever you decide, I'll give it a go. If you do turn it into a comic, or rewrite it under a different name, it might be a good idea to update your existing story with a "Chapter 4" containing a link to your new rendition, that way all those who are following the story will be notified.
Good luck, and will look forward to whatever decision you make!
I really enjoyed Flesh and Blood when I started reading it, and have really missed it. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. It's a good story.
But, ya know, I think it would work well as a comic.
Personally, I like the direction the story is already in.
I have the same problem with my fanfic, instead of forceing the solution I settled on makeing other stories, that way I'm geting some distance from the story, which gives me the abillity to see it from differend perspectives and since I'm makeing other stories I wont get rusty.
I'd say you should take a step back, take a look at your options, weigh the pros and cons, and try to decide the best choice. If it doesn't turn out well, you can adapt and learn from mistakes. You know, it doesn't have to be perfect. I definitely don't think you should take what you have down though. If you end up starting over from scratch, I think you should keep this one up to show your progress.
This is just my two cents and I just hope you take everything into consideration. I hope you don't feel obligated to do anything I say, just think about it and do what you think is right.