I need other opinions · 8:37pm Jun 14th, 2021
I have worked on my fanfictions for years now. It's been a long and arduous journey. I've written a lot.
But upon reflection, despite my hatred of those who write pornography, there are plenty of sensual moments in my work. I think that they are presented, but not encouraged. They are shown in order to provide a counterclaim to their existence, and whenever it is shown, it is treated heavily and with maturity. But it's still there, and I don't want people reading it to really get aroused by it.
Should it be left alone to make sense? Should it be edited out while still leaving the points? Or should the entire story be taken down? I understand that third option is really tough, because I've dedicated so much of my time and effort to this project, but I'm not sure if it's something presentable to the Lord.
Heck, I might just stop altogether. I might leave up some summary of what happens at the end in order to make the ending make sense. But ultimately, should my work even exist?
Well the decision is ultimately yours, but if you ask me, I generally believe that removing something you've put effort into, in this case: an entire story, is a mistake. If you think about it, taking down story is a superficial solution. It doesn't change the past and the fact that that story has been written and published. So I strongly oppose the third option.
Editing out questionable scenes in your stories sounds much better, but to be honest it'd still mean deleting something you worked on.
If you're really bothered by certain parts, I suggest writing an author's note in which you make it clear that you're not quite the same person anymore, and that you disagree with your past self writing those parts, and that you will strive to do better in the future. Of course, knowing how people work, writing something like this into a story is bound to attract criticism.
But like I said before, the decision is yours alone.
Hang on
*shoves M rated thoughts and ideas down the hole and closes it the door*
Anyways I think you’re doing fine BB. I mean lots of people like your various stories. I enjoyed some of your writings too as well so I say keep them.
*thoughts escapes the hole*
GET BACK IN THERE THIS ISNT THE PLACE TO THINK ABOUT THIS
*uses magic to make a portal and shove in there then closes it*
You were saying.
The moment you try to control how your readers feel about your content is the moment your Writer’s Soul starts to die. It’s worse than writing to satisfy a specific audience. Interpretation doesn’t have limits. It’s like when people insist that something they read very specifically aligns somehow with their political views and only theirs. The only real control you have is with what you put down. If something feels right, then it is. If something feels wrong, then it is. Anyone who tries to sit down and tell you what’s right and wrong with your work in terms of context and content is someone you shouldn’t be taking input from.
Just write what you would like to read. If you’re satisfied with what you produce: then that’s all that matters.
If you write what you want to read, you know atleast one person will enjoy it.
5535285
Cant sum it yo any better. The best works tend to be ones that you enjoy doing (this goes for any aspect of creation I feel.)
So write whatever makes you happy, we'll still be here to enjoy it.
5535285
Well, sure. None of what you're saying is wrong. I admit, my work could have been far more virtuous than it already is. Can I present it as a worthy offering before Christ? It's hard to tell. The sensual bits are cringeworthy, but being cringe is not the same thing as sinning. True, they often do go hand in hand. But I believe this is a mistake that can be fixed. Would I truly be comfortable in the knowledge that this is out in the open, saying things about me, and about the God I believe in? Again, it's hard to tell.
Maybe I can regard this as a beta test of a story I want to tell in the future. I can learn from my mistakes, touch up the better parts, and make it more presentable. I mean, that's what you do with films. If something doesn't align with your intentions or is hard to work with, you edit it out!
Personally, having recently re-read A Rather Large Adventure, I don't recall any moment that I would say is outright "sensual" in that manner. Romantic perhaps (and a little cheesy at points, but those were older chapters and you've gotten waaaay better since then), but definitely not something that would arouse someone, at least from where I stand. (And this goes for your other stories too: romantic, cute, and a little cheesy, but nothing too bad.)
However, since you feel this strongly about it, here's my thoughts on your options:
Option 1 (leaving the scenes as they are): If the subject matter is making you feel uncomfortable, then I wouldn't recommend this. Conversely, however, deleting something is something you shouldn't really do as a writer, since that can honestly demoralize you further by making you think "what if I made a mistake?", or "I could've salvaged some of that instead".
Option 2 (editing it to make it better): If you want my honest opinion, this would be the way to go. It'll fix whatever problems you have with whatever scenes are troubling you, it'll be acceptable for your readers, and will ultimately make the story better since you're infusing years of experience in writing into older, weaker chapters.
Option 3 (deleting the story altogether): ...No. Just...no. There is absolutely no need to take such drastic measures. Having these thoughts about your work, bad or good, is self-destructive and counter-productive. Keep your story up, and finish strong. Be proud of how far you've come since you've started.
Also, regarding your point about having a work that's presentable to God...I'm gonna be real for a moment, and speak to you Christian to Christian: God does not care what you put to writing on an MLP fanfiction site. He cares about YOU, and all of us, and what's in our hearts and minds. I am currently writing an original novel series as a hobby, and it has tons of violence and dark themes in it, even though it also contains some Christian values, characters, and beliefs. Would it be something I would show to a church congregation or to someone who would be interested in learning about God? Absolutely not. But is it something I want to write anyway? Yes, because I believe that despite the subject matter it contains, God was the one who gave me the idea and the burning passion to write it.
As Christians, we should always try to follow in Jesus's footsteps. But God never told us we had to be perfect in doing so. Perfection can simply never be achieved by anyone, no matter how hard we try. Many Christian authors dedicate their works to the Lord in some fashion, and while commendable, God doesn't need fantasy for you to prove your love and dedication to Him, He only wants your heart and your faith. That's all: just simple love and faith.
Again, it's your work, and what you do with it is up to you, but I implore you to not delete it, or to think of it as "unworthy" in the eyes of God. I repeat, God doesn't need a fanfiction story to be dedicated to Him to know that you love Him. If you keep thinking those thoughts about everything you do, you'll get nothing done, because all of us and everything we do is unworthy, which is why we have a little thing called faith.
Have faith in God, have faith in your readers, have faith in those around you, have faith that your story will turn out good, and most importantly, have faith in your abilities. God gave you a talent for writing for a reason. Don't waste it by throwing away your story because of a few scenes.
Never give up. It's hard, I know, I've felt before what you're feeling now. But you can do it. You're so close to the end of a rather large adventure, and I don't just mean the story. Writing an adventure is an adventure in of itself. But what good is it if you don't finish it? Bilbo saw his adventure to the end, despite the hardships, and he was only a very small fellow in a very wide world.
I believe in you.
5535285
THIS, 100%. I wrote pretty much a whole essay on this just now, but you've basically just said it in a much more concise manner.
5535280
Well, if my audience is constantly thinking of a way to sexualize my characters and they get excited whenever any promiscuous situation occurs, then perhaps I'm the one doing something wrong. Good things will attract good people.
I have advice that's blessed me for the better. I know it from personal experience. If your mind is full of light, the darkness has no place in it. Rats don't want to live in a clean kitchen. They want to live in a pile of garbage. If you are living a life full of virtue, then dark thoughts barely intrude. Why would they? If they do, they aren't welcome, and are promptly expunged by the fire of your virtue. M-rated thoughts are not common in people who cling to righteousness and goodness.
5535297
This is starting to sound more of a question of confidence rather than a question of whether or not something represents your beliefs.
And you know what? That’s actually a good thing. If you can step back evaluate your message and how you are presenting it: then you’re showing humility, which is in really short supply in Western Society.
At the end of the day: it’s really all about how you interpret your work.
5535303
You have a point
I mean sure I like the M rated romance stories but I still have my fair share to more clean E rated stuff if not meme T rating.
5535300
You make a disconcerting amount of sense. The one who really talked to me about the issue in the first place is actually my mother. And I don't want to really go against my mother's recommendation or suggestion. But you're also right, too.
God might not care too much, but I think he cares a lot about our personal lives, too. If we want to spread the word of God in tiny ways and plant seeds in people's hearts, then we can do that, but it needs to be worthy of the name of Christ.
God might care about what we write on a fanfiction site if it's going against his gospel doctrine or principles. There is so much vomit-inducing porn every day, and this site makes him sad for the state of the world. I feel great shame in being part of this community, and parts of their ideas may have rubbed off on me to regard sex in my stories as a far greater thing than I originally thought. I can make up for those mistakes by rectifying them. Purging it all means getting rid of a lot of good things, too. So I might keep it around after all.
Thanks for taking the time to writing so much. It's nice to know that people care about me and this story so much. It's reassuring. I hope God is in your life. You feel so genuine about it. You're a good soul, with great potential. Don't let it go to waste. The Lord is on our side.
5535303
If you only want to meet ‘good’ people: then you’ll only associate with people who agree with you to your face or when it’s convenient for them to have your approval.
That’s how you get wrapped up in false friends and sycophants who want to ride your efforts.
Stop burdening yourself with other people’s thoughts and interpretations. Just focus on how you feel about something.
5535312
No matter how well I perform, I can always do better. Even if I am called a good man, I can always be a better man. And even then, why stop at better? Be the best man. I will die knowing there is someone better than me. I just don't want the margin of greatness to be that wide. I also need to internalize that it doesn't matter too much. I do things for me. I do things to improve myself, not improve my standing in the face of bronies.
I also try to not think of myself as humble, because the instant I label myself as humble, I miss the point. But it's also important to acknowledge strengths. If you observe that trend in me, I'll do my best to keep it up. Keep doing what I've been doing, but do it better.
5535313
M rated romance exists for a reason. We are hardwired to pursue sex by any means possible, and porn takes advantage of that natural drive to hijack your natural reward processes. So there is no real shame in being attracted to overly sexual things, because that's what they were designed to do, is hook and trap you in. With that said, there is great shame in defending those thoughts or pornographic material, or making excuses for it, or saying it's not that bad.
5535325
I agree with you on that
Tho I set my standards and draw lines on which material is shown in said M rated romance.
5535319
Good advice. I was pretty widely accepted and liked by plenty of friends in the MLP community until I became outspoken conservative. Plenty of people left me. I noticed that my follower count went down. But how close were they really? If they are willing to cut ties with me over moral disagreements, I should be willing to do the same. Not to say that I go around actively cutting people off from me, but rather observe what friends stick around and what friends leave once I drop a facade and become who I know I always was.
5535331
I just try to not get into M rated romance at all. I don't have to be careful that way. And to be honest, most written romance is actually kinda cringe. It takes real skill to actually pull that stuff off.
5535336
Of course it does.
I mean it takes experience and skill to write the best romance regardless of rating
5535316
See, that's the funny thing about it: we are surrounded by sin no matter where we go. Every community has its dark side, and the MLP fandom is no exception. But when I see that dark side, I don't feel shame knowing that I'm a part of the fandom. Rather, I feel an overwhelming urge to make it a better, kinder, and more friendly place to be in, where people can be safe to express themselves and talk. We need to prove to the world that not all of us bronies are deplorable or bad people, and honestly, there's a lot of people out there who do read M-rated stories that aren't bad people either.
And I agree, we should lead our personal lives in the same way we do our public lives. If we have no love or joy in our hearts, how can we spread it around? Even Pinkie understood this simple fact of life.
But riddle me this: if God really cared that a fanfiction site has all this porn and gore and disturbing things on it, He would also care about every other writing site that had the same amount of garbage in it, correct? And if this is true, then He should also care about the rest of the Internet, because this stuff follows everyone across the world. I'm certain He does, and that it sickens Him.
But then something beautiful happens: in the same way how these sites can be used to write crap, they can also be used to write wonders that amaze and inspire others. The Internet as a whole is a dangerous place, and yet God uses it through people like us to reach others, not necessarily to "preach", but just to be there as a listening ear, a helping hand, or a whimsical bard spinning a grand tale of adventure in worlds unseen and unheard. And it doesn't even necessarily have to be a Christian either. Sometimes good people in this world know when they're needed, and they're there to help in any way they can. For those of us on this site, that means stories. Lots of stories. Stories that speak, that teach, and that save.
It's not my place to disparage what your parents tell you, but I will say this: God is not naive, nor is He limited. The only limits God has are the ones we subjectively place on Him. If He can use a murderer of Christians to reach entire multitudes and turn them towards Christ, then He can use your "unworthy" story to reach others as well, in its own little way. We all do our part, no matter how small or how seemingly insignificant it is. Even if we don't preach like Paul or save many souls as Christians, we can still make someone's day brighter by just being ourselves, and if God is love, then spreading love and joy is still doing God's work.
I think you're alright with what you have. Sex is a part of life. And all the cases you have are with a loving couple. And they're not all that explicit. So I don't think you have to worry about it
I really like your stuff and say leave it alone.
It's actually cute cuddling in my eyes.
It doesn't get too mature or anything.
I do strive to be better, but I do know you gotta know darkness before you know light.
I hope you find the answers you're looking for, but I do love your stories just the way they are.
There will always be things people will try and make sexual and arousing when there was no intent to it. Love and care, emotional and physical is a part of who we are. The Jedi tried to suppress and kill it and look where it got them, these things are a part of what makes us living beings, if some will take away the wrong thing, so be it, we should not pretend it is not a part of being alive.
I don’t know if this will help any, but I’m still pretty interested in seeing you make the overall concept into something that doesn’t relate to MLP someday. Most notably into an all-out original movie or TV show.