Do you write long stories, but you're looking to exit the fandom? I have the solution for you! · 5:12am Jul 6th, 2017
The answer? Get me to agree to be your long-term pre-reader!
Man, I have a bad track record of this. First it was Truehearted and his story "Silence is Bittersweet." I've got quite a bit of knowledge about classical music and musicians, so I agreed to help him make things sound more authentic and even add more in there than he felt comfortable doing himself. I ended up becoming a full-blown editor on it, and as you can see, if you visit the story page, there hasn't been a new chapter posted in nearly 5 years. Truehearted swears he wants to finish it, and I poke him about once a month to continue writing, which he does in fits and starts, but there's only a few pages of the next chapter drafted after all this time. Maybe.
Then there's GaPJaxie. I liked the beginning of "I Forgot I Was There" enough that I volunteered to stick with it. I only got a couple of chapters in before he asked me to shift over to "Siren Song," and I handled the entire thing, then stayed with the sequel, "Daring Do," until he decided to cancel it and generally move on from ponyfics. There have been a few stuttered returns, a couple of which I helped with, and he's got me on board to assist in general with any non-pony stuff he cares to write in the future, but still... 2 for 2.
I can't even remember the next guy's name, or the person who referred me to him. I used to offer reviewing help in The Writeoff Association's events as a prize for the highest-finishing new participant, as a way to try bringing in new authors. All those who won it seemed enthusiastic, but none ever redeemed their prize, so I didn't bother with it anymore. With one exception. This person, whose name escapes me, wished to transfer his prize to a friend, whose name also escapes me, and not just for the 10k limit I imposed. This friend was in the midst of a long story and would be grateful for as much assistance as I could offer. So after getting through 15k or so and starting to inquire why he hadn't edited several of the chapters I'd finished reviewing, the author said he had decided to rewrite the whole thing as original fiction and leave ponyfic altogether. I had no interest in the story beyond ponies, so I declined to continue with it.
Next was Soundslikeponies. He asked if I could help him with a story called "Darkquestria," which he later renamed to "A Darkened Land," along with any side stories he cared to write for it. It's been nearly a year since I saw a draft of anything, and after poking him a few times about whether he was still writing it, I finally got a response that he'd rather focus his attention on school and career, and he was no longer interested in writing it. (Sorry to those of you who were hoping to see it completed. It might be a shock to learn of it here, since it's still marked as incomplete, not cancelled or on hiatus.)
Calling number five! Who had number five? Ah, yes. I won't name him, as he's still ostensibly writing it, and as he hasn't published any of it, I shouldn't presume to notify people that it even exists. But I got about 4 chapters in before the author decided to redo big chunks of it, to the point he asked me to start from the beginning again. I got back through chapter 3 as of early November 2016, and it hasn't been edited yet, nor have I gotten a draft of chapter 4. He says he intends to get back to it, but history isn't on his side.
Now I'm helping PaulAsaran with a chaptered story which he's taking a break from and recently signed on with CoffeeMinion to help on "To Serve In Hell." Watch out, guys!
It even goes to one-shots at times. I've taken on one for PaulAsaran during that lull in his chaptered story, and I review for Georg whenever he asks me to. But after seeing a consistent problem that pervaded everything she submitted to Equestria Daily, I offered private help to Harmony Pie, which she gladly accepted. We got over that obstacle, and she showed me the next thing she wrote afterward, which was a significant improvement. I'm very proud of her for that, and at least she doesn't fall into the "hasn't written anything since" category, but now that getting posted on EqD should be easily attainable for her, she's never submitted anything else. 
So before restating my premise, I do have some parting words for Wanderer D. If you're reading this, I know I promised you I'd help edit "Gunsmoke" when I saw you at Bronycon last year, since I'd already given you feedback on the first chapter. For one, the total length of it is intimidating—I didn't know how long it would run. Keep in mind that it took me 9 months to edit "Siren Song" for GaPJaxie, which clocks in at about 200k words. But this long after your story's been completed, time isn't exactly of the essence anymore, and there's not exactly a torrent of readers—well, damn. Now that I look, you're still getting significant views on it. Anyway, your individual chapters aren't very long, so I can take it in bite-size chunks and get through it. I'll start on it soon, but I really don't want you to fall victim to the curse.
There you go, folks! Want an easy exit without agonizing over it? Start on a long story and get me to edit it!
Oh man, I've got this story I've been dying to finish...
...I'm not the only one who has this
problemtrait? Woo!4593586
Don't you start! I've got plenty of targets I'd like to take me up on the offer before I can move on to unintended victims.
It's funny you mention it, because I'm about 8 kilowords deep into this new piece... but I don't want to leave the fandom :( I like it here. I'm also not planning on publishing it until it's done, so there goes at least a little bit of the jinx right there.
Despite employing your services on occasion, I'm still holding on to fandom life, thank you very much... and yes I have an unpublished story that you edited floating around in the ether. I'll make that right, I swear. Too many contests and real world shenanigans have gotten in the way...
Or you can be like me and just never start your long story since you know you're never going to finish them.
I'm not taking any breaks anymore! I put up another chapter of Songbird the other day, I've just decided to hold off on the editing until the rough draft's done.
And don't you have one more section of Derp to check before you're done with it? I'll have to take a look again, but I thought that was the case...
Regardless, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.
You forgot the oneshot I had written for the November '15 writeoff that I never even submitted to said writeoff. We can count that toward your number, if you want.
Aw hell.
No one told me there was a Pascurse! I wasn't ready for a Pascurse!!!
overclock.net/content/type/61/id/2606683/width/350/height/700/flags/LL
TL;DR: Most authors here have a severe discipline problem when it's about sitting down on their flanks and finishing the fics they started.
So when I start my next long fic, it will be my last. D:
Maybe I shouldn't mention this until I finish the last chapter (which is a few hundred words from completion), but I've got a far-future sci-fi story where a deep-space salvage crew stumbles upon Twilight as the sole survivor of a generation ship...
Not publishing until it's completed, and edited.
4593586 Noooo!!! Don't go to the light!! You have so much to live for!
(Looks at the current political climate)
Hang on a minute. I'll pack a bag and go with you.
Review:
On a serious note (♫), Pascoite has been very, very good to me and the stories he's helped edit, although I go through any prospective "Can you look at this" requests and search for " as " "that" "little" and "like" now to make a few corrections (ok, a lot) in order to keep him from getting writer's cramp. He's very good about getting up in your grill about things he doesn't like, which is a very good quality in an editor, and I understand that can irk some people. (I'm almost un-irkable, so we get along well.) He's got the Georg stamp of approval here.
Disclaimer: Once I get More Precious Than Silver or Gold into a semi-completed state, I'm going to beg him again.
Pascoite, can you be a pre-reader for a story I want to write about a couple of ponies moving a couch?
Wait, can you also edit the story?
Wait, it's no longer about ponies, can you edit my story about a couple of humans moving a couch?
Wait, it's no longer a story, can you come over to my house and move my couch?
4593603
This is exactly how I operate. My first fic was chaptered, and I'd written 2 1/2 chapters before posting it, but it got such a lukewarm response that I lost my enthusiasm for it, and it took me about 4 months to post chapter 4 and over a year to post chapter 5. That wasn't fair to readers, and ever since, I've refused to post a story until it's complete, even if I'm not going to post it all at one time. That doesn't protect you from the curse, though. The unnamed author hasn't published any of his story yet, but at this rate, who knows if he ever will?
4593695
I do in fact have one bit of that story left, and it's weird, since I tackled the really long scene, and then the few pages afterward keep sitting there taunting me. I'm on vacation right now, so I don't get regular reviewing time, but it's the top private review priority.
4593934
Man, I've seen at least two stories with the same premise as that, but they played out very differently. Though I can't find one of them now.
4594064
If I can move it with the power of grammar, you're on.
4594096
Understandable. It's not like I don't have three other stories to hold my attention right now, after all.
4594096
I've not seen one. I'd be interested in any links you could dig up.
Also, thanks specifically for your help on Lilies of the Field. It wouldn't be half the story it is if you hadn't asked so many questions.
4594194
Unfortunately, the first one is basically a plagiarized version of the movie "Passengers."
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/359607/imperfect-stasis
The other was about a Twilight who's kind of a fugitive, but almost in a playful manner, though I found it unsatisfyingly vague about how the situation came to be. Plus it's left incomplete, and the author hasn't logged in for nearly a year.
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/274978/no-mares-sky
If you like the idea of colony ships in general, here's another couple I've read:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/356098/wanderlost
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/311765/friendship-beyond-equestria
None of these are exactly what you described, but just the idea of waking up from cryo-sleep made me think of them.
4594271
My story doesn't involve cryo-sleep, it's a generation ship. A generation ship is where all of the passengers expect to die en route, and their great-grandchildren will reach the destination. So Twilight led the expedition, on board a ship large enough to maintain a complete society, and is the sole survivor, adrift in space, when the story begins.
Edit: Story description (WIP):
4594292
I get that, but I didn't know if you were going for that specific a genre. Iirc, only that first one actually uses cryo-sleep.
4594298
Ah, I wasn't sure.
Oh, Pascoite. No. No! Your editing didn't make me leave the fandom. I still love MLP! I'm going to Bronycon. You know that.
It just made me stop writing.
Totally different thing.
4594844 ... ye gods dude.
Anyway, Pascoite, don't worry too much and concentrate on projects with others :) Like you said, Gunsmoke is finished so it's not urgent.
Hm. Tempting...
4595868
I am messing with him. He knows better.