Requisite New Year's Blog: Part Two. · 12:54am Feb 3rd, 2014
I hope you are all looking forward to the Year of the Horse. I know I am.
To celebrate Chinese New Year I'm doing an Ask Me Anything (not that AMA's have anything to do with New Year, just go with it). I suspect I'll regret this. JMac's AMA
But the theme of this blog is questions. I have a few questions about the future year.
If you are reading this you must be a fan of Quizzical Greystone (it's difficult to imagine you found your way here otherwise). How do you think she's doing? She's discovered that she has an imagination after all - maybe. Is this a mistake for her? Does giving the drabbest filly in Equestria a creative side ruin the character?
Quiz is certainly growing. She's growing up faster than I ever expected, and you'd think I'd have control over this. Should I slow this down a bit, or is the pace about right?
Finally, I've heard that some readers hate that Quiz won't use contractions. I mean they really hate it! The found it so grating to read her dialogue that, um, they couldn't. I have no idea how prevalent this is, but I wonder if Quiz's verbal tick is costing me a lot of readers? Should Quiz learn how to use contractions for her next story?
I had other questions, but I can't remember them. So feel free to answer questions I haven't asked, I'm sure your answer will be something I'm interested in.
Thank you you for reading.
Mac.
Last question first. Her lack of conjunctions is endearing I think, it makes sense for her to talk like that, especially with Luna as her teacher, and it does not make her dialogue hard to read at all. Though it makes her dialogue tricky to write.
Considering how fast Twilight grew, this pace does not seem overly fast, no.
Why should she not have an imagination?
Sees Jmac doing a AMA....
*Takes out Qiz Check list
ΠAsk
Π Will Quiz get her story of playing a game like dnd i assume -Tho I wanted to see her in Virtual Reality, where. she could be somepony she Wants to be and repect her character in game. (Work on that self worth)-
Π How is progress on the writing going? Any suprises in store?
Π Hey Quiz! What was your favorite memory!
Π Quiz What rock is your favorite? What is it composed of? Where in the sediment can it be found? What rock would skip the best across a lake? Do you like the moon and moon rocks?
Π Back to JMac - How come Quizzical isn't in the Audio Readers folder? I know of two you tubers that could read it in a brisk fashion.
Π Birthday? Favorite food? Like candy?
* closes list
That's just to start you off. I read the group only post xD.
I wouldn't say so, no. A character who never changes or grows over time isn't really a character at all; they're a cardboard cutout. It's Quizzical's struggles against her own introverted social awkwardness and inability to quite understand "normal" behavior and social conventions that makes her interesting – but if she never manages to overcome them, even a little bit, then I think we'd eventually lose interest in a completely static character who never seems to grow or learn from her experiences. (Hence the reason I lost interest in the Star Trek: Voyager franchise; characters were never allowed to change or grow in any but the most superficial manner, with the Cosmic Reset Button being hit at the end of every episode. When the character who's nothing but a computer-generated hologram ends up undergoing more personal growth and character development over the course of seven seasons than any of the flesh-and-blood characters do... oy.)
(I assume you meant contractions, anyway.
)
I'm guessing those readers also hate the Vulcans in Star Trek, Commander Data from ST:TNG, Lennier from Babylon 5, and any number of other characters in the movies and TV who use Spock Speak. It's a part of her established character; don't change it just because a few readers complain about it. Only change it if it seems right for the character.
Π Will Quiz get her story of playing a game like dnd i assume -Tho I wanted to see her in Virtual Reality, where. she could be somepony she Wants to be and repect her character in game. (Work on that self worth)-
Yes, Quiz will play tabletop fantasy. If you are familiar with "Knights of the Dinner Table" Quiz will be their Sara.
Π How is progress on the writing going? Any suprises in store?
I will finish the half complete chapter 9 of Basements of Doom this week, then a one shot, then chapter 10...um...later. I certainly hope I surprise some of you.
Π Hey Quiz! What was your favorite memory!
That must be my first morning in Ponyville. The Cutie Mark Crusaders gave me a ride to school. Despite that, we became the best of friends.
Π Quiz What rock is your favorite? What is it composed of? Where in the sediment can it be found? What rock would skip the best across a lake? Do you like the moon and moon rocks?
My favorite rock is ponyvillite. On your side of the portal I understand this is called cummingtonite. A flat piece of sandstone, water worn and rounded, makes the best skipping stone. I hope you did not think I would joke that a piece of Greystone's greystones would be best. That would be rude, at the expense of my friends Twist. The moon? Oh, my, that would be glorious...but it would require either a very long chariot ride with my Princess, or an equally long teleport!"*shudders uncontrolably at the thought*
Π Back to JMac - How come Quizzical isn't in the Audio Readers folder? I know of two you tubers that could read it in a brisk fashion.
I'll PM you about that.
Π Birthday? Favorite food? Like candy?
My birthday is February 9. I enjoy waffles, plain. I admit to a weakness for Twist's prize winning vanilla candies. SHe has not yet named them, I hope it is not overly prideful of me to hope Twist names them for me (please do not tell her I said that).
I don't think Quiz should spontaneously start using contractions, but if it were a sufficiently important plot point, she could learn to in-story. That also leaves the possibility of her reverting to contraction-free mode under stress.