Q&A: the Results · 4:05pm Aug 20th, 2014
Okay then, so, I think I've let my Q&A blog out long enough for people to ask any and all questions they had about A Dragon's Journey. Here, I will post the questions and their subsequent answers.
Just a few side notes. One, I did not name the person who asked the question: they know who they are, and this way it answers that same question for everyone else who had it. Two, if you have any other questions about the story, then by all means, ask them, and I shall edit them into this blog post.
Q: And the serious question, how long is left of the story? In terms of... lets say... words and chapters, given it's at 230k words now.
A: Honestly.... no flippin’ idea, especially if we’re going by total word count. If we’re going by total chapters left, then according to my original chapter count (before I started expanding chapters in multi-chapter arcs) we’re almost to the halfway point: almost to the halfway point. Seeing as I just keep expanding every few chapters into entire arcs and segments and shit, that could easily go from halfway point to one-third of the way... point. Or more... or is it less?
Q: How much further are the mares until the foals are born?
A: Seeing as the pregnancies last 11 months (like real horses), I’d say (ballpark estimate here) they have about eight or so months left (seven-ish for Trixie), give or take a few weeks, seeing as not all births are like clockwork, and really, it’s kind of hard to keep track of that with everything else going on. At least, that’s what I’d like to think of it as being: I just want to avoid the embarrassment of someone coming on and saying “uh, I’ve done the maths, your charactersh are, like totally four weeksh overdue” or something (lisp added for effect).
I really should have kept better track of it and everything. Oh well.
Q: Also (I know this may count as spoiler) have you thought out how Spike will reveal Meia is Chrysalis to the mane 6/princesses?
A: Yes, I have given it much thought, and though it will yet be a long time coming, it’ll be totally surprising for everyone involved: that means the characters AND the readers. I won’t tell you how it goes down though; not yet, anyway. Needless to say, it may or may not involve violence.
Q: What do you think are the key elements of writing a grand and amazing Spike ship fic?
A: You need to make the characters come alive. They are more than just we see on the show. For example, Spike is fairly competent at pretty much everything he sets out to do so long as he doesn’t work himself into a tizzy or let his fears get the best of him, but he’s still fragile inside, still prone to insecurities and (lazy writing) sometimes has poor judge of character, either on others or himself.
Q: What wisdom/words of advice would you pass down to all potential Spike writers out there?
A: He is your tool: shape him the way you’d wish for him to be, but not instantly. He is much like the gemstones he eats: he starts out small, or as something somewhat insignificant, but given time, pressure and a whole lot of heat (love, if you’re the writer), he can become a beacon of beauty, a shining light that transcends the mere peeks into the world we received through the show. In fact, this could literally be the words for any character in the show: the whole "gem" similarity just fits Spike so well.
Q: How do you do the amazing things that you do in all of your fics? What charm do you have that makes these fics that you do so good to read and visualize?
A: I have been diagnosed with ADHD and/or several other things over the years (no, seriously, I was: psychiatrist, medication and all that jazz for years), and as a result have a fairly overactive imagination at times. Really, my brain just finds connections others might overlook, ways to improve something by delving deeper where others have not, so on and so forth. It’s not charm, nor is it luck; it is a skill one can only pick up by starting to write and continuing to write. Looking back on it, some of my first fics were rather terrible compared to the ones I churn out now. On my FanFiction.net account, my older stories... yeah, somewhat bland, poorly written (in my view, especially compared to now), and just... wishful thinking at best. I always think length of my chapters corresponds to their quality, and my older stories were lucky if they had 2K-worded chapters, with my longer ones being around 4K. Now... 4K is my bare-bones minimum, with several stories’ chapters having a minimum length of nearly 5 or 6K words.
Also, I’ve read a lot, and I mean a lot, of good, high-quality fanfics out there over the years, all across different fandoms, from How to Train Your Dragon, to Star Wars, to Infamous, Halo, Mass Effect, Kim Possible, My Little Pony and countless others. From there is where I learned many skills, including but not limited to my proclivity to writing erotica. However, my skills in describing places... that was all on my own.
Q: Can we (be) total(ly) cool and awesome bro's who share a common interest in Spike?
A: Sure thing dude!
Q: What do think of the series of MLP in general?
A: I like it: I really do like it, though one of my sisters doesn’t think I should (funny, my parents encourage me to stay in it, as they see my writing as a potential future career, as do I). Though I haven’t watched every episode (as my brain can only handle so many ideas before my head detonates or I run out places to write them down), I do find it a very fascinating fandom to write for, and a very large, experienced and (usually) higher quality one as well. I just wish I could write my stories as fast as I could come up with them: the site would be flooded almost daily.
Q: What are some things that you expect from the writers in season 5?
A: I expect fans to ship Rainbow Dash with Applejack, even if one of them more or less gets a boyfriend/friend that is a boy, I expect Spike to be written nowhere near as good as he could be, and I expect at least one new villain to be shown, as well as maybe some of the more background ponies getting actual screen time. Also, more stuff I can’t think up.
Q: What do you think will our great and honorable Spike the brave and glorious (be) in Season 5?
A: I have no idea, but I know there will be bitching on both sides of the isle when it comes to the fandom. Some will say he is written poorly (which happens quite a bit), and others will say, if he is written well for once, that he shouldn’t be written as such, since he’s really a background character or something like that and takes up screen time from Twilight or the other Mane Six. People even say that for Applejack, which I think is pure bullshit, but that’s neither here nor there. All in all, I say: meh, I’ll just wait and see what happens.
Q: Are we going to see more of, Spike's training from Luna use on these batponies?
A: More of Spike’s training from Luna will indeed come into play, though not necessarily on the batponies. They may or may not: I am as of yet undecided on that matter. However, more of it will be put to good use in the future.
Remember: these batponies have been out of Equestria for at least a thousand years. They likely remember little if anything of Luna.
Q: What tips to you have for maintaining a consistent writing schedule?
A: Honestly, I don’t: I’ve both written like a fiend for days and had weeks off from writing, often because life just gets in the way or I’m just in one of those “moods” for far too long. A more recent method I’ve discovered is to just write a little each day, even if it’s only a paragraph. This way, you’re still working on the story, and if you’re like me, during one of these “mini” writing sessions, you’ll be struck with brilliance and go on a writing spree that doesn’t let up for literally hours.
Biggest tip: write out the plotlines or general progression to your story ahead of actually writing it. I’ve done that and found it is a rather simple format to follow, while still being flexible enough to add in or subtract ideas and changes at will.
Q: What are the average lifespans of the different races?
A: Oh, jeez, I knew I had a spreadsheet on this somewhere. Gimme a second...
Ah, okay, here it is. This may or may not be updated if more people submit OCs of races I haven’t thought up of yet.
Dragons can live many thousands of years, with the oldest hitting their millions. These, however, are very rare indeed, and should be treated as anomalies instead of norms. Most will live several thousand years, perhaps reaching one hundred thousand if they are lucky. Flying dragons, while being the strongest, live slightly shorter lives than earth or sea dragons, though this is an average and not the truth as a whole. Sea dragons live the longest on average, though certain earth dragons have the potential to live very long lives indeed.
Alicorns are not immortal, but somewhat ageless instead. They can live several thousand years, often hitting several dozen or two (thousand), but they too pass away, eventually.
Pegasi are the shortest-lived of the “regular” pony races, usually reaching 80 to 120 years of age.
Unicorns can live around the same age range as pegasi, though more often than not they can surpass that and live to be nearly 150 years old or so. This is usually depending upon the strength of their magic.
Earth ponies can live to be well over 200 years old, with some hitting nearly 250 or even 300 years old. Again, these are exceptions, not norms.
Griffins have lifespans similar to pegasi, usually petering out between 80 to 120 years, though most do not reach the age of 90. Many die in their late 70s or mid 80s from complications with their living environment.
Batponies have lifespans similar to pegasi as well, though usually living several decades more due to the lesser amount of sunlight they receive. They also do not appear to age as rapidly, also due to this overall lessened amount of sunlight exposure.
Nightmares live a few thousand years, potentially up to four or five thousand, though nowhere near as long as, say, an alicorn. Instead, they are ageless for most of their lives, and upon their passing, most simply fade away into nothingness, leaving the world with pretty much nothing to remember them by. Many do not live so long, often passing away within a few centuries, and those that do not die peacefully usually leave behind physical remains.
Minotaurs have lifespans longer than unicorns if they are in good health, having the potential to reach two hundred years old if they are lucky. However, many do not live to see their first century, as they often lead hard lives.
Ainu lead somewhat short lives, usually petering out by their 70s. Some make it to their 80s or 90s, and there are a few cases of them hitting their 100s, but overall they are short-lived creatures when compared to other species.
Changelings are curious creatures. The main “caste” of changelings have lifespans somewhat inbetween unicorns and pegasi, while the queen “caste” can live several hundred years, usually dying out by the time they hit four hundred. However, unlike many other species, they do not hit sexual maturity until they are well over several decades old. The Censcorpions basically exist for as long as the species exist, having long ago given up life but never crossing over into death, continually evolving as they do so, even more so than their "regular" counterparts.
Diamond dogs live up to 100 years old, though most do not make it to their 60s, especially males. This is in part due to their harsh life underground, and while they are somewhat distant from their underground kin, those that spend most of their lives upon the surface do live, on average, longer lives.
Fauns and similar creatures live to around 200 years old, though 75 is considered by them to be middle-aged and thus around 150 years is the “norm” for them when it comes to old age.
Zebras have lifespans similar to earth ponies, though they usually do not live as long due to many living in harsher conditions than their earth pony cousins.
Merponies can live well over two or three centuries, being lucky if they hit five, but many do not make it past their second century. They attain sexual maturity at a time when many other species no longer care for sex, i.e. around their seventies. They also have high rates of mortality when they are younger, often from sea predators or natural phenomena.
Naga are rather mysterious creatures. Some of the much smaller species (usually dwarfish when compared to most other creatures) will live only a few decades, leaving behind countless clutches of offspring before dying off. Others, usually the larger varieties, can and often live several centuries, with the largest and oldest living to be around a thousand years old.
Draconequus have lifespans almost identical to alicorns, living many, many thousands of years before passing away. There are very few of these creatures alive at one time, but their numbers are never truly threatened, as they are almost impossible to kill. This may stem from the fact they are bound to the ebb and flow of all things magical.
Q: Do she got the booty?
A: Maybe.
Q: Your top 5 spike ships?
A: Hmm.... it’s really all relative as to how well-written it is, but I do have a select few.
Spiklestia (Spike/Celestia)
Flutterspike (Fluttershy/Spike)
Applespike (Applejack/Spike)
Spilight (Spike/Twilight)
Sparity (Spike/Rarity)
These are my top five, though several others come very close. It’s actually quite hard to make a top 5 list.
Q: Will we get to see some kinky fetishes later on?
A: Hmm.... not yet, but definitely in the future. This is mostly due to that three of Spike’s current wives are pregnant... and he’s out cold.
Q: Does Spike use Old Spice body wash to be the man their man could smell like?
A: Please, ponies use him as the source of Old Spice. He’s like the... like the spring of it or something.
Joking, joking: I’d imagine he does use that whenever he showers at home. He'd have to use either a lot or the heavy duty stuff, though: scales and all that.
Q: How soon is the next conversation back home?
A: Within several chapters, though the exact time is unknown.
Q: DO SHE GOT THE BOOTY?
A: Maybe 2, Maybe Harder
Q: Can they simply walk into Mordor?
A: Please, Spike could fly in and drop the Ring right into Mount Doom... provided he didn't eat it, of course.
Q: Biggest to smallest boob sizes of current wives?
A: I’m not sure as to exact cup size, but in order, Trixie has the smallest, next is Maria, then Asalah, and then Chrysalis. When she was Meia, Chrysalis’s breasts were still large, though closer in size to Maria’s than above Asalah’s.
Q: Has Spike ever lined up his wives' boobs and sang 'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts'?
A: No; he is too much of a gentleman for that.
Q: Will Spike surprise motorboat his wives?
A: Hmm, unknown, though I’m sure he would love to.
Q: On a scale of 1-10, how much of a pimp is Spike?
A: He’s not a pimp, he’s a gentleman, so... -11.
Q: Do the wives take bets on each other during sex?
A: Well, I’m sure they did, but now, not so much. Maybe in the future?
Q: Do She Got The Booty?
A: Maybe 3: Maybe Again
Q: I'm curious if there's a phone home in the near future. I enjoy seeing Rarity's... interest and thoughts on Spike. Plus, the Twilight stuff tends to be funny as hell.
A: Yes, there will be a “phone home” chapter coming soon, but likely after this whole Transylmania arc is over with. And yes, it likely will involve silly/funny stuff involving Twilight and the others.
As I said waaay above, if you have any other questions, just post them in the comments below.
Subsequently answered questions are as below.
Q: Since you brought up Merponies, will Spike meet one and have a new addition to his harem?
A: Undecided as of now, though that may or may not change in the future.
Q: How long till Asalah goes into heat?
A: Within several months' time.
Q: By "nightmares" do you mean an entire species like Nightmare Moon or like these ones from D&D?
A: The Nightmares as a species, which cover several different forms, including ones like those from D&D and the likes of Nightmare Moon. Don't worry, everything will be explained as to my interpretation of Nightmares.
Q: Also do the nagas have human or pony upper halves?
A: They will have anthro upper halves, so humanoid (arms, fingers/hands, the ability to speak, etc) but with distinctly reptilian features, AKA fangs, scales, snake-like faces and such.
Q: Anyways, does Spike marry a naga?
A: I am as of yet undecided, but likely not, though that is always open to change.
Q: Do you think Spike should get his own mentor on the actual show?
A: I think they should bring back Pewee and make him to be like Spike's apprentice/whatnot and have them be the best of friends. Also, yes, I would like to see Spike being mentored by somepony/someone in the show. It's already been alluded to that Celestia showed him how to use his fire breathing skills to transport messages: who is to say she didn't teach him more, or that somepony else could?
Cool!
Seance you brought up Merponies, will Spike meet one and have a new addition to his harem?
How long till Asalah goes into heat?
2386056 Your questions have been answered!
I'd like to know what other species he'll wed... and other things about 'em, but just that's fine for now
By "nightmares" do you mean an entire species like Nightmare Moon or like these ones from D&D?
Also do the nagas have human or pony upper halves? *looks up, sees anthro tag* Oh, yeah. Moot point. Anyways, does Spike marry a naga?
2386430 Your questions have been answered!
2386117 You'll just have to wait and see....
do you think spike should get his own mentor on the actual show?.