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Joined September 2011
Originally posted at the Vault on 4/20/12.
Do you love Groundhog Day? Of course you do. What isn't to love? However, let's say - just for the sake of argument, of course - that you are less than enthusiastic about Groundhog Day: Bill Murray's not your kind of actor, Harold Ramis isn't your idea of comedic genius, Andie MacDowell doesn't do it for you as a love interest. Even given all that... you like ponies, right? Of course you do - you're here.
[Adventure][Comedy][Shipping] • 50,700 words
Prince Blueblood thought the Grand Galloping Gala was over. He thought he could just go to sleep and put it behind him. He never expected to be reliving the same disaster of a day, over and over... and over.
Hit the break for an interview with Capn Chryssalid, and links to The Best Night Ever around the ponywebs. Don't forget to grab an ebook over at the Vault's Downloads page!
FIMFiction • FanFiction.net • Equestria Daily
Where do you live?
The Northeast USA.
What kind of work do you do? (i.e. are you a student, do you have a career/day job, etc)
I'm a biomedical engineer. Currently that means pharmacology labwork.
Not what you were expecting? I do enjoy smattering technical stuff in my fics from time to time.
How did you discover My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic? When did you realize you were a fan of the show?
Huh.
I... can't quite recall. I think it must have been the memes. They were all over the place and I had no idea what it was about. Pictures and videos and music and gifs, oh my! I caved in, put on some headphones and checked it out on youtube. Lol. It was like googling a pornographic term you've heard at work or in an email: you're shamefully curious. After a few episodes, the insidious singing ponies had me.
Do you have a favorite episode?
Hard to say with season two still in progress, but Suited for Success struck me as insightful. Many of us have been in the position of being pressured to meet some unreasonable or impossible deadline or objective, or to bow to silly demands that make our work harder - or that make the end result something we're unhappy with. Dog and Pony Show was also, I think, among the most outright entertaining for me, and damn but I rewatched The Best Night Ever so many times thanks to a certain fanfic I decided to write! Return of Harmony is also up there for, well, Q!
Who is your favorite character based purely on the canon of the show itself? Would your answer change if you considered the fandom in its entirety (i.e. art, fanfiction, memes, etc)?
Rarity, Twilight and Pinkie Pie are all in a broad "big three."
I guess I have a bias towards unicorns?
In terms of fandom-based stuff, I do love me some Lyra. The human obsession is too hilarious. I can't resist it.
How did you come up with your handle/penname?
Capn Chryssalid is my second penname. You won't find my first, I expect. I've buried it; only the people who knew me from, god, I guess it was a decade and a half ago... only they'll know it. I don't like to be reminded of my very early writing, even if it did win some awards on a certain site. I can't bear to read it!
But Capn Chryssalid has roots in when my little brother and I wrote fanmade mods for a classic game called X-COM UFO Defense (we also did TFTD mods). This was long before mods became accepted or normal tweaks to games, and then there was doing half the stuff in DOS! Lol. Chryssalids were biological terror units in the game: crab like things, very fast and tough, that turned civilians and soldiers into zombies. Those zombies then exploded when you killed them, releasing a new Chryssalid. I released the mods under a different name, but then registered for some boards online and thought: Chryssalid was taken, so I added a Capn to it. Like Capn Crunch, except with an armor piercing wang.
Have you written in other capacities (other fandoms, professionally, etc)? When did you first start writing?
I've been writing for basically two decades, and yes I've written for quite a few fandoms. Whatever struck my fancy, really. The first ones to go online, and not just to a mailing list back in the dark ages of the internet, were for Beast Wars. You won't find them on any archive I have a say in. Sonic followed (I loved the classic games and watched SatAM as a kid), though I didn't put any of my Sonic stuff online for years. Ranma was really my first major fic project that I put online, all because of watching anime as a freshman in college.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
"Like" to do? As in hobbies? If I can burn the time, I'll play some PC games, catch up with various people, do yard work to clear my head. I enjoy gardening; there's something very visceral and satisfying about eating or cooking with stuff you've grown. Just assorted stuff in general.
Who is your favorite author (published or fanfiction)? Do you have a favorite story or novel?
I've been asked this before, but it isn't really easy to answer. Are there authors who, if I see their name attached to a title, incline me by experience to purchase or read their book/fic? Yes. Do I have a favorite author? I really don't think so. Most books I read once then I'm done with them. There are only a few I've re-read numerous times, and most of those were from when I was younger. I think my tastes are too random to come close to having a favorite genre much less a favorite writer within a given genre.
Stephen King believes that every author has an "ideal reader" - the one person who they write for, the one person whose reactions they care about. Do you have one, and if so, who is it?
Myself. Ha!
Maybe. I do generally write a fic based on my own issues with fics I've read. The Best Night Ever for example, which is why most folks will be reading this, was written because there were so very few fics starring Blueblood. He was so universally hated, I couldn't resist! At the time there were "redemption fics" in progress, but I didn't want it to be quite like those. I thought: "This would amuse me! Maybe it'll amuse some other people, too?" So I guess my ideal reader is myself? That sounds so narcissistic.
Maybe my ideal reader is someone who loves action, a bit of comedy, a pinch of romance and a dash of drama, topped off with more fighting and action.
Do you have any tips for aspiring writers, or writers who are struggling with their own stories?
Just practice, I guess. Reading helps, but no one can really be content copying how another person writes because we all think differently and express ourselves differently. You see? Writing is a reflection of thinking, no matter the POV or the character. If you try to write in a way that isn't comfortable or natural, you'll get worn out really quickly.
What is your typical writing process? (Do you work through multiple drafts, do you have any prereaders/editors, etc?)
It varies. But "typically" I come up with a general idea or two (or three), identify how to implement it within a story framework, then identify any additions to the story, then fill in the details. This last part is really the only one where I "outline" the story. Too many people, I think, bind themselves to a story outline too early, often right from the get-go. Flexibility is key. Keep yourself - not just the reader - guessing on as much as you can! Right up and until the end.
I don't usually have many, if any, proof-readers. I've been lucky lately to have one or two to help catch my mistakes, and I've been using a forum for some creative responses to raw chapters.
What inspired you to write The Best Night Ever?
I kind of covered this in my response to the "ideal reader" question.
To summarize and reiterate, it was mostly because Blueblood's character was so hated. I had thought of a 'time loop' story before, and even pitched the idea to anyone who wanted to do it on a brainstorming thread. No one did, though a few people thought it could be done with Princess Luna.
After thinking about it, and re-watching Groundhog Day, I disagreed. The one who most fit the character of Phil was Blueblood - our egotistical jerk of a character everyone loves to hate. This presented me the chance to write a story starring a character very rarely used and even widely disliked, which I saw as an opportunity and a challenge. A lot of comments from readers express dismay that I somehow got them to like Blueblood - which I see as "job well done!" Like Phil, you're not supposed to like him at the start.
Did you run into any tough spots or challenges when writing The Best Night Ever?
Actually, very few! TBNE was one of the smoothest fics I've had to write. I did a hell of a lot of planning beforehand, and I had the movie on iTunes and the MLP episode handy. All the references I needed were right there. Everything else flowed very easily and organically. I wish every fic could be so smooth to write! TBNE is even shorter than my usual epic fics at under 60k words. This smooth process of design, execution and presentation may also be reflected in the reception to the story.
I still think it is the most streamlined, organized fanfic I've written to date, with little to no excess fat or wasted space. The biggest hurdle to overcome was ordering and paying for a copy of Groundhog Day.
When you set out to write The Best Night Ever, did you have any specific messages or themes in mind?
I wanted to write a Groundhog Day type time-loop fic that didn't get mired in "power leveling" or character bashing or harem-making - the usual pitfalls of these kinds of stories. My point is that I didn't want the fic to deviate from the core messages of Groundhog Day. Self-improvement and self-discovery, not in terms of what skills you have or what amazing things you can do (because of the loops) but because of your outlook on life and in how you relate to other people. Or ponies in this case. As a part of that, I had smaller themes based around Luna and Celestia, and I wanted to show the effect on Blueblood of ponies he met and befriended within the loops, from the castle gardener to Spitfire and Soarin' to the mane six. None of them know it, but they had a tremendous impact on the Blueblood that emerged from the time loop.
Where can readers drop you a line?
Email or PM (via FFN) is quick and easy. I have a devart page, too, but it doesn't alert me to messages. I have to actually visit the page, which I don't do every day. Now that I've set up a FIMFiction account, that may be handy as well for folks in this fandom.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Yeah.
I'm really honored and pleased that so many people have come away from this fic not just entertained, but with a sense that they learned a little something or felt a little something. There is no more that an author can ask for than that. Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies, and it really touched me when I watched it. If I can use that inspiration to reach others with my writing, then that's... hell, that's just awesome.
Thanks for reading, everyone!
- Capn Chryssalid
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Comments ( 36 )
Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies OF ALL TIME. I haven't read this story but it certainly looks like it deserves all the attention it's been getting. Good work, Chryssalid! And nice interview, Arby Dash!
Anyone who hasn't read this is seriously missing out, it is an excellent story and is very much one of my favorites in this fandom. The sequel is great as well, though the political heaviness of it probably makes it not for everyone.
One of the best fanfics I ever read in any fandom. To those who haven't watched the move this is based off, you don't need to to enjoy this.
5/5
Status: Fabulous!
Good work, the both of you! While TBNE isn't my favorite Capn Chryssalid produced fanfic, it still was fantastic! The man knows how to spin a story and add just the right amount of plot, comedy and action.
Well, maybe his action scenes can get a little self-indulgent, but they are exciting none-the-less.
Glad to see you added to the vault!
I think I loved TBNE almost entirely because it turned Blueblood into some wonderful Boris Johnson parody. I know the author didn't intend it but that's what I took away.
>>353923
>Arby Dash
I think I love this.
This is a fantastic read.
That is all.
And i spent my entire night two days ago rereading The Best Night Ever
Who are these ponies and why are they reading my mind?
I really enjoyed this one, it made Blueblood a worthwhile character in my mind. Somepony worth writing about.
>>353967 You're welcome.
I remember you Capn'. But then, you knew that already
FFML FTW! Also, besides the Capn and myself, who else here finished XCOM: UFO Defense without mods?
I have read Best Night Ever four or five times. One of the best fics the fandom has ever produced.
Very glad to see CapnChrys getting some love, here. The Best Night Ever, as folks have said above, is easily one of the best 'fics this fandom has produced.
One of the other best fics is currently being written by the guy who introduced me to The Best Night Ever, and I'm hoping to see him on here once he gets that final chapter written
Funny enough, my favorite parts in the story were his interactions with the princesses, especially Luna.
I'm just waiting for the next chapter of Reflections lost on a dark road.
As an avid fan of "Groundhog Day", honestly, "Best Night Ever" didn't do it for me. Canon Blueblood isn't amusing in the same way Phil in "Groundhog Day" is (which would have been an important starting point), he changes too much (another important point, as Roger Ebert so eloquently pointed out in his Great Movies review, is that Phil becomes a better Phil, not a different Phil), and though I am tolerant of most ships, Rarity/Blueblood makes me retch up blood and bone marrow, no matter how well done - the only way to execute that ship properly is with a bullet through its head.
That said, it's still interesting to see a good writer's perspective on things. I always enjoy reading these interviews, no matter whether I liked the fic, found it acceptable, hated it, or didn't even read it.
Hah, I just finished this story. The praise is well-deserved. Also reading the sequel to it now, which is also fantastically written (and very long).
The Best Night Ever, was the first fanfiction I've ever read, it pretty much started it all for me. When I saw it pop up again here I got all giddy in remembering it and went to read it again...and then I watched Groundhog Day.
So I guess thanks are in order for getting me into fanfiction.
"Bill Murray's not your kind of actor, Harold Ramis isn't your idea of comedic genius"
The Ghostbuster fan in me is offended by this.
I almost felt like I was watching a movie when I read "The Best Night Ever".
I think I must have lost three nights' worth of sleep trying to read the whole thing while still keeping up with my college life.
Chryssalid me, Capn! *bricked*
>>354113
I finished Cydonia with only two of my Squad still alive.
Feralbeast, my Colonel, and F.U.C.K.E.R, a Sargent. Everyone else was killed when they managed to mind control my Blaster Bomb weapon technician.
>>354320
>it's still interesting to see a good writer's perspective on things. I always enjoy reading these interviews, no matter whether I liked the fic, found it acceptable, hated it, or didn't even read it.
Reading that makes me happy. Thank you.
>>354559
It's a strange hypothetical, to be sure.
Whoa! I want to be a biomedical engineer!
I have so many questions for you!
This is my favorite story on the site. This is the one that convinced me that fanfiction can have merit. I'm very glad to see it held up as an example to follow.
>>354113
I have. I've also beaten the sequel, which is ludicrously harder (due mostly to being grossly drawn-out and unfair).
>>355613 Terror from the Deep was annoying, but yeah I also beat it... whenever it wasn't crashing
>>355122 Same here. The first time I finished the game it was pure luck, I sent a couple of soldiers into the right room and Bam!
Everyone else was dead by then though. 
While this is a great story in general, I find that the one thing about it that I remember most fondly is the second-to-last scene with Celestia and Luna. I really, really love that grin on Celestia's part. It adds immensely to the ambiguity of what happened.
Chryssalids... the stuff of my teenage nightmares. Also Ethereals and the "attempted mind-control" sound.
Serves me right for playing EU long into the night.
A great story and an exemplary crossover. Folks might also be interested in reading Chris's recent review of it.
You know how most people think of a X-COM when they see the Capn's name? I miss an "s" and think of a John Wyndham novel... never got why it was called that.
A great interview for a great author and story.
This interview came out pretty well, I think. Thanks for hosting it, RD!
And thanks to everyone who posted comments!
>>353943
Indulgent action scenes? haha. Well, that's true.
RT here is a fellow Ranma writer, so I'm sure his fav still has to be TRTC/Reflections Lost.
>>353954
I'm going to have to look that one up.
>>354113
Ah, but of course. We have some topical work to do, you and I.
Of course, me being an old grizzled Xcommie, I beat both EU and TFTD on superhuman, using the mod that keeps the diff from resetting. Good Lord, that was a monstrous undertaking. I don't know if I could do it now that I'm older, with less free time to burn.
>>354182
I'd like to say that those are among my favorites, too. I suppose because Luna has a sort of vulnerability to juxtapose her position of power, plus as guys, we have a natural soft spot for the lonely girl. One of the interesting and unintended side-effects of TBNE is that Blueblood's looping isn't just to his end benefit. His becoming a better person/pony impacts those around him in a positive way.
>>354248
(not to subtle nudge)
>>355118
Excellent. Another zombie comrade!
>>355122
My first Cydonia mission, half my troops entered via a grav elevator right into an alien ambush. It was delightfully brutal.
My first T'leth mission, my four remaining guys died in the final run to the Sleeping Horror. I couldn't believe it. Then I grinned and gave it another go. Victory!
>>355226
Someone interested in BME? What'd you want to know?
Feel free to PM me if you like.
>>358197
Yes, that is an interesting review. What came first, the Chryssalid or the Chrysalid?
Either way, if only Chrysalis had been around a year earlier, then I'd have a changeling as my EQD avatar.
>>355971
Funny enough, my putting in that wink there is a bone of contention between some readers. It seemes to general equal parts amusement and flak.
>>354320
Well, we hardly know anything at all about canon Blueblood... so I don't know how much fault there is that he isn't as interesting or fun as Phil. I mean, Bill Murray could play a background character, and he'd have character just by being Bill freakin' Murray. Or imagine if Blueblood's handfull of lines had been delivered by Ron Pearlman or Mark Hamil. Our fanon would be totally different. Interpretation had to be 8/10s of the work.
As for how much Blueblood changed over the course of TBNE, I like to think the fic is rather unique in that BB's "apology" is entirely self contained. He doesn't really seek to atone for the Gala, or even the bad things he's done in the past. He cleans up his messes (like with the corrupt surveyor) and moved on. No one is really chastising him in the loops except himself. He may imagine the loops as a punishment, but there is no entity pointing out flaws to address. He wouldn't have gone quite so mad if that had been the case. What he becomes convinced of is the need to improve and the desire to do more than just coast by, not out of fear of some punishment from above or below, or even out of the expectation that he will escape the loops (as the scene with Discord shows). He became a "better pony" because he saw value in it, for it's own sake, as the loops stripped away everything but his own sense of self-worth. In the end, he valued being able to live with himself over using Discord to escape the loops.
This fundamental aspect that a character needs to take out of the loop experience is wisdom. Not intelligence or humility, though those are elements of what they need. Does gaining wisdom change Blueblood too much, over the course of TBNE? That, like so much, is a matter of interpretation.
As for BB/Rarity. Oh ho ho ho!
Any BB pairing has that kind of reaction, though, amiright?
>>389798
Oh BoJo? Current mayor of London. Recently infamous for a few bumbling mishaps (though he's always willing to make fun of himself). Got a mean streak the width and length of the Thames and he's pretty eloquent with it when he needs to be. I admit the comparison isn't perfect as Blueblood actually seems to be actually good at what he does, but I could definitely imagine Boris saying a lot of his lines. Possibly while drunk...
And the thing is, people love him for it, because he doesn't pretend to be anything other than a bumbling twit.
>>389798 I could imagine a villain or jerk pairup with the likes of Trixie working out, in a kind of love-to-hate deal - as in, we the readers love to hate the two (what other reason could there be for Trixie's popularity in the fandom?). Other than that, though, yeah, pretty much. Blueblood isn't just a jerk, he's not in the slightest bit lovable or enjoyable - the bastard lovechild of Upper Class Twit and Jerk With A Heart Of Jerk. He's not funny, he shows no signs of worth or wit, and I don't think he's meant to.
>>389874
Funny enough, as I recall the links to those MLP cards, Blueblood isn't even considered a villain like Flim and Flam, NMM, Chrys, Gilda (a character I found thoroughly un-likeable in all respects) or even Diamond Tiara. I can't recall if Trixie got a villain meter there, either, actually.
They may just be two arrogant and clueless ponies. Not malicious, but just out there in their own little world.
More importantly, and the reason I really wanted to respond, is that you may well be right: Blueblood exists largely because (the writers felt) Rarity needed to encounter a Prince who wasn't and couldn't be the Prince Charming she imagined. It is really the most fundamental principle of Blueblood's character: he can't be charming. He can't be, any more than Shining Armor can have a bad sibling relationship with Twilight; or anymore than Zecora could express the same suspicion towards ponies that ponies expressed towards her. Their personalities, at the core, are bound up in what the mane characters learn from meeting them.
Even within that context, that iron rule, I'd tried to keep Blueblood true: even TBNE Blueblood can not naturally be charming. He can be funny and irreverent, he can be convincing in speech or even brave or selfless (as with his Discord temptation), but in the end he isn't a Prince Charming. He is defined not by what he is, in canon, but by what he is not and can not be. I find characters like that interesting. He also sends a strange sort of message: girls, don't expect the guy of your dreams to be what you expect. And, I suppose: don't put up with him being mistreating you.
I'm sure a LOT of women, if they managed a date with say, Prince Harry, would indeed put up with just what Rarity did at the Gala. Of course, we would then hate him for just that. A part of me hopes he (and Trixie!) will come back in Season Three, since I would like to see development of the two characters so closely tied to my favorite unicorns
but another part of me is anxious of how TBNE and TPC will be kicked in the shins by changes in canon. At least there's always World of Ponycraft! (with pandas now, apparently)
>>389811
BoJo - now I know who you're talking about! I heard about that guy from the Olympics!
BB's mindset sort of becomes "I'm rich, I'm in charge, I'm a little crazy and I love it." It seems this Londoner understands this state of mind, and how much fun it can be.
>>389935
I think canon and fanon everywhere is preparing for a kick in the balls, if what we know about s3 turns out true. I hope characters grow a bit and we aren't given any more character-morphing secret relatives or things of that nature.
I can't imagine what a film might do.
>>389798 just kidding. Actually when I saw the fic appear on EqD and noticed the author, I did a full on spit take.
>>389935 A teensy bit late to the party, but having written a fic with Gilda as an important character, I believe there is a difference between her and Blueblood. While Blueblood has nothing even remotely resembling a motivation for what he does other than "he's an upper class jerk" (unless you make one up out of whole cloth), seeing a motivation for Gilda is far easier: she's afraid of losing a friend, perhaps even (if you subscribe to that theory, and the episode does offer a few hints to that end) a lover. That doesn't excuse her actions in "Griffon the Brush-Off", but her breed of jerk-ness is more easily explained, at least.