A Partial Return · 3:55am Nov 6th, 2016
I'm a little ashamed.
While I was reading of Fallout: Equestria: Duck and Cover! and writing my critique, I realized exactly just how silly I am and have been.
To be sure, there were inklings of this notion lurking somewhere in the mind around the time I was writing some words about a changeling linguist, but I ignored them, thinking that, what the hell, I'm having fun, why should I care?
But after reading hahatimeforponies's marvellous, splendid, mordant work, and seeing the amount of irreverence with which he treats the subject matter, I could ignore it no longer. I'm ashamed: ashamed of how seriously I once took ponies, ashamed of how seriously I once took fan fictions, both my own and others'. Happy, pretty, colorful horses—much less fan fiction about happy, pretty, colorful ponies—do not merit the amount of thought and effort I once put into creating dramas based on them, and critiquing those of others. I had forgotten the reason I had gotten into ponies: they're a fun, silly diversion, nothing else.
I don't regret my works, and I genuinely believe that in some of them there are traces of something resembling actual quality—but those moments are few and far between; nowadays, I mostly regard my pony œuvre as overblown, over-the-top, try-hard silliness. Pretty much every complaint of my works to my detractors is spot on.
For a while now, maybe two years, I've had an incomplete, imperfect idea of a cute satire, which works both as a play on a certain aspect of the show, and a censure of actual proceedings that are taking place right now—and the whole thing would be lighthearted, mordant, witty; and, most importantly, fun. But I tucked it away, only to bring it up to amuse myself between a sip and a toke, reserving my sobriety and sanity for my real life's work, a real human novel, the first draft is a chapter or two away from being done.
But then Equestria Daily posted a contest. With actual prizes. I like prizes.
So, why the fuck not? It'll be a cool challenge.
For the next month, I resolve to work only on this fic (thankfully, my novel doesn't have an expiry date). I'm not sure I'll be able to make the 50k word goal without some serious Charles Dickens oh-crap-I-need-to-fill-this-installment-but-it's-only-two-paragraph-better-put-in-lengthy-descriptions-of-rooms padding—but then again, I thought I would have trouble getting my current novel to 80k words (it's 136k now). I can't promise I'll finish it; and if I do finish it, I can't promise it'll be good or satisfying.
But what I can promise is that it's a comedy, a lighthearted satire, and that it will treat ponies the only way they deserve to be treated: as fun, uplifting, and magical.
Good luck, and I hope you manage a win on the contest!
I love Duck and Cover. It was a silly satire of a super serious setting and it was glorious. I also have a soft spot for comedy so it worked. If you don't mind, I recommend MLP FML as a great comedic story.
Duck and Cover is great! It remembers how a parody should work: take the jimmies out of the original, but done so with some love for the work. Plus Atom is nuts.
Can't wait to see your story!
More Pony is the most important aspect of anything, silly or not.