Sep
25th
2012
Ask Me Anything: Volume II · 12:23pm Sep 25th, 2012
So, I did one of these a while back. Of course, that was pre The Mill and Third Time's a Charm, so I had around 200 to 250 less followers back then.
So...
Ask away my friends. I'll be sure to answer any and all questions. I can't promise an instant answer—some of them may go unanswered until tomorrow—but I will get around to them.
Edit: 8am, and I'm back. Continue...
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RazedRainbow · 281 views
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Hmm, What's your writing process.
Do you mind if I steal this idea for a blog post?
Why?
381914
1. Get an idea. Sketch out idea (usually by chapters and/or scenes). Type a "scene" a day. Send it to my legion of pre-readers (varies between 2 to 7, depending on how busy they are), edit, publish, prepare for worst.
2. Steal away. It's not that original.
Why did you decide to write? Was there ever a moment when you just said "This is something I feel strongly about"-epiphany style?
And-- would you do it for a living, knowing all the struggle and what it's like?
381919
Why not?
Do you listen to music while you write? If so...and if you don't mind me asking 2 questions...what type of music?
I haven't pooped in five days, should I see a doctor?
How long have you been writing for? Have you written any works outside of MLP fanfiction? What is your favourite genre and why? What inspired you to start writing? What advice would you give anyone who is new to writing? Do you have any rituals or habits that help you come up with ideas and write? How much time each day do you spend writing? What is your favourite story outside of fanfiction? Are you regretting not setting a limit on the number of questions a person can ask? Have you ever acted as a pre-reader/editor for someone else's work?
And that is all that immediately springs to mind
381919
ಠ_ಠ
381931
Q: Do you write material that isn't fan-fiction. If so, were you writing before or did writing fics lead you to write more "traditional" material? What draws you to writing fics?
381932
1. Two things lured me into the world of writing. The fact that I love stories was the first. The second was when I won a local short story contest on a story I didn't put hardly any effort into. Once that happened it was like a lightbulb. I thought, If I actually put effort into this...
Also, because I suck at drawing.
2. Yeah. I want to become a published writer, and I'm willing to deal with all the shit every writer not named King/Rowling/Meyer/etc goes through. Whether or not it happens? Eh, we'll wait and see.
381939
All the time.
Usually, it's post-rock. Bands like Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, and so on. But I really just listen to whatever puts me in the mood for that particular chapter (for example, if it's a fight scene, I'll definitely start pumping some Iron Maiden)
381940
Go to Taco Bell. Should clear you right out.
381970 But what if they don't let me in Taco Bell anymore for similar reasons?
381976 God bless you I hope that you are kidding, otherwise, this conversation and the tears of mirth it has caused me are now sad.
381957 I think we allll became writers because we suck at drawing.
381946
1. I've been writing fiction (consistently) for less than a year. Before January, I had written a couple of short stories for Creative Writing classes in high school, but that's about it.
2. I've written a couple of short stories (one of which won an award at a local contest), but aside from that, it's been all pony.
3. Favorite genre? Fantasy. I'm a big fan of reading books that carry me to another world that's different from this one. Plus wizards and dragons.
4. Just wanted to get involved with the MLP fandom, and I can't write or sing or write music, so I went with the one thing I knew I could do decently: write.
5. I'm not the kind of person you seek advice from, but I'll try. First off, give it your all. Even if your story is average, the effort put into it will show. Also, grammar, but that should be common knowledge. Really, just never give up (I'm terrible at being a sage).
6. I always listen to this song before I write anything. It just puts me in the right mood.
7. The Name of the Wind is my current love. If you haven't read it, do so now.
8. Yes, I am
9. Yes. I proofread for three people currently. They also proofread for me.
381952
I've attempted writing original fic, but I'm still trying to get a hang of my actual style. I've written a couple of short stories that got really positive receptions, but that was four years ago. I'd grown out of writing for awhile, and it wasn't until I came across ponies that I decided to give it another shot. Really, I write fics for fun, but I also write them as practice for when I try to write an original novel someday.
what are your main sources of inspiration to write such sad fics and what is your favorite ship
381976
Uh... Chipotle?
382001 Nope, same reason... they even went to the extent of getting a restraining order.
381998
Personal experience. To make a long story short, people around me have had a habit of dying the past year or so.
Favorite Pairing: RariDash.
382005
Buy those microwaveable burritos from... whatever Canada's version of a supermarket is (down here it's Bi-Lo, but I'm positive they don't' have those in Vancouver). They are the best of the pipe cleaners.
382008 We've got IGA... but most of their food is fresh produce and microwavable popcorn. Would a 7/11 work?
382006
well damn i am honestly at a loss for words
382009
Probably.
382011 Well thanks Doc! I hope this works... I have a feeling that this one might break a world record!
Favorite non-pony media?
382014
Randy Marsh, is that you?!
382017
If we're going by TV shows, I'm really into Game of Thrones (I have yet to read the books, though. I know I should), Breaking Bad, Futurama, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I used to also be into Scrubs and Lost, but since they're both no longer on the air
Also, I adore 90s cartoons from Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network
382022
You have correctly answered the question.
382019 Maybe....
381937
Excellent.
Serious question time.
What is the best fic you've read?
Also, why should I, a person notorious for despising all things Romance (pony or not), read Third Time's a Charm?
382022
Read them. Right now. Drop everything and read them.
382038
Best fic I've read... aw jeez
That's a hard one.
The Immortal Game is my current all-time fave, but that honor bounces between stories like a basketball in a room constructed entirely of trampolines.
As for Third Time's a Charm... Honestly, I can't give you a reason. If you don't like romance, then you won't like Third Time's a Charm; it was written for the "shipping" crowd by a rather nefarious shipper named RazedRainbow. It's got some funny moments, and in the future there'll be some pretty neat world building, interaction, and an action scene or two, but at its heart, it is still a shipping fic.
(And I intend on getting to Game of Thrones ASAP. I have such a long "To Read" list of original novels, and almost all of them are doorstopper fantasy novels
)
382038
I second both the point and the question.
381987
Hehe, sorry about the question overload. I've never really had the opportunity to do an 'Ask me anything' style thing :P
Also, that song is so relaxing! How did you come across that band?
382053
Lots o' people really like The Immortal Game, it seems. It's been on my list for awhile, but so have many other things. Guess I'll have to move it up on that list
382060
Wikipedia. I went to the article for post-rock. Clicked on link to "List of Post-rock bands." And spent a whole day just browsing through them all (It was a long, lazy summer).
382063
I highly recommend it. It's a lengthy read, but a real page-turner.
382056
If you don't like romance, you're probably not going to like Third Time's a Charm. It's cool: while I'm a rather avid shipper, I can totally understand why people wouldn't like it, and I respect their opinion.
382067
Lengthy reads are nothing new for me.
382071
Heh, now I feel bad for being so blunt, apologies if I sounded brutish, that was not my intention.
Q: Let's keep going down the media path, favorite written (non-pony) fiction? Optionally, favorite non-fiction written work? Do you draw influence from said works, or do you tend to use your personal life as a muse more often?
What's your opinion on Human in Equestria and Pony on Earth style fanfictions?
382080
Favorite non-pony fiction? Whoo boy, this list good go on for awhile. I'll just give my ten favorite novels (in no particular order)
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- The Gunslinger by Stephen King (along with the rest of the Dark Tower series)
- Redwall by Brian Jacques
- The Dead Zone by Stephen King (King's a big influence)
- The Time Machine by H.G Wells
- (Non-fiction) Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley (It's a story about the battle of Iwo Jima and the five flag raisers in the iconic Iwo Jima photo)
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Anything by HP Lovecraft
- Any book in the Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett
And that's just a few of my favorite books.
In terms of style, I draw influence from Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman most of all. Both of them have a very unique narrative voice—one that almost feels like the narrator is a character, even though the story is told in third-person. I try to give my fics that kind of bite.
As for stories themselves. They usually are more related to my personal life, usually based around a theme that's heavy in my life at the time (NAWWAL and Where All Roads Lead were both written amidst depression, so that could explain them).
382022 Dear god, are you me?
382084
Not a big fan of either, but not a 'hater' either. If done right, they can be good (I read the first few chapters of Ariticle 2 a while back, for example, and really enjoyed it). Really, I have no problem with Human in Equestria or Pony on Earth. It's when the bronies get involved that I start to groan and facepalm (which is very, very often).
382096
Yes.
382108 Then why isn't my grammar as good as yours?
382115
Why don't I have as many followers as you?
382096
Let us all nostalgia together.
382091
Excellent list, a few I haven't myself read yet and have been added to the real-world "read it later" list. American Gods is among my top favorites as well, Gaiman is a blast to read. Have you read much Neil Stephenson as well?
382098
I went through a HiE and PoE phase but have more or less burnt out on it since the clichés got to be too much. There are a few worth reading though, if you liked ARTICLE2 I would suggest reading Arrow 18: Mission Logs. Quantum Castaways is pretty fun so far, as well. I would recommend The God Particle, but with the caveat that it's pretty long, I feel like it's getting off-track and I don't think it's going to end anytime soon. I sort of wish there were more well done PoE stories, there's lots of adventure and slice of life fodder there once you get past the required chapters dealing with "learning about humanity."
Q: In which locale do you reside? In which locale do you wish to reside?
382122
(I forgot to "reply" to the last one. Not sure if you saw this, so I'm putting it down again).
I've been wanting to read some Stephenson. What would you suggest I start with?
My current residence is Rock Hill, South Carolina (near Charlotte, North Carolina). Not a brony hotbed, but there are still a few.
Also, if I could live anywhere, I'd probably live out west. Not sure where, though. Probably California or Washington or something.
382169
As a resident of Los Angeles, I highly suggest coming out to California. Mountains, beaches, deserts, celebrities, hipsters, forests, wine, etc etc.
As for Stephenson, I started with Snow Crash. It's an easy enough read, is still extremely relevant even though it was written in the early 90s and is very relatable to the present-day that really only makes me awestruck that it is now literally 20 years old. I read it in the early 2000s and re-read it just recently, it holds up very, very well. Quicksilver was the second book of his I read, quite a bit longer and the first in a trilogy (and contains a trilogy...). It's historical fiction that tries out a number of different narrative styles and is very much a piece of science fiction despite being set in the past. Not steampunk. Cryptonomicon is my third suggestion, without giving away too much the story juxtaposes a fictional WWII with a fictional 1990s.
Read Snow Crash, if you like the style then read Crypto if you want more straight sci-fi or read Quicksilver if you want to work your brain muscle a little harder.
Let me also pitch Robinson's Red Mars while I'm at it. It's hard, dry sci-fi that focuses on human nature, character depth like you won't believe. I had to stop reading it at one point because one of the character was frustrating me so much.