Group shenanigans

I found out, by chance, that someone (I suspect the group's owner) added UtNL to the group My Little Over Analysis. (You aren't notified when someone adds one of your stories to a group, but you get all other kinds of messages. Huh.)

Its mission statement says:

This group is for stories that are rich in content, in a literary sense, with room for those stories that maybe aren't but that we like to analyze the hell out of, anyway. With, of course, the discussion thereof.

I can't imagine my story belongs in the first cathegory (any model for UtNL are the kind of story that generally is assumed to lack any literary worth), but we'll see what they do with it anyway.

Comments

[Lurks-no-More]

UtNL has a lot more literary worth than most fanfiction, pony or not. But I think its main draw is the rich and complicated world you set up, with much of it only implied or mentioned in passing. (I know that it's one of the things I love about your story! )

[Spectrumancer]

You created an entire nation and culture for your story, complete with social customs, legends and history. You may have drawn upon Nordic culture a lot, but it's involved enough by you, the author, that it feels in-place with the FIM universe. Not to mention all the smaller bits and references to other nations, international relations and history.
This all BEFORE even taking into account the story itself, which is well written and detailed, with good characters and storyline.

And you think it's not "rich in content" ? You have a hundred times more content -- valuable, fleshed out content -- that many of the popular stories on this site.

[Pilate]

418031
After all the world building we also have the numerous themes and motifs, including "authority/subordinate" which I think is one of the most poignant. Leave out Luna/Twilight, even, and stick to the comparisons and contrasts between Twilight/Spike, Sampo/The King, and Naga/Her Grandmother. Then you can expand that into the general theme of "family" where you can most certainly include Luna/Twilight and move all the way up to the deities themselves and how they all describe themselves as related in a familial sense: sisters, aunts, uncles and so on. One can easily expand on that by looking at how each "bucks" (sorry! ) the trends and traditions set in front of them. Breaking temple taboos, going after mythical artifacts, going against elder advice, sometimes to everyone's benefit, other times to their detriment.

Foreshadow, simile, metaphor, all the ingredients are there, one just needs a few discussion questions to get the ball rolling.

EDIT: Apologies if this is not that coherent, just woke up, haven't had enough coffee yet.

[Spectrumancer]

418062
Coherency is for boring people.
Also you have good points.

[CoastalSarv]

418031
Oh, I can see how people can like the worldbuilding (I'd be ashamed if they didn't because I have worked with that a lot as a game writer and should know my stuff), but I didn't really consider that "rich in content, in a literary sense". There are some amazing world builders out there who cannot write actual prose for shit.

418062
I know literary analysis isn't about telepathically reading the author, but I must still honestly say I had no idea I had written those things, just for the record. Good luck with the discussion, anyway! (And you were coherent enough, you just forgot a few names, in one case rather prophetically...)

[Spectrumancer]

418359 While true that a well-built world is merely the foundation, you built on top of it an engaging story, full of interesting characters and a well-woven narrative. Make no mistake, you're a brilliant writer.

[Pilate]

418359

but I must still honestly say I had no idea I had written those things

I am reminded of the following:

"the curtains were blue"
What your English teacher thinks: "the curtains represent represent his immense depression and lack of will to carry on."
What the author meant: "The curtains were fucking blue."

None-the-less, that's half the fun! Intentional or not, "family" is a big running theme, and it works very well. Don't change whatever it is you were doing

And totally busted about forgetting names, I didn't have time to open the fic and research them before heading out and am now curious to see what was telegraphed.

[CoastalSarv]

419424

And totally busted about forgetting names, I didn't have time to open the fic and research them before heading out and am now curious to see what was telegraphed.

You called Vigg Sampo - the ancient hero Vigg is pressed into emulating.