The Chapter 15 Afterparty, and art! · 4:45pm Feb 20th, 2012
Hey guys!
Hope chapter 15 was worth the wait! Been a couple of weeks now since the chapter, and I wanted to try something new here as part of me trying to be less lurky overall: discussion!
I've got a ton of different ideas and background stories for the rest of the mane cast, as well as some of the other background ponies, and I used chapter 15 to do a little world-building outside of the central Twixie theme of the story, especially with Derpy and Rarity. I had actually held off on the Rarity background for a few chapters out of a fear of invoking Cerebus Syndrome, but to my surprise, hardly anyone batted an eye at the more serious section of the chapter.
Then again, most of the comments I got from the chapter overall were more along the lines of "Holy crap I thought you were dead!", so that might've overridden any actual response most readers might have had to the chapter.
That's what this blog post is for! I love fic discussion, speculation, wild mass guessing, and overall over analysis. Now, I know this is a light-hearted comedy fic, and not anything grand, adventurous or suspenseful like the stuff that other authors write (like the ones I namedropped in my previous blog), but I still enjoy discussing the Ballad's world with anyone that wants to know more. For those of you that only know of the fic here in FIMFiction, whenever a new chapter goes up, I'll hang around for the rest of the week in the GoogleDocs version of the chapter (the ones linked in EqD), just chatting away with the readers about anything and everything. It really helps me get a feel for how the story is being received, and if there were any parts that were unclear or not.
Anyways, if you have any one or all of the previously-mentioned questions, speculation, guesses or analyses of this chapter or the story in general, I'd love to see it, so just post it below! I'll be sure to reply as best as I can, without spoiling anything of course.
In other news, I drew a quick picture of Trixie sweating it out in chapter 15-- enjoy!
There's nothing wrong with a more serious or focused tone. You can always slip out of it as that was the original premise. I don't think anyone will mind. Everyone is on the edge of their seats for this story as it is. :P
My speculation for this story?
Trixie didn't lean forward to kiss Twilight after completing her spell. She's about to keel over from exhaustion and perform a marvelous faceplant into the ground.
Just my two bits.
I have to re-read the whole thing before I can actually speculate
now I know how readers feel about TER! Heh.
Anyway, from this chapter alone, I predict more CMC involvement with the police and an actual investigation of Celestia's less than honorable actions... if there are any.
I have no problem with any character development you want to throw out there, serious or comedic, as long as proper characterization is adhered to. Which you do a rather good job with. Dispite messing eith backstories and changing up relationships and dynamics you have pretty much managed to do it intuitively without butchering canon characterizatoin of falling into the charicaturization trap that many authors do, especially in shipping. Testament to that fact is this story has one of the very few depictions of AppleDash that I can actually stomach and not consider ooc. Keep up the good work.
Sorry for the poor spelling I am typing thes on my phone.
Also am I correct in interpreting the final scene as Trixie accidentally teleporting Twilight to he instead of herself to Twilight?
16773
"You pay for the whole seat, but you'll only need the edge!" I was joking with a pre-reader that no one minding the serious bit meant that I could now go full grimdark up in here.
16775
I think you're going to like the next chapter...
16779
Speaking of which, I totally need to get started on TER! I have a habit of not reading longer works unless I catch them as soon as they started, or unless they're completed, but I've been threatened with increasing violence the longer I wait to read that one...
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Thanks for that--I'm very glad that people still find the characters true to their nature despite all the silliness I throw at them; I know it's a thin line to thread on! And yes, Trixie did teleport Twilight instead of herself.
16797 By Fifth? Maybe you should try The Chronicles too
(Hint, hint!) That one isn't that far ahead! 
16797 What's TER?
Serious? In my comedy-drama? I can dig it.
16807
Not just by Fifth! Your dark influence runs deep... DUN DUN DUUNNN!
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The Empty Room, a very well-liked fic by the commenter right above you!
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Dramedy? *Cracks knuckles* Let's do this!