"50...40...30...20..." · 2:50pm Jul 14th, 2022
Update, woo!
Sorry about the wait. I could say that I've been busy, moving around, and so forth, which is all true, but the most important reason why I haven't been productive is that someone put me in the wrong operating mode.
Much better.
The chapter was ready a little bit ago, but I saw around the same time that one Mr. Paul had been asked to review the previous story (a hearty thanks to both him and the nice person who requested the review). I figured it would be fitting to release it around the same time. On a related note, if you're a new reader who has found my stories through his review, my condolences! I can assure you, it only gets worse from here! Same goes for my dedicated followers: my condolences! But you already know what you're in for (but ya stick around anyway, luv y'all :) )
Stay tuned!
Heck yeah dude. Good to see an update from you.
Hope you didn't mind my submitting the story for Paul's review - I know it's outside his usual fare, but I was curious what he would think of your unique brand of writing. And I'm always glad to give your works more of a spotlight. I debated for a while about exactly which story to request but decided on this one cause it's a bit meatier and has more going for it than just violent nonsense. As enjoyable as that violent nonsense is. Seems he's at least interested enough to want to see where the sequel is going, so we'll presumably find out what more Mr. Big Reviewer Man has to say about your horse words some time in the future.
5672612
Glad you're, uh, glad to see me back! Thanks for the thoughtful comment, as well as the submission in the first place. Reader interaction is the best part of this website (except for all the porn, natch), and it's so revealing having someone elucidate what they like about my stuff. I think you hit the nail on the head as regards to characterization, etc. I'm pretty sure the first long-form story I read on here was one of ol' Estavo's "Triptych" tales, either the eponymous door-stop itself or that spin off story where that one horse has the power to give people THE HORNY, but whatever the case that story really shaped how I thought about writing fanfiction.
I dunno if you've ever read Triptych, but I've always found its best feature to be how it drives character development and hence canon divergence largely with setting and lore; put another way, sure, the characters we know and love end up as quite different ponies by the end of the story, but fundamentally they're the ponies we know. It's like, yeah, Twilight ends up as a broken-hearted wreck whose faith in the world is completely shattered, but the fundamental core of the character holds strong; it's just that her exposure to, like, horse-Mengele has understandably diverged the character from canon. But, again, the core of the character remains, and her changes are the result of experience.
I loved that, and I really took that that to heart when I set out to write my first multi-chapter work. Now, look, imma be real wichu, I ain't as smart as ol' Estavus Adolphus, so I tend to play it a little faster and louder, but fundamentally i try to do the same thing. There's going to be some essential conceits, of course - why does Rarity practice marksmanship? Just does, simple as - but I want them to be fundamentally the same character, maybe amplified, but the same core identity, just shaped by the considerably shittier world around them. Yeah, okay, so Fluttershy's a little sterner, but she's still Fluttershy, she's still a fundamentally good pony who loves her friends and the world; it's just that the world kinda sucks. But you'd still look at her and be like "nah yeah that's butterhorse." It's OOC by process, not a fundamental change to our characters. That's why the stories are played so seriously too, because that process should feel natural and deserved. When Rara Simo Hayha's some idiot over a hill, I want it to be like "yeah Rarity would do that if put in such an outrageous situation." And that's where I think the funny is - putting our characters in terrible, terrible situations and seeing how the ponies we know are changed by and react to those situations, whether that be an artillery piece in a war, a doomed hunting party in the Everfree, or, worst of all, Italy.
5672622
Damn, you certainly put that into much better words than I did in my comment. I agree 100%. I have a lot of respect for the way you put things into words, even outside of the fiction. I may even suggest you put that comment in the review blog itself so people have a bit more background.
Haven't read Triptych before. I really wanna, and it's on my RiL, but so are 1929 other stories. I'm awful at planning this stuff. Plus, I'm trying to focus on the hard copies I have piling up. Plus, stories longer than 200k spook me. But I gotta face my fears one day!
5672631
aiight yeah good idea lmao
"I can assure you, it only gets worse from here!"
I think you'd struggle to write anything that would leave me more shaken than your CMC story.