Oddtalk #0: Something to keep me occupied

Hey hey what's shakin'? So Strands of Time is turning out to be a MUCH bigger story than I originally intended, but that's okay! What isn't okay is that i've been pretty burnt out as of late, with college and other personal projects taking priority over my story.

So What am I gonna do to prove I'm not dead on this site and shit will continue to come out in the future? Make more vlogs! And what kind of vlogs are easy to make, enjoyable to make, and force me to actually read? FANFIC ANALYSIS!

Oddtalk is going to discuss every story featured in my Oddballs library, which mostly features weird, odd, or downright disturbing fanfics. Why? Well read on if you wanna know, and don't if you don't. The choice is always yours, dingus.

So Oddtalk is a new thing I'm doing to occupy myself between chapters and keep people interested in the stuff I say and do... I guess. But, it kinda represents my whole reason for being on this site in the first place. The first thing I figured out was that most fanfics on this site end up in one of four categories:
1. Wholesome slice of life stories
2. Incredibly graphic and often fetishistic pornographic material
3. Odd and oftentimes disturbing stories about a variety of subjects
4. Crossovers

It's category 3 that intrigues me the most. I've done a lot of research on the brony fandom, and I mean A LOT. As such, I know first hand how deeply depraved and disturbing this fandom can be. And by god does it fascinate me. Every time I read a story that's so weird that I find myself scowling or gagging by the time it's done, I sit there and think two things.
1. Why did that story disturb me so much?
2. What possible reason could the author have to write this story in this way.
It's stories like the one I'll be reviewing tomorrow that intrigue me most, as at their base level, their an indulgence into that which most will scorn. It's an open acceptance of the forbidden, and it's that idea that intrigues me. Why are some things seen as gross, weird or forbidden, and why do some enjoy them while others hate them? That is what Oddtalk is about.

I think we should be allowed to explore the depraved as well as the delightful, otherwise, what's the purpose of either one? And that's also what Oddtalk is about. As much as I'd loooooooove to talk philosophical bullshit all day, this whole thing was more along the lines of this:

"Man... there are some weird stories on this site."

"I should totally read some, get a change of perspective, and maybe it'll actually be good!"

"Well what if it isn't good?"

"Well then it's not worth reading."

"And if it is?"

"Then weird, nasty stories have just as much merit to exist as the nice, wholesome ones."

"But then how do I figure out what makes the story good or bad?"

And that's where F.O.I.L. comes in, as a sort of arbitrary scale.

F=Fun. The story, above all else, has to be entertaining. This is a fanfic site after all, not a history library.

O=Oddness. This is Oddtalk after all. The weirder the story the better, but that's not to be mistaken for senseless depravity. A story can be odd without being offensive or repulsive, but if such aspects are used intelligently, then they can also contribute to this scale.

I=Intrigue. Most fiction stories have something to say. Does this story have something to say? Is it trying to send a message, discuss an interesting topic or create a unique image in a person's mind? If not, then what's the point in trying to analyze it if it's just some senseless drivel?

L=Length. This one is the most flexible. I personally dislike incredibly long stories. I'm a busy guy, and this is supposed to be a quick and easy pastime, not a committed series. I'll try and read long stories, but they have to be well paced, otherwise I might just give up halfway through. If the second half is a masterpiece, the first half shouldn't be garbage, especially when the fanfic's 200,000 words long.

Anyway that's about it. Oddtalk #1 will come out tomorrow, and It'll start with a bang! But until then, enjoy your day, stay safe and live life!

Also here's the drawing for today. It's a sneak peek of the project I have in store after the Strands of Time! See ya later, gluebottles!