Like a swiss army knife, this post will have many parts to deal with different subjects. Admittedly, this makes the resulting blog eclectic and fat with blocks of adi-prose, but it means I can package a fair number of points in one go and then cheerfully go my own way for several weeks afterwards. It also has the advantage of cutting down the number of blog notifications my followers receive (I follow some users who seem to blog every other day, and it gets a bit boring after a while), and it just feels neater and less daunting to look at one summary post every month, as opposed to tracking one post a day for thirty days or so. Might be just me, though.

Anyway, to business. Below are the six main topics I'll tackle for this blog post. You can skip to the one topic that interests you in this set and respond to specific topics, if you so wish. I'm perfectly happy with that; I wouldn't want to overwhelm you with the size of this post, after all!

Here they are, in order of appearance:

One Man's Pony Ramblings

New Site Design

Bronyland Personality Test

Double Rainboom

World Building Alliance March and April Contests

Thank You, DPV111!

Please feel free to comment on this blog at any time, whether you're just passing or not. I appreciate having a chat with fellow fans every now and again.

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One Man's Pony Ramblings

Last month, I visited Chris' "One Man's Pony Ramblings" blog. Not for the first time, it must be said, but certainly it was the first time I was convinced to follow his blog as a lurker. It's always worth finding out what your fellow fans are up to.

For those of you who don't know what the attraction is, the blog takes 6-star fics from Equestria Daily and subjects them to criticism, ranking them according to a five-star system. Necessarily, the judgements are partly subjective, but he has a knack for getting past the surface and looking at the bare bones of the story for signs of consistency, research, and stylistic and structural elegance, and his criticisms largely seem to hit the target. Moreover, his reviews are civil and a pleasure to read in their own right.

I'd recommend it for the reviews alone, but there are also mini-reviews for other works, and bonus posts from contributors, including some notable names in the fandom. If you like keen and carefully considered reviews (he's thoughtful enough to note where people of different tastes might disagree with him), want to isolate those fics that have survived rigorous scrutiny, or just like to read about the thoughts and opinions of others (it often pays to follow the subsequent comments by users just as thoughtful and incisive as Chris himself), then I recommend you give it a look here and see if it's for you.

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New Site Design

We had yet another overhaul of the site design last month. By and large, I could get past it after the initial few hours of disorientation, but I sorely miss the old design for the story searches. Where once you could exclude categories and tags and see them laid out before you in organized sets, now you just get them lumped under a single drop-down menu that is less intuitive and far uglier than the old one. I also miss the ability to distinguish new story updates from blog posts, though the feed option isn't too bad. I can't think of anything else to criticize, though, and to be fair, knighty does a good job overall with the site.

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Bronyland Personality Test

For the most part, I don't take personality tests all that seriously. Often, I wonder how the categories were decided and to what degree you can give an honest assessment of yourself, and even the more scientifically rigorous tests such as those based on The Big Five should be treated as artefacts based on empirical results, not as decisive personality frameworks that will stand the test of time. But if it's just a bit of fun, then I don't see much harm in it. People compare themselves with others all the time in the first place, and so long as you don't act like the test is objective or decisive, you're not likely to make mistakes or read too much into it.

A delightful discovery in recent weeks was the Bronyland Personality Test. I virtually never use the site, but after seeing some users with screenshots of their results from the test, I became curious enough to give it a look. And yes, once you look at such a test, you inevitably have to take it. You can't feel curious about a cake that's been left out without at least dipping your finger in the icing.

My first impressions were that it was a bit hit-and-miss. Some questions make sense, though it was a bit obvious at times which pony the answers were pointing at (you can guess pretty easily what answers would get you classified as a Rainbow Dash type): the ones about the pizza and socializing did a fair job, and you could at least see the logic behind them (the former, for instance, tests how you resolve a conflict of interest that can't be decided by easy mathematics). Others were frankly bizarre: it's questionable why my preference for certain adornments says volumes about me, if only because there are many reasons why someone would wear a cowboy hat or a scarf. A few were downright silly: how exactly do you pick your "favourite suit of cards" (spade, clubs, diamonds, etc.), and why should this say anything about your personality? Overall, though, it was pretty fun, and there were one or two surprises hidden for those who like to go back and try different answers on purpose.

At the end of the questions, you get shown a diagram comparing your personality to the Mane Six and to the averages of previous users, and then a brief description for whichever pony you are most like. My result was shaped like two gigantic spikes; I was overwhelmingly like Fluttershy, with Twilight a very close second and Applejack in third place, just above average.

Does it fit? Well, taking what I said earlier into account, I think it captures some of the more obvious aspects of my personality. I am a bit shy and introverted in real life, and tend to like learning and reading in my spare time more than partying and big social events. On the other hand, it doesn't say much about my organization (I'm actually a lot sloppier than Twilight is) or about my nervousness (unlike Fluttershy, I find I'm neither fully relaxed nor fully tense in most situations). Plus, I don't take fright at my own shadow or talk to animals, and I've never tried brainwashing my local community because a bit of homework was overdue. Needless to say, I'm not going away with the notion that I'm a full-blooded Fluttershy-type just yet.

Still, I won't deny it was kind of a pleasant surprise when I got the result (I'd guessed that Applejack and Twilight would be most like me, and hadn't given Fluttershy much thought), and there is the usual suspense as you try to guess who you'll end up being compared to. If you like a bit of fun, you can try it yourself here and see if you're most like Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, or Rainbow Dash. To be fair, I should add that you don't have to register to use the test (I didn't bother), but your results won't be included in the set they use to calculate user averages.

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Double Rainboom

More recently, I've discovered the latest offering of the fandom; a surprisingly professional-looking fan-made episode entitled Double Rainboom, released a few days ago and given some publicity on Equestria Daily. As far as technical achievement goes, this is easily something to boast about; much of the animation is faithful to that of the show, and the artwork, backgrounds, and character designs will provide hope to those who long to see the franchise expand.

That said, I confess my appreciation for the episode is largely over its technical achievement and the "Dancing Bear" principle (amazed not because it's done well, but because it's done at all). As for it being a quality piece of entertainment, I think we have a long way to go yet. The voice acting is just too different from the professional VAs' standards for me to ignore, the story is essentially an excuse plot to give Rainbow a moment to be awesome (and to get to a Powerpuff Girls cameo), and the original video simply drags out the story with slow pacing. If you insist on seeing the original product, the link's here, but I'd recommend watching the shortened version shown above, which at least brings the episode down to the 22-minute mark.

My review is harsh, and I don't want to be so negative as to suggest fan-made works are doomed to mediocrity. Personally, I'd love to see more videos of this artistic skill, and I hope the precedent makes it easier to pull off. That doesn't mean I have to like the flavour of this particular dish, even if I acknowledge that it's a historically important moment in cuisine.

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World-Building Alliance, March and April Contests

The World-Building Alliance is essentially where you go to argue that Chrysalis is the third (and the most evil) alicorn sister, that Iron Will believes in reincarnation and free market economies, and that the dragons are far more socially and politically organized than canon would indicate. It is, in short, a welcome home for fanon that focuses on non-pony stuff, and is one of my favourite groups on this site. If you like to pick the brains of your fellow pony fans, or just want to tell others how you'd explain certain elements of the ponyverse, then I heartily recommend giving the group a visit.

Since the beginning of 2013, a new development has appeared that combined fanon-based world-building with fanfic writing. Every month, the senior members of the group post a story prompt and challenge members to write, before the end of the month, a fic that focuses on non-pony races or species and explains some aspect of the ponyverse. At the end of each month, the judges will read and score each fic based on such things as grammar, characterization, world-building scope, and how interesting or solidly constructed the plot is, and the results are published during the first half of the next month.

Perhaps some of you might like the chance to test your writing skills in this month's event? It's one reason why I bring it up here. The contests don't require you to thrash out a very long fic - 5,500 words is considered the upper limit for what the judges will look at - so with thirty days to tackle each prompt, you have plenty of time to produce a one-shot or introductory chapter. It also has the advantage of providing you with feedback on your performance, and you get to meet like-minded members in the same cart as you. Plus, it's just good fun, and could be enough to get your creative juices going if you're stuck.

My last three releases were entries for that contest: The Last of Lapis Lazuli, Insecta Non Grata, and Monster Catchers. Yes, that now leaves me with three unfinished fics, but considering I'd just come from six or so months of no productivity, that pretty much made my year. I'm still hoping to rattle off a few more in the coming weeks, though obviously I don't want to get too careless. There are a lot of things I want to achieve yet in story-writing.

Also... well, I don't want to impose, but I'd like to add that I would be grateful if you were to take a few moments sometime and have a look at my latest offerings, especially if you could give me your opinion on them. I like to receive feedback for my work so that I can improve in future and produce better and more refined specimens. Even if you just want to give one line summarizing your response to the fic, rather than a long list of constructive criticism, feel absolutely free! Every comment is welcome.

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Thank You, DPV111!

On that front, I'd like to thank DPV111 for giving one of my fics some much-needed publicity, and basically for doing me a favour. Having received a surprising number of dislikes shortly after release, Insecta Non Grata was pretty much left for dead, and I confess my confidence took a hit. It doesn't help that none of the dislikers left any criticism or comments, so I had no idea what I did wrong.

DPV111 - fully of his own free will, I might add, and with no request or suggestion from me to do it - posted a blog shortly afterwards promoting the fic, and contributed to its much warmer, more constructive, and more encouraging reception afterwards. He does a fair amount of work promoting stories that slip under the mainstream radar in any case, so he deserves, at the very least, a pat on the back for his efforts there. I want to add that I appreciate him especially for being one of the few users - for a time, the only user - who replied to my blog posts, and thus convinced me that I was not merely a lone voice rambling to an empty theatre. I do not underestimate the value of even the smaller contributions.

Of course, the length of my blog posts probably contributes to that last item, so it's probably worth changing my blogging habits. Penny for your thoughts?

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That's certainly enough for now, I think. Still, I hope there will be plenty more mind-bending developments and discoveries between now and my next post, and I hope my contribution here, however meagre, gives you at least a few minutes of enjoyable reading.

Until next time. Impossible Numbers, out.

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Statistics

New Stories?: Insecta Non Grata and Monster Catchers

Story Count: 16

My Total Story View Count: 9,116

Age: 69 weeks, 1 day

My Follower Count: 56

My Followed Count: 62

Blog Number 14: Spin-Off Ponies Edition

It's shaping up to be the next "Twilicorn" controversy among the fandom, and as far as I can tell, it hasn't even been properly confirmed yet. The story goes like this: a magazine claims that a spin-off MLP series will feature anthropomorphized versions of the ponies, probably in a merchandise show meant to sell a new line of dolls or something. Naturally, the reaction blogs are already going up.

While I'm not exactly bowled over by the prospect, neither am I feeling particularly antagonistic towards it, and not just because I don't really care about this particular spin-off proposal. I was excited, prior to reading about what it actually contained, of the idea of a spin-off series for MLP:FiM, and that got me thinking. A spin-off series would be great, firstly because it expands the show's 'verse and secondly because it means that the ball could really get rolling for the franchise to transcend its roots further. The main series has already shown us plenty of promising avenues it could explore. Moreover, it would be a chance to see more characters and settings in a way that just can't be done when you're following six mares and a dragon around a country town.

But then what would the spin-off series be about? That's what I'd like to ask you. Instead of complaining about or adapting to the current proposal, what about entertaining a proposal we would like to see done? Maybe you want to see more of Manehattan or Appleloosa. Maybe you'd prefer a Trixie show in which she travels the road, or a show about young Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armour growing up together. Maybe a show about Celestia's past, and about her and Luna's struggles against ancient evils would enthuse you.

Personally, I'd like to see a Daring Do spin-off series, or that Cutie Mark Crusaders spin-off Faust originally planned, but what about you? What would you like to see in a MLP:FiM spin-off?

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N.B. Statistics not included. It wasn't that long ago when I posted the last batch, and I prefer to do it over longer expanses of time.

Blog Number 13: Lapis Lazuli Edition

January 2013 Contest

My latest story, The Last of Lapis Lazuli, was a submission for the January World-Building Contest for the World-Building Alliance group. The prompt was to write an origin story for one of the species of Equestria (normal and alicorn ponies excluded), with the first 5000 words being judged. The results were released earlier today, having been intended for release by the 7th before the site got hit with a storm of problems. There were all kinds of conditions and details, so if you want to find out more, the prompt post is here. If you're interested, they're hosting a second contest for this February with a different prompt here.

The good news is that my story got a good score of 4.17/5. It seems there were problems with Sombra's flat characterization, a bit of confusion in the third part, and a little too much darkness and despair for the prompt's requirements, but otherwise I'm pretty chuffed. The judges really liked my OC, and it seems I have some good grammar, pacing, and world-building with the origin of the crystal ponies.  Mostly, I scored well in all the categories the judges used.

The bad news is that I didn't win. I didn't even make the top three. Naturally, I'll try again for the February prompt, but darn does it take a bit of wind out of my sails.

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Thoughts on Games Ponies Play

Well, for a start, I like the allusion made in the title. It's not often you get a nod to the "soft" sciences in fiction, or at least those bits of it that aren't Freudian pseudoscientific nonsense and "early 20th century armchair psychologist" stereotyping.

While I'm at it, I might as well place my thoughts on the latest episode here. Naturally, spoilers, so...

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK! SPOILER ALERT!

You can't say I didn't warn you.

On the latest episode, I don't really have much to offer intellectually. I do think it felt a bit underwhelming, though I was really pleased we got to see the Empire and its wonderfully animated crystal ponies again. I'm ashamed to admit I was guessing "wrong passenger" before they got off the station, though I was surprised they'd confirm it so quickly rather than leave it ambiguous. Not that the claustrophobic southern tourist wasn't nice or anything, but less screen-time on her and more on the Empire, Cadence, Shining Armour's training regime, and/or Dash's family would have been more enjoyable. I don't blame Rarity for admiring the crystal spa, either. Wonder if Lotus and Aloe will keep blushing every time their customer gushes about it over the next few weeks.

How exactly were Cloudsdale supposed to host the Games? It's a cloud city for pegasi. How are the other ponies supposed to get up there? And I hope we get to see some of the Games in season four. The prospect of Pony Olympics is just too good to pass up.

And it's about time they showed some pegasus family members! I wonder if Rainbow's dad was a record-breaker in the past, but I guess we'll start seeing fics about that any moment now. I'm increasingly of the opinion the staff put in details like that almost entirely for fans to do something with, as nearly all the Mane family members save Applejack's and Twilight's are superfluous to the show.

Also, is it just me, or is Cadence always being used as a cosmic punch bag whenever she appears? Debut double-parter: gets locked underground in a forgotten cavern. Season three opener: deprived of sleep for days to keep up one whopper of a protection spell. And now this episode: has her Empire's chances of hosting the Games slowly go to pieces while Rarity makes a humongous mess of her mane. She's got nothing on Rainbow, though. I can't think of an episode in which Rainbow doesn't get dealt a bad hand at some point, whether it's crashing into things or having circumstances pull the rug out from under her hooves.

Lastly, yet another contrived ending that either doesn't make sense or rushes things for a happy ending. Season three seems to be replete with these: Sombra's awesome (if quick) defeat got minimized by a basic test; Pinkie clones getting zapped based on a poor test; Babs getting amnesty for her sob story excuse; Trixie's utterly unbelievable "apology"; Dash appearing out of nowhere to save Scootaloo; Rainbow's disillusionment getting a U-turn at the last second; the totally predictable (and anticlimactic) stunt with the fake Timber Wolf and the real one, with Rainbow and Twilight of all ponies running away; Discord's near-total personality change; and now the inspector feeling kindly disposed to a lack of fanfare despite learning seconds before that there was fanfare, that it was very nice, and that she got splashed on twice because five ponies forgot the most basic greeting -- how to ask someone's name. I'm not saying the episodes as a whole are bad, nor that earlier seasons don't have examples that are just as bad, but it seems too obvious here, and I'm hoping that both the finale and the next season pick things up again. Having a happy ending doesn't mean having a dumb ending.

SPOILER ALERT HAS BEEN LIFTED! CLEARING THE ZONE FOR TRACE CONTAMINANTS! READING THREAT HAS BEEN CONTAINED IN QUARANTINE! RETURNING TO NORMAL MODE!

Tap my shoulder if I'm overdoing it.

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Writer's Block Confession

I would like very much to produce a piece of work on par with All of a Fluttershy and Through the Eyes of the Hurricane again, but I might as well be honest; I privately think my ideas and/or writing style will not go over well, and I'm wrestling with a bad case of writer's block. Plus, I have a track record of not finishing what I start because of unexpected drops in confidence...

I need a sounding board. Somewhere where I can discuss my ideas with others without worrying about getting them stolen or bad-mouthed (bad-mouthing is not the same as constructive criticism, I hasten to add). If anyone knows such a place, I'd be mighty grateful.

Impossible Numbers out.

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Statistics

New Stories?: The Last of Lapis Lazuli was released a couple of weeks ago. See above for details.

Story Count: 14

My Total Story View count: 8,405

Age: 60 weeks, 5 days

My Follower count: 50

My Followed count: 61

Blog Number 12: Short Stories and My First Audiobook Edition

Now, I had wanted to post a blog on Christmas or New Year, but I didn't really have anything to report at the time, so rather than do it for the sake of it, I left it. Since then, a couple of new developments have cropped up rather like the proverbial two buses.

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Short Stories - Any Recommendations?

Firstly, I'd like a bit of help, if anyone's reading this. At present, I'd like to develop my craft for short story writing (anything between a thousand to ten thousand words), and when writing, I find I work best if I have an example of the kind of story I want to write in mind.

The problem is that I like reading novels, which are usually seven or eight times longer and have different requirements, and a novel is not something you write in under a month unless you've got incredible stamina.

To put it in brief, I'd be mighty grateful if anyone reading this could recommend any classic or exemplary short stories that I might like. Not necessarily fanfiction, either. I mean, say, the one short story everybody should read, an example of great writing and great storytelling, or even simply a competition winner.

Genre-wise, I'm not fussy so long as it's not romance (unless it's a really good romance, of course), but something suspenseful, or emotional, or comedic, or at least entertainingly absurd would be good. Ideally, something family-friendly rather than heavily "adult".

The more suggestions, the better. You can recommend a writer or an anthology if you like.

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My First Audiobook

Secondly, I'd like to report that I have my first audiobook!

Only two days ago, I received a little PM from the Living Library. They've done an audio recording of one of my stories, Through the Eyes of the Hurricane, and have posted it on YouTube. It's narrated by user FreeHomeBrew, according to the description. The link's here if you're curious: http://youtu.be/yQSCQyxJgMA

Now, it's not exactly a professional reading - quite a few restarts, hesitations, and self-corrections are peppered throughout - and I was a mite disappointed that the voice was male when I had expected the first person narrator, like the character, to be female. That said, some parts are delivered very well (I especially liked the ending with Pansy - it reads well in writing, but I think it's even better when read aloud).

Yet to be honest, I hardly care about these quibbles. Someone considered one of my own works of fiction good enough that they'd willingly sit and spend forty five minutes reading it aloud. I remember that particular fic as one of the ones I re-edited several times to get onto Equestria Daily, and though I consider it one of my best fics, I thought it was over once I'd received the initial comments (all of which I am grateful for). But having spent most of the last few months worrying over pen and paper with little to no result, I was surprised to be nearly a year after the event and to receive such an unexpected gift. I genuinely don't know how to express my gratitude.

Now, I don't want to sound emotional or silly; there's no need to blow this out of proportion, and it's inevitably more exciting for me than for you. That said, I wanted to convey just how great I feel after learning about this. It makes me feel all these difficulties with writer's block and self-doubt are really worth it in the end because someone, somewhere appreciates it and enjoys your work.

It's not much, but the least I'm doing is sending a Thank You PM to the Living Library for their effort.

Hey, it is a first for me, after all. I want to enjoy the moment!

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Miscellaneous

Something else I probably should have written early December; I am now a year-old user and up there with the eldest members! That means I'm now eligible for a senior citizen's discount card. Also, I got my old avatar back now, though I'm keeping the santa hat version saved on my laptop for next Christmas.

Well, that's it for now. Until next time, Impossible Numbers out!

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Statistics

New Stories?: Pinkamena Diane Pie was released about a week ago. It's a fairly low-key short story, and originally going to be a longer work, but I never got around to finishing it. Other projects are starting up, but again, no promises.

Story Count: 13

My Total Story View count: 8,073. I finally passed the 8,000 views benchmark!

Age: 58 weeks, 1 day

My Follower count: 46

My Followed count: 58

Blog Number 11: One Bad Apple Edition

While I applaud the efforts of the Friendship is Magic staff to tackle such a difficult issue as bullying (and in their characteristic style), the logical leaps involved in “One Bad Apple” left a bad taste in my mouth, and it’s to do with the depiction of Babs.

The Insecure Bully Myth

The most obvious problem is that she's an unsubtle example of the insecure bully myth. It may be a good source of dramatic potential to have the seemingly obnoxious bully turn out to be a poor victim themselves (as this episode shows), but the notion that bullies pick on others to hide their own insecurities or low self-esteem is based on a myth. Moreover, it’s a myth that keeps popping up in the media despite lacking any decent evidence to prop it up, and this can only get in the way of genuine efforts to understand bullying behaviour.

For a start, bullies tend to have an excessive amount of self-esteem, not too little. Most victims of bullying are the ones with low self-esteem, and who therefore are less likely to stand up for themselves or have any allies on hand to help them. Bullies usually bully to coerce people into doing what they want, though this can later become more about bullying for entertainment, for an enjoyment of being in a position of power, or for revenge or punishment for some unofficial social rule being broken.

Bullies also target those who threaten to pop their exaggerated self-image; they do this not to “hide the truth” but because they have too high a sense of entitlement, and because it gets the message across that you don’t mess with them if you know what’s good for you. The motives of bullies are usually banal: they want something (say, social standing or money), and other people are just obstacles who need to be dealt with. There’s so far been no conclusive evidence to suggest that their desires are products of Freudian self-denial or of projected insecurity.

There is a bystander effect, in which those who should intervene on behalf of the victim end up either ignoring the problem or encouraging the bully. But such bystanders never take centre stage, rarely do more than the minimum to signal that they’re not a threat to the bully, don’t take the initiative as the bully does, have to be intimidated into silence elsewhere, are never close to the victim, and are likely to be just as vulnerable to bullying themselves even if the bully “accepts” them.

Among the peers, bullies are the unofficial authority, the small-scale equivalent of a mafia that lurks out of sight of adult authority. That’s why bullies make a note to foreclose possible “snitches” with threats and blackmail, which in turn is another reason why they prefer soft targets. Sometimes, bullying can be done as a form of revenge, either for real or for imagined slights, but usually for trumped-up charges which only exist because of the aforementioned bloated ego (for instance, harassing someone because they "looked at me the wrong way" or "looked at my girlfriend").

Problems with the Switching Sides Scene

The scene in which Babs turns on the Cutie Mark Crusaders for the first time is an example of how not to go about depicting bullies. The first problem is that Babs is in the same boat as the CMC, so she has more pretext to sympathize with their plight. She’s been there, done that; she knows how it feels. The similarity of the incident alone should have awoken old habits from Manehattan, which leads to the second problem below.

The second problem is that Babs has shown no sign of any of this aggressive behaviour before now; if anything, her self-consciousness has tended to make her silent rather than aggressive or self-assertive, so it doesn’t match up to her prior behaviour. This isn’t too big a problem because someone could always invoke hidden depths, especially for such a recently introduced character. But it casts the logic of her switch into even bigger doubt because the writers have to make such a 180 turn for her personality to make it work, and the switch happens within a matter of seconds.

The third problem is that Babs’ strategy is full of holes compared with the more intuitive alternative. The CMC have more or less been friendly to her throughout her stay, whereas these two are relative strangers to her, resemble her home bullies more, and show no redeeming features. They therefore have a lesser claim to her loyalties than the victims do.

Heck, Apple Bloom breaks rank first by standing up to the bullies, which if anything would have emboldened her cousin to join in, with reasonable certainty that her allies-in-suffering would back her up. What makes the joining-the-bullies strategy less sensible is that the CMC already outnumbered the two bullies, and her alongside the CMC would not only have made her feel less singled-out and given her safety in numbers, but would have given their side a 2:1 advantage.

Even if her motive was to throw the bullies off her tail, she would have done what the CMC did: avoid the bullies in the first place, who were nowhere near as persistent as she was when she took over the bullying role. Hanging out with the bullies puts her in even more contact with them than if she’d tried to avoid them, and makes her their closest (and only) blank flank target if they get bored, effectively making this strategy self-defeating.

The fourth problem is obvious: she’s still a blank flank. The logic of that scene is this:

1. Two strangers come in and begin teasing the CMC for their blank flanks, the implication being that the marks are a status symbol and that the blank flanks are lower on the scale.

2. They then turn on Babs and begin teasing her for the same reason.

3. Babs responds by teasing the CMC, her fellow victims.

4. The two strangers who were attacking her for the same weakness accept her, despite her obvious blank flank.

This makes about as much sense as an anti-Semite accepting a Jew because he expresses hate for other Jews, despite the fact that his dress makes him look more like other Jews than like the anti-Semites.

Moreover, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon accept her despite there being no prior evidence that they’d even welcome this proposal. Their whole basis for picking on the CMC is that their lack of cutie marks makes them “not-special”, whereas the two are special by comparison. Even allowing for the fact that they seemed interested in Babs’ urban background and tough attitude, this still leaves a gaping public contradiction in their anti-blank flank behaviour, and hypocrites simply aren’t that blatant; it’s not like they can deny Babs’ blank flank if challenged.

The fifth problem is that Babs’ ploy to denigrate her fellow victims is too blatantly a self-preserving tactic. Quite apart from the above issue with her being a member of the victimized group, she only did it while being picked on herself, and her viciousness was excessive to the point of compensating. This would at best entitle her to a subordinate position in their clique, possibly as an amusing sideshow. She certainly wouldn’t be accepted as an equal who could bump rumps, for the simple fact that her loyalties are so blatantly slippery. When new members join a group, they nearly always start out at the bottom of the pecking order and it takes time to rise up in rank; there's usually an increase in internal squabbling when this happens. Yet Babs' acceptance skips straight past these issues, and it makes the scene less believable as a result.

Alternatives

To be more consistent, this is how the scene could have played out:

1. Babs would keep quiet until the gruesome twosome have had their fun and then left.

2. Alternatively, Babs would, if she was more assertive, be more likely to try and intimidate the bullies, even if only ineffectually.

3. If she tried joining the bullies, she’d be more likely to receive even harsher treatment from the two for insulting their discretion.

4.    On the remote off-chance that she was accepted by them, she’d still be teased and tormented to keep her in her place as a subordinate or as a bystander, not allowed to take the majority of the bullying behaviour.

Even the subsequent revenge plot could be salvaged in two ways: the first by having Babs be a co-victim, shifting the bully role onto the duo; the second by having Babs be a bully early on. For the former, the arrival of a new CMC member is taken as a personal affront by the two bullies, who intensify their behaviour in response to keep the newcomer in her place. For the latter, Babs Seed could have had a cutie mark or have been an unpleasant bully from the start (rather than suddenly switching to one a quarter of the way through the episode). The former could have developed two characters who really needed it, whereas the latter would at least have erased some of the problems above.

Episode Problems

Following this one scene, there are issues with the episode overall. The biggest one is the potential double standard between Babs Seed and the two recurring bullies, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. The former was a developed one-shot given a sympathetic backstory, whereas the latter are just left as undeveloped characters for the sake of being recurring antagonists.

What conclusion are we supposed to be left with regarding these two? That Apple Bloom slighted them in the past and their bullying has been one long revenge on her? That they bully the CMC because they get bullied themselves? Or that some people are just jerks? It’s perfectly possible that the motives of bullies can be as diverse as this, and that this was what the show was after. But that’s not the same as their succeeding in conveying this because, unlike with Babs and the CMC, we don’t get an answer to the particular case of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon at all. The question wasn’t even raised.

To be fair, the behaviour of the CMC is more realistic; initially trying to avoid the bully, they eventually try to take revenge on her for her misdeeds. The notion that they perpetuate a cycle of bullying-begets-bullying was a well-intentioned one, but in real life it’s not usually true, and the different ways this was achieved with Babs and with the CMC weakens the moral of the story. The basis of their actions ran on different lines to their bully, since their motive was to get revenge rather than to throw the scent off. The former is more realistic than the latter because most people have strong desires to get back at those who humiliate them, and as I’ve already mentioned, Babs’ strategy is a mess. Indeed, revenge is one of the most common causes of violence and abuse in real life.

The episode’s handling of the snitch issue was the best thing about it, and I give the writers credit for pointing out the problems with not discussing bullying with friends and family. This is a message that victims need to hear: that they’re not supposed to “grin and bear it” and effectively suffer in silence, and that bullying is something that has to be brought out into the open rather than hidden away for the sake of peer pressure. Babs’ threatening to tell the mothers of the bullies on them is a little questionable, though, since there was no guarantee beforehand that their mothers would treat their daughters’ bullying as they should do. It’s just as likely that bullying runs in the family, for all the information we’re given before that moment.

Send-Off

This isn’t a diatribe against the episode, far from it: there’s a lot more to like about the show than simply its bare-bones plotting, and this was still a pretty fun episode notwithstanding (the song and the parade were just two of the highlights). It just seems like a wasted opportunity to more fully tackle the bullying issue instead of following an old stereotype that doesn’t help as much. Some of my points are weaker than others, I freely admit it, but hopefully you can see where I'm coming from, and given my interest in how My Little Pony would tackle the problem of bullying, I've explained why I felt this episode wasn't quite as all-around good as I had hoped given that premise.

Until next time, Impossible Numbers out.

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Statistics

New Stories?: Currently dropped them in favour of finishing what I've started.

Story Count: 12

My Total Story View count: 7,413

Age: 49 weeks, 6 days

My Follower count: 43

My Followed count: 56

Blog Number 10: Extract Edition

Since I'm not producing much at the moment, I thought I'd try a little experiment. Below is an extract from a story I tried my hand at a while back. I'm posting details above it so that you can see where I'm coming from. For a while, I abandoned it because I wasn't sure how to make it work, but at the same time I didn't like to leave my work without an audience, and it's something I'm trying out.

If interested, give me a PM or reply with a comment on here. Details are below:

[Title] Petrified

[Tag] Dark

[Cast] The Flower Trio, Zecora

[Synopsis] In the days before Nightmare Moon's return, the Flower Trio decide that only the best flowers are worthy of the Princess when the Summer Sun Celebration comes. In fact, their careers could be given a boost if they can nab some royal approval. And the unexplored terrain where the flowers live must include some species never before seen by botanist eyes. Each new visit could yield a new and remarkable species for them.

The only problem? The best flowers are found in the Everfree...

So far, I have completed one scene. In it, Lily and Rose get separated from Daisy, and the two try to find their way back before realizing they're in the territory of the "Evil Enchantress". Here's an extract for the scene I finished:

---

Through the undergrowth, the two ponies trod carefully, glancing left and right for any sign of approaching danger.

“I think it’s this way,” said Lily nervously. “Or was it that way?”

“Please don’t say we’re lost,” moaned Rose.

Lily gulped. It was all the answer she had to give. As if on cue, a low howl swooped over their ears, which flattened immediately. Their teeth chattered. Even their knees quaked.

Up ahead, the bushes rustled. Both of them froze and their ears swivelled towards the sound. Like all prey animals, ponies had a keen directional sense of hearing. Even long centuries of being civilised hadn’t been enough to remove the stamp their much longer natural history had put on them. Had they not been quivering on the spot, the two ponies might have been quietly thanking their senses.

“D…Daisy?” said Rose.

A nudge broke Rose out of her trance. Next to her, Lily was pointing at a clear patch beyond the trees to their left. If it was the main path, they could use it to return to Ponyville. They snuck over to check, keeping a sidelong eye on the bushes.

The patch up ahead promised wide open space. Old instincts beckoned them on as they guided their hooves over the ferns and spiky brambles. Even if the two of them were visible to anything lurking in the foliage, they had been visible for a long time anyway, and at least now they weren’t likely to trip if they needed to gallop.

They looked around. The space was wide, much like the main path to Ponyville, but they didn’t feel at ease at all. There was still a low mist smothering everything, though it was thinning now. They could see several yards around them before pure grey impeded their sight.

“This place feels…” said Lily.

“What?”

Lily turned around to speak, but saw something past Rose and gasped. Pupils shrinking, Rose spun around to look.

Looming over them was a statue. The podium alone would have been size enough to encase them if it hadn’t been solid granite. Rearing to pounce was the large horse of granite standing on top. Both wings were displayed. One front leg pointed at them accusingly. Its flowing mane and tail billowed so expansively it was a wonder they didn’t break off the rest of the statue. Below a horn like a javelin, two pointed eyes glared at them and a mouth parted to shriek terrible words, now never to be heard.

It looked an awful lot like Princess Celestia. If Celestia ever turned evil, this would be the result.

Both of them huddled closer together. Even if the statue wasn’t moving, its sheer presence alone was enough to make them cower.

“Wh-What is that?” said Lily. “I’ve never seen this b-before.”

They stared at it, entranced by fear, not knowing whether to flee or stay put.

“Maybe…” stammered Rose, “maybe the wicked enchantress built it. Maybe… maybe it’s an evil spirit!”

“The wicked enchantress,” Lily said. “How far do you think we are from her?”

Rose gulped. “I don’t want to think about it.”

She also didn’t want to hear what she was hearing right now. Both of them heard the suspicion pop in each other’s heads. Scared minds think alike.

Someone was walking towards them. They could hear the clopping of hooves coming from behind. Almost without any kind of choice on their parts, their heads swivelled slowly round and they peered through the mist. A shadow was approaching them, strangely lumpy for a pony. It was wearing a cloak and had pulled its hood up.

All they could see of its face were two green eyes.

With a scream they bolted, hit the statue, stumbled dizzily around for a moment, and then shook themselves down before bolting around the statue and into the thicket.

“Beware!” shouted the figure behind them. “Beware!”

They didn’t have to be told twice.

The bushes erupted and scaly wings smothered their faces. They screamed and reared in fright at the two red orbs glaring at them. The air turned red. Lines radiated from the beast’s glowing eyes. They felt an icy chill slide up from their legs and found that they couldn’t run. Rose and Lily just had time to look down and see a wave of grey sweeping over their bodies before it washed over their opening mouths and petrified their wide eyes.

Both pony statues fell aside. The cockatrice humphed at them, before it noticed the distant figure at the edge of the mist. Just what it was looking for; more victims.

As elegantly as a bat clutching a bowling ball, it flapped and hurried over. The figure lazily raised a foreleg. Several rings jangled around its striped cannon.

Grey lips pursed. Green dust was blown from the hoof. An emerald cloud like a seasick night sky blocked the cockatrice’s vision. It clucked in surprise and paused.

A green draconic snout burst through the cloud and rows of teeth reached for the cockatrice.

For the second time that day, it clucked a rude word. A flapping body crashed through the bushes. When the green illusion faded and the cloud settled, there was no sign of the chicken-beast except for frantic squawking, which faded into the distance.

The stranger took a few steps forwards and looked down. At her hooves, the statues of Rose and Lily stared up through the canopy. She followed their petrified gazes, and saw the lowering sun.

---

The tree was old and gnarled. Everfree Forest had been plagued with several lightning storms during the thousand years it had taken to outgrow its former boundaries. This tree had weathered them all, surprisingly because of its hollowness. Younger trees splintered when struck by lightning. They suffered from weakened wood, and that left them vulnerable to high winds. This one had no wood to weaken.

It was still alive even when the enchantress moved in and carved out a front door and windows. This gave the house an owl-like face, but she put a hollow mask over the front door and planted a larger one in the dirt like a mailbox just outside. It paid to give the resident monsters a hint.

Vines hung from the branches. Rows of bottled potions were attached to the ends to soak up what little moonlight peeked through the canopy.

A cauldron bubbled over a pit of burning logs. Masks more colourful than the ones outside leered down at the brew. Beakers lined the shelves. Branches poked through the walls, snaked across the ceiling, and poked into the walls again like woody sea serpents. More potions were dangled from these. The two pony statues reared either side of the pot as though terrified of its contents.

The stranger lowered her hood, giving her striped Mohawk a chance to breath. Thick earrings swung either side of her face. She walked over to the pot and stirred the ladle with her teeth. It was a tricky operation when you had a neck stiff with rings, but the stranger had worn them for years and barely gave it much thought.

She stopped and licked the surface.

“Hm,” she said, and smacked her lips. Her voice had a peculiar accent. “Yes, this seems to be just right.”

Now for the tricky part. With her neck braced for the weight, the stranger reached under the first statue’s forelegs and placed her own hoof gingerly over its back. She heaved. The point wasn’t to lift it straight up, but to raise the statue’s back legs higher than the cauldron.

The splash soaked both the upper half of the statue and the stranger’s mane. She shook it out and moved towards the second statue.

Nothing happened for a while. Cracks started to appear along the statue’s length. A white aura surrounded it. Beams of light seared through the heart, flakes of stone fell off, cream coloured fur was revealed, and with a flash of light the stone shell was blasted off Rose. She completed her scream.

Rose paused and blinked in confusion. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the hut.

She opened her mouth to ask where she was, but was interrupted by a pony statue falling onto her head and crushing her below the surface. The stranger waited until the flash of light to close her eyes. Bits of stone bounced off her forehead.

Lily shook herself down. Then she gave a squeal and Rose burst to the surface, gasping greedily.

They remembered the mist, the screaming, the ambushing magic cockerel, and the blackout before this point. They glanced at the masks. They glanced at the potions. They glanced at the stranger. Finally, and with an impending sense of dread, they looked down at the cauldron brew they were currently sitting in.

The scream could be heard all the way down in Ponyville, where a few ponies looked around in mild surprise before deciding that it was just the wind being frightened.

The stranger bared her teeth until the scream subsided. “There is no need to scream in fright!”

As one, the two ponies knocked the cauldron over and bolted for the door. The stranger landed in front of them, making them skid to a halt.

“Wait!” she cried urgently. “You cannot go so soon!”

Both ponies shot for any corner of the room they could claim. Since the room was mostly circular, they ended up with their backs against the far wall, never once turning away from the approaching stranger.

“Tell me what you know about the Mare in the Moon!”

They closed their eyes. The stranger blinked at them in astonishment and put her hoof down.

“Now, my two little ponies, please be calm!

“I am not here to cause you any harm.”

Neither of them seemed convinced. Instead, they continued quivering and curled up tighter. The stranger frowned and screwed her lips up thoughtfully. Then she blinked. On the flank of the pink blonde was a lily cutie mark. She looked across at the cream pony. Her flank bore a rose. Beside the stranger was a large and dull-coloured vase tall enough to rest her chin on. She peered inside.

Something slapped onto the floor between the two gibbering ponies. They both peeked through their eyelids. The flower before them bore tiny heart-shaped outgrowths on the sepals, pink petals with yellow stripes on the inside, and stamens longer than the petals. It looked a little like a crocus.

Rose and Lily stopped gibbering. They glanced at each other for help. Neither of them had heard any stories about enchantresses keeping Heart’s Desire, and their minds worked feverishly to make one up.

The stranger – whom they now saw was a striped pony – placed a hoof on the pot and tipped it over. A flurry of flowers poured onto the floor. She arranged the heap into a more respectable line.

“Allow me to show you what was in that brew,

“Which I concocted to help revive you.”

She pointed. Lily and Rose peered closer, though their mouths were still agape and ready to gibber if needed.

“This one is the bud of the Shy-By-Night,

“To reach for the root of the victim’s fright.

“This is the root of the Mother’s Balm,

“To counter the effects of the cockatrice charm.

“The liquid I used was nectar from the flower

“Of the Butterfly Orchid, to give it some power.

“Lastly, I added a pinch of Cold Stare,

“To make the stone shatter and fall from your hair.”

Rose and Lily silently closed their mouths as they quietly examined the flowers, some recognisable, some new. Being florists, they were used to seeing flowers as Celestia’s gift to the world, but being congenital cowards with little understanding of zebras, they were used to treating the striped pony as a terror from the one part of the world Celestia had overlooked. Seeing both at once was just sending out confused messages. Their legs were still tense.

The striped pony sighed. “I’ll never understand you pony folk.

“Perhaps you’ll feel at ease if I get rid of this cloak?”

Cloth flapped in the air. Lily and Rose stared at the dark stripes. What kind of pony would paint themselves that way? Even her sun-shaped cutie mark, being a spiral with arrowheads around its circumference, looked painted. Was she secretly a blank flank?

“That feels better. Now perhaps you’ll calm down,

“And tell old Zecora what is happening in town?”

Eventually, some words braved the passage through Rose’s throat. “Wh-What d-do you w-want from us?”

Zecora swept up the flowers with her hoof. Once they were all back inside the vase, she righted it and beckoned them to follow her. Rose and Lily shivered, but decided not to upset the scary-looking enchantress and followed.

“I trust you are having a party this night?

“Yet, I sense that something is not quite right.

“I see odd things happening in the sky,

“And I cannot fathom the reason why.”

She nudged a telescope, which was pointing out of the window beside her door. Zecora gestured, but the two ponies hesitated. Zecora frowned and gestured again. Lily gulped. She heard each clop of her hooves and tried not to look at Zecora as she approached the device.

Out of the window, Lily could see a gap in the canopy. The full moon glared down at her and the dark outline of the Mare in the Moon was unusually prominent. Four twinkling stars were coming towards it, creating a shape much like the famous Square of Pegasus as they did so.

Lily wondered what would happen if they collided. Would the stars simply pass behind it and continue onwards? She was no astronomer, but she was sure that the stars were much further away from the planet than the moon was. Stars shouldn’t be that bright, though.

Rose wedged her snout in between Lily and the telescope, and Lily backed off to give her friend some room. She could feel the lily in her own hair starting to fall out.

“I perused my books, but nothing was there,

“And without guidance, I cannot prepare.”

Rose pulled herself away from the telescope to stare at the zebra. “P-Prepare f-for what?” she said, her voice becoming extra squeaky. Zecora turned her back on them, (or rather her rump, being a quadruped).

“I was hoping you could tell me, I admit,

“But you know nothing either, not a bit.”

Zecora walked over to the cauldron and put it back onto the logs, which had gone out. A wisp of smoke played over her features. The other two began to twitch nervously. Zecora’s face had hardened.

“Now, you head home, as fast as you can go.

“Do not look back, and do not once go slow.”

They threw weak smiles over to her. Their pasterns and knees were itching to gallop.

“Wh-Whatever you s-say,” said Lily.

“D-Don’t l-look b-back,” said Rose, saluting feebly. “G-Got it.”

There was a zip of air, and the door slammed shut. The zebra rolled her eyes and continued cleaning up the hut.

A clear path lead from the front of the hut down to the edge of the Everfree Forest, and the earth churned under their hooves as the two mares galloped for the moonlight. They never once looked back. They certainly weren’t going to slow down.

They passed a clump of bushes. A while later, a chicken’s head rose from the leaves and stared after them. It had been ambushed, deprived of its prey, and just when it was getting some sleep something came along and disturbed it. Well, it had had enough.

Branches were shoved aside. A pair of leathery wings flapped. Soon, the bushes were quiet once again.

---

What did you think? Is this something you would read? I'd like to read your feedback, if you could spare the time.

N.B. I'm leaving out the stats, as it wasn't that long ago when I published the last blog. I think it works best over long-term measures.

Blog Number 9: Throw the Dog a Bone Edition

The National Pony Writing Month results are up on Equestria Daily at last! And I'm on the list! At the bottom, admittedly, but still it's a step in the right direction, so I'm very pleased. Didgeridoo gets an honorary mention there. There were about 93 other people taking part, too, which is pretty impressive. If you're unaccountably short of reading material, there's plenty there to get your teeth into. I might add a few to my reading list.

In the meantime, I've joined a few groups, something I haven't done before on this site. The Author Support Group has produced some good articles on such topics as Mary Sues, World Building, and genre ideas. Honestly, it's fun just to read the material, and I haven't begun applying the advice yet. I'm now on the lookout for more, so any recommendations for writing guides and so on are welcome. I might compile the hyperlinks on this blog or on the next one.

Lastly, Flitter's Night didn't do as well as I'd hoped, so once again I'm back to the old drawing board. Or Word Doc, as it were. October might be a chance to turn over a new leaf in a kind of unofficial National Pony Writing Month. It might be an idea to revisit Didgeridoo once more...

But results must speak for themselves, so I shall not make empty promises. In the meantime, I'll be getting through my reading list. I've just started Longest Night, Longest Day of the Lunaverse fanon, and it's quite interesting so far.

Until next time, Impossible Numbers out.

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Statistics

New Stories?: Too many in conception, to be honest. My attempt to get it all sorted continues like a poodle savaging an elephant's shin bone.

Story Count: 12

My Total Story View count: 6,643

Age: 41 weeks, 5 days

My Follower count: 37

My Followed count: 54

Blog Number 8: Flitter and Cloudchaser Edition

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic - Season 2 Episode 22 - Hurricane Fluttershy [HD]*

*In case you're wondering why this video is here, it's here for two reasons. The first is that it's a reference to the episode in which Flitter and Cloudchaser appear, which is relevant to the blog subject. The second is simply because I wanted an excuse to do more than post a load of words again. Blogs look dull as a wall of text, there are functions up there, and I wanted an excuse to try them out.

Plus it's one of my favourite episodes. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were at their best here.

---

After the unhappy last blog edition, I think I should write something more positive. So I'll get this out of the way: firstly, the fic that's coming up is not the final product. I wish it was, but while I have seen this upcoming one-shot proofread and reviewed (so technically it should be fine), some plot additions and expansions may occur. Secondly, I again can't guarantee much else, though I'm coming back to Cutie Mark Espionage Agency and hopefully will be in the swing of things before Hallowe'en or -- to be cautious -- Christmas.

Aside from that, there is good news. I have a one-shot coming up to add to my collection. It's different from what I usually do, and the story is rather modest; it can be summed up as a brief bit of characterization for Flitter of Flitter and Cloudchaser fame. While the twins have little to no real canon personality, I was intrigued enough by one or more parallels with those ponies that did have, and by the twins' prominence when Fluttershy was having her social trouble, to write a fic and flesh it out more. I like exploring little details like that.

Also, the National Pony Writing Month results should be arriving on Equestria Daily soon. Although unfinished, Didgeridoo was submitted all the same and may appear on there. I'm looking forward to it. It's nice to see your effort become a tangible result.

On an unrelated note, I hear the third season will be coming late October. I'm really looking forward to it, but vis-a-vis writing fanfics, I'm in a bit of a conundrum. On the one hand, it'll be great to see what the team behind MLP:FiM will take the series, and after Season 2 they've got a big act to follow. On the other hand, bits of treasured fanon are likely to go obsolete if any of those lovely gaps in the ponyverse are filled in. Part of the reason I'm reluctant to write (and it is a bit silly of me, really) is that I'm not sure I'd like to be superseded by canon. All of a Fluttershy was one of my fics that fell victim to such updates (for instance, in that story the Apple farm was around since Celestia's time and there was a long line of farmers who owned it), and it does feel a little dated and quaint when reread.

Perhaps I should just bite the bullet? Story is what counts at the end of the day, and it can't be worse than having nothing to show for all my um-ing and ah-ing. It would be interesting in its own right, even if it is canonically incorrect.

Anyway, that'll do for now. Impossible Numbers out.

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Statistics

New Stories?: One on the way. Didgeridoo also counts, but unofficially

Story Count: 11

My Total Story View count: 6,476

Age: 40 weeks, 5 days

My Follower count: 37

My Followed count: 51

Blog Number 7: Coming To Terms Edition

I'll confess; I'm disappointed with myself. I failed to deliver Didgeridoo in time for the National Pony Writing Month.

At times like this, it is very easy to act surprised, to gawp as though I'd followed the instructions to the letter and not gotten the result my manual/guide/friend said I would get, to say I had no idea how it happened. It's easy to blame something external, like my holiday or somebody else, to assure people I never saw it coming because I was totally into it all the time and loving the story, to suggest I'd read enough stories so I should know how its done, to wail how this could be happening to me, and other such things. Heck, I might just get histrionic about it and blame somebody else.

I don't think it's like that. Every source I consulted stressed how hard writing can be. I've had a track record for writing attempts that I never finished, so it's not like I didn't have experience or evidence. It's not out of character for me to put things off if it's a long-term project requiring more than one afternoon to complete. It's clear to an outsider what went wrong, and it has nothing to do with the universe pulling a fast one on me or with anybody conspiring against me.

In essence, I gradually got more nervous about pitfalls and quality. This went on until I lost my nerve and became afraid of my own shortcomings. Behind every failed story is an author who's scared of seeing his own reflection on blank paper.

So now, another promising story ends up getting put on ice. I kept putting it off and couldn't will myself to put pen to paper, in case the result of my efforts turned out less than I imagined. I don't know what else to say except "I'm sorry" to my fellow users who thought they might be in for a treat. The evidence suggests I'm simply swimming way out of my depth trying such ambitious and long stories, at least at present. I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere for now until I get a result.

It's at times like this I appreciate just how tough (and very uncomfortable) writing must be for everybody else. Writing is psychological training, not just a technical achievement, which must be a key reason why practice is so essential. It takes a certain kind of mind to stick through with a project that could last months and years, with numerous distractions, temptations, and frustrations along the way. You have my sympathies if this failure has ever happened to you, and my admiration if you've managed to conquer it.

So what now? It's likely I'll get back into the game eventually - I haven't met a writing setback I couldn't recover from, and my enthusiasm for storytelling is too great to give up - but it might take a while. I haven't given up on Didgeridoo either, but this particular trial isn't going to be decided for a long time yet.

In the meantime, fic recommendations are, as usual, very welcome. Anything new and exciting over the last two or three weeks would be great, as I've been offline ever since the Olympics (which were awesome, by the way). Comedies, adventures, and slice of life stories would be excellent.

Lastly, despite the disappointment, I still consider this to have been a pretty good summer overall. The holiday I took was just what I needed, and weather was OK. Hope yours was good too!

For now, Impossible Numbers out.

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Statistics

New Stories?: N/A

Story Count: 11

My Total Story View count: 6,153

Age: 37 weeks, 1 day

My Follower count: 36

My Followed count: 51

Blog Number 6: "Didgeridoo" Edition

Good news! Following on from last week's blog (if you're interested in the details of the National Pony Writing Month, please see that blog), I went ahead and began work on my new Daring Do story. The first chapter is now up on my Userpage, in the section on the top right entitled In Progress/Development.

I admit, first of all, that it's come a little later than I was hoping it would, since I promised it'd be out on Friday 10th and it's Saturday 11th here. It also doesn't seem like a great amount when you consider I'm planning to write 50,000 words in one month, but I intend to catch up during the later weeks now that I've got the stone rolling. Still, I'm happy with what I've achieved so far, and I must admit it was far more fun to write than I thought it would be, which is very encouraging!

Unfortunately, I'm also going to have to be flexible with the next deadline, because I'm going on holiday next week. Due to the timing, and depending on how our holiday plays out, I might not be back in time to get at least one other chapter out for Friday. Instead, I'll leave a "safety blanket" on the Saturday and Sunday following 17th August so that I can still prove I have done some work. The other deadlines will stay the same.

If you wish to read what I've written so far, you are very welcome to do so. It is only fair to tell you, though, that it is a work in progress and may be edited greatly before I decide to submit it. I have not submitted it yet simply because I want to write it all out first, and then find a proofreader once I have the entire story up. The main reason I'm putting it on display in the first place is as public proof that I'm keeping to my deadlines and not slouching for this project. After all, I joined the NPWM chiefly to help me with my writing habits (and hopefully to produce a good story to contribute to the fandom). Nevertheless, I've tried to make the chapter as enjoyable as possible.

That's all for now, and I hope you have a good summer. Impossible Numbers, out.

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Statistics

New Stories?: See above.

Story Count: 11

My Total Story View count: 5,872

Age: 34 weeks, 4 days

My Follower count: 36

My Followed count: 51