Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXXII · 8:11pm May 18th, 2023
A couple weeks ago Estee celebrated her ten-year anniversary on the site (congrats again, BTW). That led me to wondering about when my own anniversary was coming up.
Turns out it was Tuesday.
Ten years. I’m kinda-sorta sad I don’t have anything special lined up. But only kinda. Even so, I look back on these past ten years and I feel a measure of pride. The inspiration I got from Friendship is Magic brought an end to a multi-year writing slump. More importantly, this community was the first to give me real writing critique. I feel like I have improved by leaps and bounds solely because of this. If I thank you all for nothing else, I thank you for that.
I’ve written a great many stories of varying quality, and I love every last one of them… even if I sometimes forget the little guys exist. I’ve met far more people than I would have without this place, and if I regret anything it’s not having met more of you in person. I blame that on my penny-pinching nature. Regardless I thank you all for helping me in so many ways, either from pre-reading, proofing, or brainstorming. Even for the simple act of letting me know my material is enjoyable and I should keep doing what I’m doing. So thanks for that too.
Then there’s the other thing I’m known for. Despite how it might feel, I have not been reviewing for ten years. No, that started in January 2015, so we’ve got a little while yet before we hit that milestone. Even so, it’s great to know that my opinion is valued enough that I could turn it into a long-running series that doesn’t look like it’ll be stopping anytime soon. I’ve had many people tell me that they look forward to these blogs, and I can safely say I do too. I feel a sense of accomplishment every time one goes out. It’s certainly one of the most successful and gratifying ventures I’ve ever embarked upon.
Alas, that’s all I’ve got. I didn’t prepare anything big, and all of the above I came up with on the spot. So I think I’ll close all of this with a big thanks to my followers and all those who have assisted me over the years.
And, of course: To the reviews!
Stories for This Week:
Stood Up by Charismatic Pony
"What's Yours is Mine!" or "Why Work When You Can Steal?!" by -TheStoryteller-
To those who write. To those who read. And to myself. by Darkevony
One Does Not Deny A Lady by Soufriere
Yaerfaerda by Imploding Colon
Displacement by Bad Horse
Against the Current by Boldish42
Chasing Daylight by RaylanKrios
No, Agent Drops, I Expect You to Love Me by Captain_Hairball
Seamless by Terrasora
Total Word Count: 407,125
Rating System
Why Haven't You Read These Yet?: 0
Pretty Good: 6
Worth It: 3
Needs Work: 1
None: 0
Stood Up
1,501 Words
By Charismatic Pony
Rainbow Dash had a date, and she was so excited to finally get a shot at romance. Now the restaurant is closing up and she’s sitting at her table… alone. Maybe she really is that undesirable.
I don’t know why, but the idea of exploring Rainbow Dash’s desirability as a mare is a topic that really interests me. As such I was eager to read this the moment it appeared on the site. The story is everything you’d expect; Rainbow gets stood up by a potential date and now has to face the uncomfortable thoughts flooding her mind over it. Namely whether she’ll ever meet a stallion who can appreciate her. I was kind of hoping for some word-smithery, which didn’t happen so that was a disappointment. But I can’t fault the author for that.
What was interesting was how the story delves into how Rainbow views herself. Which is, in a word, unattractive. She’s extremely self-critical in terms of her appearance, especially now. I suppose that’s only reasonable given the circumstances. The story ends up shining a spotlight on how people, when at their lowest romantically, tend to become black holes of doubt and pessimism.
To sum up, this is not a happy story, but it never advertised itself as such. It’s very relatable, as I’m sure most of us have been through similar moments of self-criticism. I do feel like Charismatic Pony was a bit too… direct with the writing, maintaining a style leaning much on Tell more than was necessary. Even so, it’ll serve well for those looking for a bit of slice-of-life sadfic.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Quick Caper and Mugger just had a crummy time robbing an old mare’s place, a place that was supposed to be loaded to the gills with bits. When they confront their informant, Trusty, he tries to make it up to them by telling them of a lucrative locale for highway robbery: Ponyville!
What’s that, you saw Maud Pie on the cover and are looking forward to witnessing her reaction to robbers and thieves? Too bad, you’ll have to go through 90% of the story as setup first.
I get there’s such a thing as preparing the reader for the ending, but this one didn’t do it for me. It felt like the buildup took too long, which in turn allowed the poor grammar more time to ruin the mood. I feel the story should have started with the thieves already in Ponyville, both to keep the setup from overstaying its welcome and not let the unfortunate weaknesses in the writing overshadow the story itself. There’s also the clash of the ending formatting, which is swift and vague compared to the rest of the story that goes out of its way to try and keep the characters interesting.
In summation, this is a great idea marred by a misplaced execution. I like -TheStoryteller-’s overarching writing style – grammar issues notwithstanding. It would work well for a direct story that plays to the style’s strengths, namely character expression, dialogue, and scene development. It’s a great style, truly, accentuating the inherent humor of the characters and their criminal antics. I just don’t feel like it works with the intended nature of the story.
To be fair, I don’t think it’s right to say this is -TheStoryteller-’s fault. They have a writing style, and they clearly have an idea of how to use it. They just didn’t account for the possibility that this story might require a different approach, i.e. one that doesn’t take so long to set up a punchline that doesn’t stylistically fit with the rest of the story.
Counter that with the alternate ending that uses Applejack instead of Maud to deal with the robbers. That one worked a little better as its overarching style fit the rest of the story far more. Had -TheStoryteller- written Maud’s version more like that, I might have gotten more out of it. Either way, the long buildup is a problem, especially with the grammar.
I understand that I’m going to be in the minority here. A lot of people seem to love this story, and more power to them. Alas, I care too much about how the story is written to get the same result. Perhaps if I read another of -TheStoryteller-’s stories, one that doesn’t rely on a punchline ending, I would get better results. I’m perfectly willing to try that.
Bookshelf: Needs Work
EDIT: My archive spreadsheet hates this story’s title.
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Princess Twilight Sparkle has the night off! And there’s nothing she’d rather do than return to her one true love: the written word. But tonight she has decided to make the ultimate jump and try writing her own words. This doesn’t prove as easy as it sounds.
This is, for all intents and purposes, Darkevony musing on the complexity of the practice that is writing. It’s a dense piece filled with concerns, uncertainties, and simple questions with supposedly complex answers. It comes with the awareness born from experience and a respect for both the art and those who perform it.
In truth, the main reason I read this was because Darkevony asked me to write something similar and I wanted to see their version first. It serves as a stark reminder that, while there are similarities, people who work with the same tools do not approach them in the same way. I’m sure this will be apparent when I get to my own work, which I should be starting soon.
If you’re a writer, you may find this familiar. You may also find it different from your personal experience. Probably a mix of both, as Darkevony covers a surprisingly large number of topics in few words. It is a story seeking depth, although those depths might only be reached by those who have sought them before.
An interesting piece, and one I don’t want to delve too far into lest I spoil the whole point of my reading it. If you have an interest or are experienced in the art of writing, then you may get something out of it.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
One Does Not Deny A Lady
3,000 Words
By Soufriere
Sequel to Rarity Reveals...
It’s Sunset’s birthday, and Rarity has a special surprise for her. One that involves wearing all black, sneaking through the city, and… Oh, yes. A knife. Mustn't forget that.
Going by the grin-inducing title alone, I was kind of hoping for something along the lines of this:
Alas, the tags made it clear this was not that kind of story. What we actually end up with is Rarity driven to homicidal insanity by Sunset failing to return or even notice her adoration. It’s every bit as dark as it sounds. Fortunately, this is a Halloween special and is not canon to Soufriere’s overarching Sunset’s Recovery Arc series. Phew.
This was… interesting. While it is indeed dark, it also maintains Rarity’s signature voice. This creates a contradiction where the inherent humor of Rarity’s character clashes with the creepy seriousness of her intentions. Whether she’s commenting on her choice of stalker attire, choosing the right knife for the deed, or reminding you that she does indeed have a slim figure thank you very much, there’s never any question that this is Rarity. It gave the whole thing an edge of amusement that dampens the ominousness and makes you think that maybe, just maybe, this isn’t going where it is projecting it will go and there will be some twist at the end to show we were all being fooled by the author.
And then it goes where it has projected it will go.
It struck me as incredibly effective, particularly in that final moment when you realize “whoa, she’s actually doing this.”
I come away with mixed feelings. I was never really disturbed or bothered, which I put down as a combination of the tonal juxtaposition and my own experience-induced desensitization. Yet I am confident this did exactly what Soufriere was going for. I’m willing to rate it well for that alone.
Read this if you’re interested in seeing a well-voiced Rarity going to dark extremes in the name of love denied.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Sasha — Pretty Good
Highs and Lows — Pretty Good
Rarity Visits Sunset Shimmer at 4 a.m. — Pretty Good
Exes Meet — Pretty Good
Sunset Shimmer: Spider Queen — Pretty Good
Yaerfaerda
364,762 Words
By Imploding Colon
Sequel to Urohringr
Rainbow Dash needs to keep going east, but there are a few hurdles in her way. There’s the deer-led nation of Val Roa currently being torn apart from within, to say nothing of the murderous Grand Choke that stands between her and her destination. Those things hold nothing to the greatest hurdle: moving on without her friends.
Five stories and 1.54 millions words later, we come to this. Rainbow Dash has spent all this time journeying east for the edge of the world, making new friends and kicking bad guy butt as she went. By the start of this story she’s acquired a crew of loyal allies and an airship, the Noble Jury. It starts with them in the rural lands surrounding the kingdom of Val Roa, defeating bands of raiding goblins while trying to find a way into the isolationist kingdom’s central area.
As with all of these stories, Imploding Colon takes us on a grand adventure covering thousands of miles and involving a great many interesting characters. But this one is a little different, because on the other side of Val Roa is the Grand Choke, a seemingly endless hellscape where nothing grows and magic is sapped from everything. Very few have crossed the Choke, and the only ones who lived to tell the tale were immortals like Chrysalis. Rainbow Dash must make the journey, and she must do it alone.
The story ends up divided into three parts. The first involves the Noble Jury trying to figure out a way into Val Roa while kicking goblin butt. The second involves trying to save Val Roa from Chrysalis, who is enacting a desperate bid to regain the power she lost in the previous story. These two portions of the story are typical of past Austraeoh material, with all the unrealistically good guy actiony heroic bits you’d expect. A few things make this sequence stand out, however.
The first is that we finally get to learn more about our resident mad moose, Floydian. I shan't spoil it for those of you ambitious and brave enough to come this far in the epic, but it was a great relief to finally see this guy get some presence beyond being the eccentric owner/pilot of the Noble Jury. I also appreciate that Zaid, who until this point has been purely comedic relief, got to play an important role in the Jury’s quest, revealing some unexpected and valuable skills in the process.
The second point of interest is how this segment of the story feels in many ways subdued compared to its predecessors. Yes, it’s actiony. Things will explode, creatures will die, and seemingly impossible odds will be swept aside. But considering the kind of crap that Rainbow Dash and her friends have dealt with before, this actually felt… easy. It was as if it was all toned down a notch for this last collective adventure.
I’m thinking that was intentional, because the third part of the story has Rainbow Dash finally leaving all her friends behind to face the Grand Choke alone. At the start I was reminded a lot of the opening chapters of Austraeoh, but as her magic seeps away things become far more desperate in comparison. Despite the lack of action, this part is still very much an adventure and may be the greatest threat Rainbow has ever faced. I don’t think I could do it justice with a description, but I will say the old “Rainbow Dash keeps going even when the narrative itself says she literally can’t” trope is every bit as strong here as it ever was.
It was while I was planning this review that I finally started trying to look up information about the terminology used in this story. Imagine my surprise when I found that there’s a wiki devoted to the series. It was a great way to refresh my memory on old ideas and concepts.
Anyway, this was every bit as intense as the prior stories, but now it comes with an extra layer of heartache. The first two parts felt like a conclusion to a major chapter in Rainbow’s journey. This idea really hits home when it comes time for Rainbow to say goodbye to her friends, some of whom have been with her since Eljunbyro over a million words ago. I dare say this is the most emotional this series has managed to get since its start, with the possible exception of Lerris. These are characters Imploding Colon has been building up and making us love, and now we face the prospect of never seeing them again. It has quite the impact, and Rainbow does not come away unscathed.
As usual, I must emphasize that this series is not for the fainthearted. It’ll take you forever just to read through all the material leading up to this story, and failing to do so will leave you very confused about who characters are, why they are where they are, and what the whole point of all these adventures are. But so far it has been a rewarding experience, even if we have to push through copious typos (I strongly suspect IC isn’t proofing these before release), endless bouts of onomatopoeia (which I rarely approve of and certainly not at this frequency), and pop cultural references that these characters have no business knowing (especially when you consider that they all come from widely different cultures, some of which weren’t even aware of one another’s existence until East Horse came along and forced them to intermingle).
If nothing else, IC is as consistent with the bad parts as they are the good. But I think the good outweighs the bad, so…
I was once again thinking about stopping this series as of this story. I said the same thing two stories ago, and for the same reason: there’s no indication that IC plans to finish it. The most recent story, Ofolrodi, hasn't been updated in more than two years at the time of this review. Why keep going when I know there’s no proper end in sight?
But then the final chapter threw a curve ball at me, and now I really want to keep going, even if only for “WTF?!?!?!” reasons. Well played, oh short and explody one.
Anyway, the Austraeoh series continues to entertain, mystify, and excite. If you can somehow find your way this far, there’s no need to stop now.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Austraeoh — WHYRTY?
Eljunbyro — Pretty Good
Innavedr — Pretty Good
Odrsjot — Pretty Good
Urohringr — Pretty Good
Displacement
3,276 Words
By Bad Horse
Requested by NumberFifth
All he wanted to do was go to a party dressed as French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. Then he put on the Merchant’s glasses and he winds up in Equestria as said frenchman. Both he and the ponies are woefully unprepared for this, especially since he can’t stop speaking (and perhaps thinking) like a vastly overblown and exaggerated psychoanalyst.
This is funnier than it has any right to be. It opens with our nameless protagonist struggling to explain overblown psychological theory to the CMC who are enthusiastic but wildly incapable of comprehending his meaning. It then leads to him and Princess Twilight discussing his theories.
I especially appreciate that Twilight seemed perfectly capable of understanding this guy, even whenever he speaks in that way people do when they’re desperate to appear smarter and more important than they’ll ever be in reality (i.e. in a way that nobody really does). Heck, I was kind of proud that I was able to follow the majority of what the guy was saying.
For all the silliness that pervades this story, there is an underlying seriousness to it in the form of the MC’s self-analysis, particularly with the question of why he’s so desperate to get with Twilight Sparkle. I find myself wondering if Bad Horse wasn’t doing a bit of meta commentary there, or maybe even some genuine self-evaluation. Given that this is a Bad Horse production, it felt… I suppose “Bad Horse-ey” is the phrase I’m looking for. Maybe.
An amusing little story, and perhaps one of this author’s more entertaining ones.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
All the Pretty Pony Princesses — Pretty Good
Do That Again — Pretty Good
Burning Man Brony: Fear and Loathing of Equestria — Pretty Good
Fluttershy's Night Out — Pretty Good
The Mailmare — Worth It
Against the Current
16,222 Words
By Boldish42
Star Swirl the Bearded left behind a journal that is kept secret via a magical lock so powerful and complex even Celestia is unable to decipher it. Naturally, she sends it to Princess Twilight Sparkle so she can have a crack at it. Imagine the perky purple princess’s perplexity when she opens it on the very first try. What she discovers about her beloved hero will shock her to her core, but may also be the best thing to ever happen to her.
Despite that summary and the first chapter or two, Twilight Sparkle is not the lead character of this story: Star Swirl is. Written way back in 2014, Against the Current introduces the idea that Star Swirl is a time traveler, with the caveat that he has no direct control over his time jumps and can only jump backwards. Also, he was future Princess Twilight’s personal apprentice. Also also, he’s desperately in love with her.
This was a fascinating concept worked well for the most part. It opens from Twilight’s perspective but rapidly falls into Star Swirl’s, depicting his going back to when Twi was a filly and then before she was even born. But then we get the endings. Yes, plural. Apparently Boldish42 lacked the willpower to choose a specific conclusion and thus decided to write them all.
The first one is the best one. By far.
The others are a mixed bag, ranging from decent to fascinating to stupid. The stupid one is in fact the worst one, throwing unnecessary and over-hyped crossover characters into the story (and if you’ve been reading these reviews long enough that’s probably a big clue) and being tonally mismatched with everything around it. But all the others? Yeah. Not bad, I would have been willing to accept most of them. The last one’s a bit of a stretch, but only due to the lack of a properly shown explanation. But really, if you want the best possible story, just read through to the first ending and stop there.
Not the greatest thing since Phoenix Roost, but not a bad story by any means. Give it a go if you’d like a slightly different rendition of everyone’s favorite bell-wearing wizard.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Life in Phoenix Roost — Pretty Good
Chasing Daylight
3,398 Words
By RaylanKrios
Eight years ago, Rainbow Dash had a child. She kept this fact a secret from everypony save Fluttershy and promptly gave the kid up for adoption. Two years ago, that child moved to Ponyville. But Rainbow isn’t worried. It’s not like she’ll ever allow Scootaloo’s adoption papers to be unsealed. She’ll never know.
This is exactly what you think it is and goes exactly where you think it’s going. An immature Rainbow Dash decided being a single mother was too restrictive for her carefree lifestyle and thus got rid of her kid at the first opportunity, only for that to backfire catastrophically when, somehow, Scootaloo figures things out.
On the one hand, I didn’t like how much exposition was used in this story, especially at the start. That combined with the absence of any atmosphere means the story goes by too quickly for us to thoroughly grasp the emotional impact these events have on both Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash.
On the other hand, I really like the way the introduction demonstrates who this Rainbow Dash is as a character and the way that plays into her poor decision making as the story moves along. I also appreciate how the story ends with Scootaloo being the more mature of the two of them. The story works decently enough with the efforts made to get into Rainbow’s head and how she approaches the problem. I only feel that RaylanKrios could have created a more powerful piece by letting us see all the individual scenes directly instead of writing so many of them in an “after the fact” manner. Granted, the story would have probably been longer, but I bet it would have been better for it.
Despite my issues with the overarching presentation, I have to acknowledge it’s a matter of personal taste. I still liked this and have every intention of reading its sequel. I think this may be the first story I’ve read that took on the “Rainbow is secretly Scootaloo’s mother” concept and did so seriously. Really, you’d think I’d have seen this idea more often, particularly in older stories.
Give this a go if you want to see its concept taken seriously for a change.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
The Roles We Play — Worth It
Twilight Breaks a Pinkie Promise — Worth It
No, Agent Drops, I Expect You to Love Me
1,904 Words
By Captain_Hairball
Secret Agent Sweetie Drops finds herself called out of retirement to defeat the latest and greatest threat to the world: The Mare with the Emerald Hands. Yep, it’s her girlfriend. At least her underwater base has got swag.
If you like James Bond and/or especially Austin Powers, then you can’t go wrong here. It’s a story in which Lyra throws a tantrum involving global domination solely for the sake of getting Bon-Bon’s attention, and it’s every bit as silly as it sounds. I love how at the end of the story you realize that literally everypony, including the expendable goons and probably even the top secret bioweapon, were in on it.
I would like to have seen Luna’s reaction though. I mean, apparently her moon was involved somehow.
Jump in and don’t take any of it seriously. It’ll probably make you smile.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
The Resurrectionists — WHYRTY?
Octavia Philharmonica is attending a post-concert event meeting fans. It’s the worst part of her job, not least because her ‘fans’ include rich ponies with sticks up their asses. But she has to look the part, play nice, and talk to these idiots. Today something different happens: a certain high-class, prim and proper pony makes a brief appearance. Her name is Vinyl Scratch.
This is a story that feels remarkably brief for being 6,000+ words long. It centers around a lonely and isolated Octavia who hates having to disguise who she really is for the sake of her career. Vinyl Scratch appearing at her concert and post-event is a huge deal to her, because she knows who Vinyl really is and is desperate to talk to anypony who might understand how she feels.
It is, ultimately, a story about getting to be yourself. I rather enjoyed it, especially given how it depicts Vinyl. I should also note that this isn’t a romance; Terrasora was mature enough to realize that there was no need to complicate matters when the primary topic is more than enough on its own.
I’m curious about this voice in Octavia’s head. I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be her conscience or that she genuinely has a second personality buried in there. I think it’s the former, but the way Octavia interacts with it seems to hint at the latter. I get the impression that this mystery is part of the point of the overarching story, but I couldn’t say for sure.
Regardless, I thought this was a pleasant story. It does everything it needs to do without overstaying its welcome. Give it a go, especially if you’re interested in reading about Equestria’s premier musicians.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
First Meeting — WHYRTY?
Sweet As Pie — Pretty Good
Dearest Fluttershy — Worth It
Stories for Next Time:
"In all the time you’ve known me, have I ever done anything smart?” by PennyDreadful
Criminal Behavior by Tethered-Angel
Minor Relapse by Soufriere
Rising Fire by Chengar Qordath
The Princess of Taxes by KorenCZ11
I'm With You by The Red Parade
Applejack's Tax Relief Plan by Seether00
In Everything But Name by Monochromatic
Man Cannot Live On Tea Alone by PropMaster
Just Dodge! by DannyJ
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TBD
For me it was wednesday. I felt like I should say something for the occasion, but... nothing came to mind, so I didn't
Pity your 10th anniversary ended up being a week with not a single WHYRTY? Them's the kicks sometimes. Congrats on it in any case – and yes, you can bet I'll be eagerly awaiting your review blog's 10th anniversary. With confirmation you've every intention to still be here in January 2025, can't wait already! Even if I'll only have been following for about 4 of those years.
Everyone noticing there 10th year on Fimfic is this year while mine was last year...
Have I actually been here longer then some of the best writers here?
welp :/
>10 years
You know, I thought mine would have been further out since I really don't feel like I started writing a whole lot until I got out of college, but apparently, I've been here for almost 8 years myself.
Here's hoping for more good years.
Any excuse to use a clip of that line. :D
You know, I can't understand why people continue to write Displaced fics. The objectively best one was written years ago, the genre is over! :V
Ah, I've read Bad Horse's story, and it is pleasantly silly.
I'm glad that you liked Displacement, and especially that you didn't assume the stuff that sounded like gibberish was gibberish, but took the time to understand it. It may be mad, but it is comprehensible.
The request for Displacement was a spur-of-the-moment thing purely borne of me seeing your review for the war-themed longfic of the same name and thinking 'lol wouldn't it be funny if he immediately followed up by reading this other story with the same name but wildly different tone'. And then I was immediately tempted to take it back, because while I do love that fic, the respective reviews (and your readings) are now months apart, and like you originally said it didn't really seem up your alley. I usually put a lot more thought into my review requests so it felt a bit unfair to you to just go HEY READ THIS IT'D BE FUNNY especially when the joke can't even land. But I'm glad you enjoyed it anyway! I'd probably say it's my favourite of BH's comedies.
(Maybe Little Boxes beats it? That one is probably more slice-of-life than comedy)
I remember reading a deleted acreuball fic with a similar sounding setup to the Terrasorra story, but with Rarity in Octavia's role and Octi being the comedic relief roommate who is sick of Vinyl's shit. Also, it did end with shipping. Was pretty decent, actually. Shame it's gone.
Congrats on a whole decade of ponydom, my man. I may have only shown up quite recently (at least to your blog, I've been immersed in pony since 2015 woopsie) but I've been very glad to engage with your work and even with you a little bit. Would love to meet you in person one day, should that ever happen. I don't suppose you'll be at EFNW? I'm trying to see if I can make it my first con ever, but I have to scramble to get a passport, and there's a bit of a strike in that department currently happening here up North.
See you next week, I'll get wifi however I can dammit I need my weekly dose of Paul
Congrats again. Here's to keeping it going for a while yet. I'll be here with bells on for ten years of reviews.
5728737
At this point reviewing horsewords is such a natural element of my life that I have trouble imagining not doing it. I'm sure that day will come eventually, but ATM I don't see it on the horizon.
5728747
Who knows? Perhaps the vast majority of us didn't get into the fandom until around Season 3 or 4?
5728756
Time flies when you're having fun, I suppose.
5728757
I can think of one reason: "I haven't done that before." I mean, I've never written one, and the only reason I would is if I had an idea that felt original enough to be worth the attempt. Not likely, but stranger things have happened.
5728769
I tend to take things seriously as a matter of instinct, so while I gathered from the start that this was a silly story I never stopped paying attention to what was being said. Sometimes this habits serves me well, like in this case. Other times it serves me poorly, like when I fail to understand what's going on despite it.
Other times it's catastrophic, such as when I read a story meant to be silly and that flies right over my head.
5728793
Nope, not this year. Probably not next year, either. As mentioned in the blog, I'm a bit of a penny-pincher, and if I don't like the way my money looks then I won't do things like vacations or cons. With the way things are going right now, I don't see me doing anything until at least 2025.
I failed to respond to this when it first came out due to the untimely visit of a natural disaster in my home area, but I never forgot about it. Thank you for the consideration.
It came at the height of post-disaster rebuilding stresses, so even something small that could put a smile on my face like this was a very welcomed thing indeed.
I saw in your latest post that you were thinking of doing some editing on the side. I wanted to wish you luck on that endeavor. My only real advice for professional work is to contact independent presses and publishers (usually via email found on their website), and offering your services if that's something they're looking for.
I know that for myself and most other published authors under contract usually have editors and proof readers provided to them. Usually as a way for publishers to keep fine-control of the content within a story or to have some form of quality assurance. So while independent freelance editors exist, work comes easier when you're working for a publisher. Though it should be natural to assume that professional work comes with its own demerits like deadlines, contractual obligations, and regulated taxed revenue.
As for more lax work like fanfiction or smaller E-book publishing... It's a beast unto itself and I have no experience with it. I imagine it's a lot of luck, a lot of effort in self-promotion, and knowing the right people.
East horse is worth it. There are still a few moments I go back to reread every once in a while. And I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, incomplete or not. It made me appreciate a silent protagonist like no story ever could.
I actually haven't read the latest 10 chapters of ofolrodi just because i don't want to have "run out". But I still remember the exact park bench I was on when I saw it updated for the last time (until the next time).