EMayor
MLP: FiM
Slice of Life
Somepony is taking office. Somepony else is leaving it. Itʼs time for a chat.
Diamond Tiara
Mayor Mare
Uz Naimat · 2.6k words · 50 1 · 533 views

The Half-Year - 2023 · 6:34pm Jul 9th, 2023

Hiya, lovely peeps!

Six months have come and gone since Jan 1st, and it is time to update ya’ll on what I’ve up to.

Early 2023 has been... eventful, to say the least. Outside of FimFic, I switched three jobs (details to follow). My grandmother’s injury isn’t getting any better. My mother’s been diagnosed with clinical depression. I attended no less than 2 work-related exams and five separate interviews. I’ve made tons of new friends and met tons of people I can’t stand. I got fired for the first time, nearly got assaulted and had my phone broken. I fasted 26 out of 28 days in Ramadan, did my first driving test and got accepted into college for the second time. I was a trainee accounting officer, a call center telemarketer and a trainee data entry officer all in the same six months.

Like I said - eventful.

My life within FimFic has been just as busy. I’ve written three stories so far, which is more than I’ve ever written in full years. I made six brand new art pieces, including three commissions. I won a prize. I broke the 80-follower mark, getting closer to the big hundred. Let’s get into details.

February 6th: A Study of Smart & Social
A character piece starring the human Twilight Sparkle. This is my interpretation of her life, with the story format inspired by Albi. More behind-the page details can be found here.
May 1st: No, Maybe, Yes
My entry for EileenSaysHi’s Spring Fling Contest. In which Sunset goes on her first date - her first Fall Formal party with Flash Sentry. The story is split into two scenes - the majority of the story taking place at the dance and an ending scene outside the school, where Sunset and Flash share their first kiss and become an official couple.
May 31st: Mayor
Two stories in one month? I’m on fire! Mayor is an interesting piece. Told from the first person perspective of an older Diamond Tiara, the story is essentially a conversation about the future and the past, and also leadership. A newly-retired Mayor Mare (referred to as Ms. Mare) and a newly-elected Mayor Tiara have a chat. My entry for the May 2023 Pairings Contest.
Mayor quickly rose to become my second best rated story. I was not all that satisfied when I first published it, so I pleasantly surprised by the positive reception. It became the first story in over three years to pass the 30-upvote mark. It also stayed on the Featured list for two days!

Moving on to bigger news - I won a prize! No, Maybe, Yes had the honor of winning The Sleepless Beholder’s Judge Prize. I was in genuine shock when I saw my name among the list of winners. Never in a million years did I think this would happen. The win has boosted my confidence and I am participating in more contests than ever before. And bonus - I can officially state that my stories are award -winning!

This half-year has also been jam packed with fresh art pieces! Three cover arts and three commissions, along with two stand-alones that can see in my gallery. Take a look at my art pieces since then:

As per the norm, each new story of mine is accompanied by fresh artwork, so there’s no need for me to get into details. I did, however, achieve a record-breaking number of commissioned pieces.

In late March this year, EndlessPossibilities58 launched an ad for cover art. They were working on a story called Who We Are, their entry for the Science Fiction II contest. I’m satisfied with the final result, even if it’s not my favorite piece ever. The story was at the top of the Featured list at one point, and it was wonderful.

Then in early April, Kris Overstreet launched an ad, looking for artists for his book project. He was printing a collection of his best fanfics and wanted to include illustrations to accompany his book. I was provided two images, pictured above. I drew Chrysalis and Rarity. The book is currently up for sale.

So that was my first half of 2023.

What should you expect from the next half?

Well, don’t worry, because there’s plenty more where that may came from! I have at least three stories planned for release this year, along with three new art pieces and a commission I’m currently working on. Here’s a sneak peak of what’s waiting for Jul-Dec 2023.

Coming this July: To Lose & To Heal
In which Princess Twilight loses a wing. This is my first attempt at a sad story. I don’t want to spoil too much, so you’re just gonna have to wait and see. My intended entry for Byciclette’s A Thousand Words II contest.
Coming this August: So Many Wonders
I recently wrote about an aged-up character, Diamond Tiara. In this story, we have aged-down characters. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash explore Ponyville for the first time. As fillies. Explore the Ground Below through the eyes of nine-year-old Dashie.
Coming this October: Detective Pinkie Pie and the Pastry Switcheroo
This one has been in the making for so long. It’s a mystery episode starring Pinkie as she investigates a theft at her bakery. I’m really excited to launch this one.

Aside from these, I also several art pieces in the making, which I won’t show, because spoilers.

And finally, we’re gonna cap off with my personal for the rest of 2023: