Cadance of Cloudsdale AMA??? · 4:14pm Aug 15th, 2023
Just re-read Cadance of Cloudsdale so far...I mean, it's pretty good, isn't it? It's not doing exactly what I set out to do, which was to create a pastiche of stories, each with its own drastically different tone, that somehow could be considered part of a whole narrative nonetheless. My tone gets more consistent over time, just sort of 100% overwhelming relationship melodrama all the time, and it's a little cloying. But..it's good, right? It's some fun My Little Pony fanfic based on taking one-off jokes and cartoons way way WAY too seriously, super-cringey to the uninitiated as a result. I know what it looks like. I'm painfully aware. But it's kind of good, too?
Anyway, I'm serious about having the next story out before year's end. And while I don't expect or even particularly want an overwhelming response, I thought I would throw this blog post up as an AMA in case anybody has questions. For whatever reason. I don't know why I'm doing this, it just seems like a thing to do.
It is absolutely good. Great even. n_n
My question would be to know what tones you were originally intending for each story, cuz that sounds interesting!
Also glad you're still around, you've been missed.
I don't really have any questions tbh, but I wanted to say that when I read the stories a while ago I certainly enjoyed 'em, so I'm glad you're back with them :3
Cheers!
(ps: I think I want to re-read them now lol)
Still some of my favorite stories on the site. As for a question...
After Twilight gets her wings in this setting—assuming she does—how badly does she wreck Sugarcube Corner's inventory during her first alicorn feeding frenzy?
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"How To Remove A Unicorn Tooth" would have started with psychological horror mind-screw as it was slowly revealed that what looked like an earnest attempt at a Cadance history was merely Chryssie undergoing psychological conditioning in preparation for her role, and glitches in the simulation caused horrific things to emerge. "Lady Prismia" was a fairy tale (which I did) then into Pratchett-like fantasy absurdity for "...by Any Other Name" (which I also did do). Upcoming was some Monty Python silliness and a period multi-suitor romance (think Far From the Madding Crowd). I decided that "Unicorn Tooth" was way too sweet to ruin by turning it horrific, so I scrapped that idea. And then I wrote "The First Time You See Her", and the tone absolutely crystallized into this solemn, serious Cadance history omnibus, and it will likely remain that. Thanks for asking!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (trails off into breathless gasp for air).
Okay, actual question: are there any real world cultures or cities you used for inspiration for Cloudsdale? Can you walk us through that process a bit?
A new story would be great! I finished reading the cycle last year and since then I have been eager to know the conclusion of the series! 😄
Ooh, more Cadance of Cloudsdale!
Your take on the Prettiest Pinkest Pony Princess is truly great, and your CoC stories are some of my favorite ponyfics. :) Time to re-read Lady Prismia and the Princess-Goddess, I think!
Now, for the question... Timeline-wise, Sunset Shimmer and Cadance probably were contemporaries. Did you ever consider having them meet; and whether or not you did, how do you think it would go?
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Oh wow! That is a hell of a few turns. n_n
My favorite is "Lady Prismia and the Princess-Goddess", easily. I expect more relationship drama stories, but I wouldn't mind another fairytale or a fairytale sidequest in a relationship story! I don't really have any questions.🐎
Welcome to Cloudsdale can finally continue!
Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes yes! Yeeeeees! YES!
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Glad to hear from you, question or not!
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The process, if you can even call it that, was that I spent a ton of time looking up fun stuff about ancient Rome and thinking about what it might be like if these traditional cultural mores were intentionally perpetuated into a more modern-esque setting. Then I sanitized the heck out of it, threw in a little Venice, and that's Cloudsdale. It's a Rome in decline that is steadfastly resisting societal absorption, but they're becoming a banana republic to do so.
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A little side detail in "The First Time You See Her" is that Sunny is one generation removed, still in school as Cady reaches adulthood. This was to emphasize the point that Celesta keeps alternating between "hooves on" and "hooves off" parenting, and accidentally choosing the wrong way every. Single. Time.
I did want to do a different universe story after C of C where the two are contemporaries, though, because there's just so much potential in having the ambitious and constantly frustrated Sunset squaring off against an effortlessly perfect Cadance, who has everything that Sunset wants and cannot get. But that may have to wait until I'm done with this series.
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As am I! Even though I'm the author, some things still surprise me, and I'm eager to see what they are.
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"Lady Prismia" is clearly the best so far.
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I won't lie, the idea of seeing more W to C keeps crossing my mind as a reason to keep writing. I think fondly of the episodes so far.
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That's just the right sort of energy!
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Happily, Pinkie—who knows everything—is totally prepared for this event, and you should just ignore the extra fifteen carts of flour and sugar being delivered quietly in the background.
Cadance of Cloudsdale is one of the few fics/series of fics that treat Cadance seriously, giving her a decent backstory and filling out her character. Please do write some more! :)
I notice your focus has been on fleshing out the PonyWorld version of Cadence. Have you ever considered giving the same or similar treatment to her Dean equivalent in the Equestria Girls series?
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Strange, I wouldn't have thought they were all that rare. Surely people have been queuing up to give the third alicorn a backstory, at least?
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Wrong, that bit of Celestia saving and mothering over Cadence (Yes I did that) in How to remove a Unicorn Tooth was wholesome and great, besides Cadance and I share favorite foods.
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I have never had rarebit but it sounds delightful!
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I have not considered that until now! The one fic that ever included Dean Cadance in a meaningful way (other than a joke cameo at the end of Nude Magic) cast her as an impossibly issue-free and perfected version of Cadance, so that Pony Cadance could have anxiety about it. It was sort of a reversal of horizon's Administrative Angel which is my favorite EQG fic of absolute all.
When is that lazy bum who scribbles in your world ever going to finish Shining Armor's First Command, where he returns Spike's egg to Celestia?
Oh, wait. That's me. Um.... Look! A squirrel!
A little more seriously, Sister Kale deserves sainthood.
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Also, re: your other point, Pinkest Princess is never going to be as popular as the Two Sisters, I agree; her whole deal makes her far more popular in clop / ship 'fic. But I'm not the only one taking a whack at Serious Pink. Just right off the cuff, check out:
Origin stories:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/487498/the-rose-of-florentina
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/206709/essenza-di-amore
Dealing with her mysterious absence and return, unexplained in canon:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/275522/the-heart-of-the-matter
Stories from a whole lot of times in her life, too numerous to link individually, check out Ice Star's big ol' catalogue:
https://www.fimfiction.net/user/220358/Ice+Star
And no post like this would be complete without mentioning More Precious Than Silver or Gold which is basically a missing chapter in "The First Time You See Her" in everything but its by-line.
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Oh, hey, I was just posting about you! Rest assured that, canonically, she is at least beatified, given how they talk about her in later chapters.
Looking forward to it very much!
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Thanks! Me too!
Hey Sky, happy to see you're still kicking around here. I've been missing you since Skin Horse ended. Looking forward to more Cadance.
5742445 Thanks! Welcome to Night Vale is no longer what it once was, but the "new weird" sort of storytelling it exemplifies is actually a good fit for the sort of dysfunctional wackiness you've posited in Cloudsdale, and its appropriate to the form that it hide in a liminal space; not a REAL story, but lurking in the comments for those who go looking.
(It's also wicked hard to write; I have to see a story go up, read it, and come up with the concept that relates to the newly published chapter and previous parts of Welcome to Cloudsdale, and then write and publish it while comments are still active and thus it might be seen.)
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Hope you like what you see next!
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Oh, you'd better believe I'm hitting you up for the beta, if you're up to it again. That should ease the timeline!
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I must have missed those - definitley going to have a look.
So hype to hear you're also getting back on the horse! I certainly stand ready to trade pre-reads, if it would help.
And yes, it is, in fact, very good!
Question: Did you have tonal plans for future installments of the series which you have now tossed out due to finding the sweet spot? If so, what are some of the story concepts which now exist only in your head that will never be written in that specific fashion?
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Unfortunately, I'm hesitant to say too much in advance, since some of these plots may yet be integrated into the final version, even if the style choices do not. Thanks for asking though, and glad you're hype.
Decided to remake an account over this announcement, because I am just that happy CoC is possibly returning. This has been one of my favorite fic series on this site.
I'm still curious as to what Shining's answer to THE QUESTION is. I have been tempted several time to just email you and ask what his answered had been.
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Shining gave his answer already! As of the most recent story. And it was wrong and that means that they'll never get together, of course.
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when are 50,000 words of content coming out tyvm bye <3
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Not imminently, but I'm working!