The Best of All Possible Worlds: Comments on Chapters 21 - 30 · 5:33am Mar 19th, 2013
OOC:
Chapters 40 and 41 are done, but I’m still working on 42, and those three chapters are so tightly intertwined that I dare not post what I have until I am satisfied with all three. And I'm pretty sure that 42 is going to be the last chapter.
Unfortunately, what I have written brought up a bit of a snag—for only the second time, I’ve run into the main flaw in writing a huge story like this on the fly: having to go back for a re-write.
In this case, it’s to set up (of all things) a tobacco subplot for Chapter 40. Here are the changes:
In Chapter 14, the cut back to Ambassador Botvinnik reveals him to be a snuff addict.
In Chapter 15, I fixed the name of the mental patient who found the magic pencil to be Oscar instead of Otto.
Chapter 20 is where the bulk of the changes lie. Between the “Fisby Lives!” scene and the scene of the earth ponies catching Voltaire in a back alley, I inserted the following three scenes:
* Voltaire spots a poster for the magic show he will attend in Chapter 22, and thinking that the type of stage magic being advertised requires deception to pull off, predicts that it will be an utter failure.
* Voltaire gets into a conversation with Pensive Thought. This serves a number of purposes. First of all, it sets up the tobacco plot I’m resolving in Chapter 40 (and the fact that Botvinnik takes snuff subconsciously ties these two characters together). More importantly, however, it makes the reader aware of the existence of Pensive Thought, a character who who was sort of a nopony before his attempted betrayal of Voltaire in Chapter 28. I may have dropped a hint or two about other things. In particular, something said about Clover the Clever might resonate a bit after learning who precisely he is in a later chapter.
* Voltaire gets mugged by Cut Strings. Once I decided that this had happened while writing Chapter 39, I knew I had to go back and actually describe what happened. After all, it isn’t every day that somepony manages to outsmart Voltaire.
IC:
We’re getting really close to the end, folks! Three more chapters, an epilogue, and then the part I know you always look forward to: the credits and acknowledgements! Well at least Twilight tells me those are her favorite parts.
For this round, I’d like to share some notes from the writing of Chapters 21 — 30.
Chapter 21 [Canterlot tries to survive without Celestia, and Blue Belle learns what Bluebloods are good for]
This chapter contains the actual text of two of Mayor Wheatstraw’s letters. They are from the second, and far-less-read volume of her complete correspondence with her husband. As recently as a generation ago, these letters were used to teach colts and fillies the proper example for how to write a good letter.
Blue Belle’s education: I know you’re all going to kill me for saying this, but that was a complete guess on my part. The Bluebloods keep their secrets very well, after all. I just figured for a clan that seemed amazingly well-adjusted through the years couldn’t possibly be that wrong that often unless it was on purpose. Seen through that lens, their collected speeches suddenly become some of the best political comedy I’ve ever read.
I of course don’t have Princess Celestia’s version of the events around her collapse and recovery, and the author was far too skittish to ask herself, but I do know that there is a badly made ceramic frog in the Princess’ bedchamber that makes a “ribbit” sound when you touch it. Take that as you will. (The frog, that is. I was there because of a practical joke of Luna’s that went horribly wrong. And no, I don’t want to talk about it.)
Chapter 22 [Voltaire and Noir talk about democracy, as two stage magicians show their stuff]
I believe I’ve mentioned that this incident belongs in the middle of Chapter 21. This is only a slight expansion of a chapter from Cog’s memoirs, and for once the theories put into Voltaire’s head come from Cog, not me.
Oh, and I toned down Cog’s speech a lot in my version. I get the feeling that the pony was quite insufferable whenever he was right about something.
Chapter 23 [Blue Belle reunites with her "Uncle K", and Blueblood is deposed as chancellor]
I think I’ve said all that needs to be said about “K” in prior blogs.
This is the chapter when Voltaire became chancellor. Note that the official portrait gallery of chancellors has no humans included, nor is “Voltige” listed. Between the first and second chancellorships of Blueblood XV was an individual named Leap Frog, about whom no biographical information is known, not even his breed.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize who this “Leap Frog” must be. And yes, Leap Frog did introduce the concept of compound interest. From that moment to this, the royal treasury has never been insolvent.
Chapter 24 [Princess Celestia proposes a northern expedition to find a solution for the Griffon nobility, and finds a new use for "K"]
Princess Celestia’s address at the beginning of the chapter is on public record.
As for the private council meeting with Botvinnik, I have to thank the ambassador profusely for not getting around to destroying his draft speech of gloating that he planned to deliver to the Equestrian public after succeeding in his little coup.
And the pink thing...well...I’m going to get in big trouble over that someday, I just know it. In fact, I don’t know why I haven’t been visited by the Memory Police. All I can say is, do not visit Equestria if you want to retain your memory of the day you read this chapter.
Chapter 25 [Queen Genevieve survives a plot against her life, which Algarotti manipulates into making her a goddess]
This was taken nearly exactly from Carlyle’s History of Genevieve the Great.
Of course, that book doesn’t exist in this universe.
Chapter 26 [The "Kebabbers" is formed, and it debates price gouging]
Cog did a bad job of documenting the Northern Expedition, as he found himself too tired each night to write anything down. Twilight made up a version of what might have happened, and my research on Voltaire made it seem reasonable enough to use with minimal alterations.
Chapters 27 — 28 [Sky Shock asks Voltaire to tell her the tale of King Henri, leading her to a terrible confession]
Twilight Sparkle first approached me for the job of translating this story when she was researching Voltaire’s Henriade. She had worked out that Voltaire had told some sort of story that had provoked Sky Shock into making her confession, and was seeking out the most shocking thing the philosopher had written to serve this purpose. Luckily for her sanity, the Henriade isn't even close.
Chapters 29 — 30 [Celestia has a waking nightmare about Luna, and confesses her past history to Voltaire]
This was all covered very briefly in Twilight Sparkle’s original. I fleshed out the parts with Princess Celestia thanks to a source that I am not at liberty to name.
The next blog should finish everything up! Wish us luck.
What do "OC:" and "IC:" indicate?
930277
It comes from role-playing: "OC" means "out of character" and "IC" means "in character".
In other words, the "OC" section is me talking to you as the author of this story, in the real world where My Little Pony is a work of fiction, while the "IC" section is written by the supposed "translator" of this story, a character named McPoodle who has actually been to Equestria and corresponded with Twilight Sparkle, the supposed "author" of this story.
If you look back in my blogs, you'll see a whole bunch of these entries exploring what the present-day version of the world I describe in "The Best of All Possible Worlds" would look like.
EDIT: Later, I was told that that "OC" was kinda confusing, so I changed it to "OOC".
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Figured as much. Still, I had to be sure.
And it is very exciting to hear that the story is reaching a conclusion.
By all means, take your time with wrapping it up. I'll be a little sad to see it end, but I'm glad to hear it will be given the best care and attention from its author.
Can't wait to see how you're gonna to wrap this up!
Hehehe... Leap Frog.
I appreciate the insight into your writing process. Soon your powers will be mine!
I really do not like the idea of Equestria having memory police. Doubtless they were formed with good intentions, but something like that is just begging to be abused.