Fallout Equestria's Humble Beginnings · 8:39am Jan 4th, 2014
Some of you might find this interesting. 
I was looking through my old emails today and I found the ones where I originally submitted Fallout: Equestria to Equestria Daily. As many of you know, the story started out on a thread, written post-by-post, on a forum dedicated to Fallout mod creators and fans. And while my previous writing and general disposition had gotten me a fair following on the forum, I was (if I recall correctly) the only brony on the site. So as you can imagine, the story didn't get much response, and it didn't take long for me to seek another place to post the story where I could get some feedback.
[Edit: After checking the dates, I discovered that I had forgotten the sequence of events. 
While drafting my ideas for the story, I asked some fans for other locations that I could post the story to in addition to Fallout3Underground in order to share the effort with more people and get more feedback. While the story was originally crafted for, and the first chapters written on, Fallout3Underground, I had actually submitted it to Equestria Daily simultaneously.]
One thing that surprised me (as I had completely forgotten) is that my story went through the normal process. Standards may have been different back then, as were the attitudes of the EQD pre-reader staff, but some of the misconceptions about how Fallout: Equestria got onto Equestria Daily (such as the rumor that Sethisto posted the story without sending it through pre-readers first, or that the story was posted to the site after it was famous because Sethisto was badgered into it by the FO:E fandom) are unfounded. I'd also forgotten just how fast the approval process used to be in EQD's fanfiction glory days. And, of course, the dates of those emails show just how long ago the FO:E fandom started -- a community that is stronger than ever today, has never lost its virtues, and continues to grow.
I'm happy I saved those emails. And I thought it might be nice to share them with you. 
(Normally, I wouldn't think well of making public private correspondence, but there is nothing in these old emails that I believe either party would consider confidential.)
Here is my original email, dated April 8, 2011:
Hello.
I have a story project that has been trotting around in my head for a bit now, and I wanted to ask you how it would be received if I sent it in to Equestria Daily.
What I would like to write is a crossover (or, in this case, more of a "blending") of My Little Pony (FiM) and the Fallout game. The issue that I'm worried about is that I would write it as set in an (alternate reality) future, so all the characters would be original. I know that "Self Inserts/OC Ponies are generally frowned upon", but this would not be a case of Mary Sue-ism nor an attempt to attach a personal pony to the existing cast; rather, the existing cast would only be referenced in a "historical" context.
Assuming it is fairly well written, would this be something that you would put on Equestria Daily?
Thank you for your time.
--Kkat
The email response from Seth:
Yah, it would just fall into crossover.
My next email, dated April 11, 2011, was the standard-format submission, along with links to the title image and first three parts. The email response from Seth:
Passing it to pre-readers!
The next day, I replied with the following:
Thank you. I'd love to know what they think of it.
Please keep me informed. ^.^
--Kkat
The final email in the series is from Seth on April 12, 2011. It reads as follows:
Here is a response! Looks like its greenlit! I'll schedule it for tomorrow!
-----------------------
Story/Plot: Interesting. It follows (loosely) the story of Fallout 3, with all the grim and dismal atmosphere of the games intact, from the drab grey walls of the Stable to the endless boredom of its residents, the first chapter helps set the stage for what follows. The usage of narrative over 3rd-person (which appears more common) is a nice change of pace, it allows the readers to get inside the head of LittlePip and see the world from his eyes and how he interprets it.
Writing: As mentioned before, the usage of narrative is well implemented. The piece is well spaced and the pacing keeps the story on track. There is terminology that might confuse readers that dont know Fallout but chances are those that read this will be so no real problem there.
Rating: 7/10. Defiantly interested in where the story goes from here, just as I was when playing Fallout 3. A worthy post.
Sorry if my feedback lately has been lacking. Havnt been feeling well so thats been getting in the way.
Quite the blast from the past!
... I had that problem at first, too...
Nice, also find it funny that in the last response there were spelling and grammar mistakes.
I don't know why but that made me laugh for some reason
1680807
Be default, I have the tendency to assume all characters are female unless otherwise stated. Not a damned clue why.
1680812
Well, they *are* prereaders.
That was an editing joke. I'm sorry >.>
1680821 Don't care, hyped up on six kilos of chocolate.
1680826
1680828 Ah shush, it's my birthday, I can indulge if I want.
From the very beginning.
From the very beginning.
We all have our beginnings with this fandom, and it goes doubly so for the authors out there. Certainly is interesting to see how FoE got started; perhaps in time we might see more.
Nice. I still have yet to read Fallout: Equestria, but this is rather interesting indeed.
When I submitted my story, they didn't even have pre-readers yet. Oh, how times change.
How is one defiantly interested in something, I wonder?
So much Grammar Nazi.
The last couple of days I have been reading a side story that has been written in the 3rd person. It just seems so odd, as if the narrative is an essential part of the genre.
1680835
1680875 Thanks, I was supposed to go see the hobbit part 2 with my sister, but they had sold out of tickets.
1680807
Praise the saints, I'm not the only one who made the mistake...
Ah, where has the time gone? Just a simple question, when was the story originally finished? It's been so long I forgot.
1680903 The final part posted on Christmas morning, December 25th, 2011.
And this is how everything started.
It's really interesting to have this little glimpse of the past, I guess you had the little tear thinking about all that happen in between that moment and now.
You were the first to come up with a true compelling and magnificent story blending those two universes, and I think that many of us think the highest of it.
It was really one of the best books I ever read.
Geese this was a while ago huh?
Also, youre very formal Kkat, I like it.
a lot of people forget how to do this
1680914
Wow, it has been a long time. Which would mean that I actually read it before it was finished! I feel accomplished.
Here is to the FoE fandom staying with it's virtues and continuing to grow.
1680875 On another note: Do you have either Borderlands 2, Civilization 5, Starbound, Terraria, Star Ruler, Killing floor or XCOM: Enemy Within? I coz I have them and no one to play them with, a little boring.
1680914
You literally wrote the whole thing in less than a year.
You are crazy, Kkat. And also fantastic.
>7/10
>laughing
Wow. A nice blast from the past indeed. 7/10.... Who would've thought, right, mysterious pre-reader?
All right, time to re-read Fo:E. Once again.
P.S. Wishing you a very belated Happy New Year. Thanks for writing Fallout: Equestria. Thanks for being so nice to your fans. A special thanks for letting me use Pip and Homage in that sexy toaster fic. Thanks for being an inspiration for a lot of people. Have a magnificent year, Kkat! You certainly deserve it.
I actually happened upon the original 'Foalout' picture on DA a while ago.
I found that rather awesome.
Cool!
7/10? I guess that great works need time to be recognized as such.
FoE changed my prospective on books/fics after I read it. After reading it my rating system became how good something was compared to FoE, only thing coming close to it is Project Horizons (ik it wasn't the canon that Kkat wanted but it's well written and has awesome amounts of self loathing and S&M).
I've read a lot of books and still FoE is the most emotional/funny/incredible story I've read.
Thanks Kkat
1681224 Well admittedly the first arc is one of the slowest, it takes time for the epicness to build.
Huh. They used to give ratings out of ten in their feedback. I did not know that.
1681312 Fair enough. But one is never too late to correct their opinions.
1680914 Which is when I picked it up and read it in two days. *flex*
Ah... such beginnings for such a great story. It gives us smaller writers hope, that maybe, somehow, we may be able to write something worthy of FoE. Something that can be known and loved. Such hope is so small, so fragile... so easy to snuff out with merely a few weeks of disregard. Yet here FoE is, testament that sometimes that hope brings more than just disappointment.
Wow he gave you a 7/10? Hehe. I think it's really nice you shared this with us. It kinda takes me back to happier times when I first began in the fandom... thank you for sharing those emails Kkat.
Wow this is cool. 7/10? No doubt that changed.
I also thought Littlepip was a guy at first.
Loved this story too, it's how I found out about the game.
7/10 the new 10/10
1681346
Well said.
"His eyes"
Y'know, the only reason I saw Little Pip as a girl was because of the anniversary posts of EQD. Now, I just wonder what it was like when you found out that there was a 65 hour reading of this thing
Those were the good days indeed! Glad to see I'm not the only one keeping the emails
I was asked to make sure to write a second chapter of my story just to make sure I was going somewhere with it, and then... pass.
Only a seven out of 10? Considering this story turned half the fandom upside down, what is required to get a 10/10?
1681451 1681224 1681428
Keep in mind, that 7/10 rating is for the Introduction, Prologue and Chapter One... not the entire story. I'll take that rating for those early parts and call him generous!
Wow, it just goes to show you how something as good as Fallout: Equestria had at one time a humble beginning. As does most things, but some people who reach high status with something forget that they too started from nothing, and then their creation grew into something great. You are a good person Kkat for staying as kind, and humble as you've in this fandom, and the one you've created. I know several writers/artists that let even a little attention go to their heads. You're a true inspiration Kkat. Don't stop being who you are.
- Noakwolf
1681489 Fair enough, I can understand that. However, in hindsight, and considering what you have set in motion, that mark falls a little... short. Speaking for myself, I can say that you got me into writing, and now Viva Las Pegasus, my sidefic, is close to reaching 300K words. That is something worth taking into account.
1681489 But I honestly thought the beginning was one of the best parts! You introduced so much of the setting in such a short time, but not too much so it wasn't overbearing. I've honestly tried several times to do that myself several times with little luck
1681440
Interestingly, I got a similar response when I sent in the first two chapters of Sharing the Night—they complained about the lack of explanation for Twilight's alicornification
Now here I am a hundred thousand words later and I still haven't completely explained it
1680814 Yeah, I know Kkat was really tightfisted about the main character's description in the first few chapters, but this is still hilarious in hindsight.