Fanfic Spotlight #18 · 9:15am Jan 4th, 2015
Happy new year! I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and is excited for a new season of fiction, conventions, and (they tell us eventually) new episodes. This week, Rainbow Dash struggles with becoming a mother, Cheese Sandwich gets roped into helping Braeburn plan his wedding, and Twilight Sparkle steps on a snail. Oh, and I reveal the a super big huge mega secret you should look into as well.
Enceinte
by dmwcool1
Words: 43,313 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Asylum
This fic is an older one, having been first published on deviantArt in January of 2012, and (in my own humble opinion) never received the attention it deserved. Set shortly after Rainbow Dash becomes a Wonderbolt, she finds out she’s carrying Braeburn’s foal and can only watch as her life comes crashing down around her.
The serious slice-of-life story spans the months throughout her pregnancy, showing Dash’s struggles with everything from trying to decide whether to keep the foal or not (which it manages to do while completely avoiding the politics of the issue — no easy feat), to dealing with her now very complicated relationship with her foal’s father.
While the writing itself isn’t the most skillful, the story itself is quite deep and the characterization is top-notch. Definitely not a fic for everyone, but still worth trying.
Mr. Lonelyheart Meets Miss Lovestruck
by scoots2
Words: 3,786 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Ckat_Myla
The friend-pairing of Cheese Sandwich and Braeburn is something this reviewer hadn't really thought about, but in hindsight it actually makes sense. At least in terms of how they could logically have met (Cheese having just finished throwing a big bash in Appleoosa at the start of Pinkie Pride). Scoots2 appears to have written a few Cheese/Brae friendship stories (as well as some lovely CheesiePie too) and the way they are written makes for a vastly entertaining pair.
Here the lovesick Braeburn has set his romantic hopes upon a relationship through correspondence with a mare he knows only as 'Miss Lovestruck'. Without having met her, he decides that they are just perfect enough for each other to get hitched. Enter Cheese who is roped in to help Brae plan the wedding, but as much as he loves parties, Cheese isn't certain that this one should go down.
Scoots2 manages to pack a good bit of character (and Cheesy-ness) into a single oneshot, and if this isn't enough Cheese/Braeburn bromance for you there is a sequel that is a bit longer but is also rated T. It's also connected to their other stories featuring much CheesiePie shipping, but this story only acknowledges the ship for those who aren't as into it.
A Single Step
by darf
Words: 5,797 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Silver Flare
This story is tagged ‘Slice of Life,’ but taken as a whole that tag seems to fall far short of describing this one-shot. The story tracks a filly Twilight Sparkle’s first encounter with death as she steps on a snail. With beautiful prose this author spirals forward through time, describing ripples caused by that one act, by that one experience. Eventually, whole nations feel the echo of that one, fateful crunch beneath an overcast sky. And when the tale ends, it ends exactly as it must.
This story may be a little dense for some folk, despite its short length. Yet I found it heart-wrenching and ultimately peaceful. The author describes rising waves of grief and loss, sacrifice and rationalizations, yet in the end there is. . . restitution, if you will. It’s sci-fi poetry written with the quiet hope that the universe makes sense, and it’s a story that speaks to my heart. This may be a ponified Asimov tale, yet even if it is the story works on every level. If you haven’t read it, I can guarantee you haven’t seen an overpowered Twilight Sparkle quite like this one.
That's it for this week's stories, but I've got one more thing to share, and that's one of the best kept secrets (not really) in pony fiction: The Writeoff Assocation! This is a growing group of authors that get together and have community generated and community judged write-off contests on a regular basis. Most of the actual contest centers around around http://writeoff.me which keeps track of rules and scoring, and the forums here on fimfic, where everyone discusses and critiques stories after the submissions are closed.
If you're an author of any scale, I highly encourage you to give it a shot. Most contests are for super-short minifics, under 750 words, and it's a great way to get the creative juices flowing. On top of that, the critiques that most participants provide in the forums are one of the best story feedback opportunities I've come across as an author.
If you're not an author, then I still say it's worthing checking out, as you can find many gems from some of the best authors in the fandom before anyone else reads them. Several featured stories here were entries originally written for contests there, and I'm sure there will be many more as well in the future. So yeah, go check it out!
We'll be back next week with more stories. Until then, stay warm!
--Xepher, Asylum, Ckat_Myla, and Silver Flare
