State of the author: The Man With No Country · 2:22am Jul 14th, 2015
Hello all,
I'm breaking radio silence to give you updates on my latest and greatest project, The Man With No Country. Yes, this is the sequel to The Man With Two Names. Progress is slow but steady, I have a chapter by chapter / character bios and synopses prepared for my current and future editors, and as a guide for myself.
The first chapter is complete in the sense that all events that need to happen are on the page. Just not in a very coherent or masterful way. I'm working on the second and third as you are reading this (or let's be honest, I might just be perusing Askreddit.)
I don't intend to publish any chapter whatsoever until they have reached this stage of "everything's-in-there". I'm gonna get to that point, then edit and publish these chapters on a weekly basis. Why you ask? so that readers aren't left hanging when I decide that i need to restore my creative juices (all fan fic authors keep a handy pouch of the stuff in their desks) via three month hiatus.
The ultimate effect is that while it'll be some time until initial publication, there will be regular updates, where I will also have the oppurtunity to respond to audience feedback dynamically without having to throw away too much work.
For those of you interested, I've included a relatively non-spoilerish description of the story modified from the synopsis:
A year after the events of Man With Two Names, Loose Leaf releases the report that he’s compiled (which turns out to be the previous story), much to the outrage of the Equestria. Ponyville uncomfortably realizes the extent of their own prejudices. In this moment, Spike is rallying together a non-equine rights movement, so that all sentient creatures are equal to ponies in the eyes of the law, but his movement is not only impeded by the citizens of ponyville, but by an overzealous mule named Candor Balehoof, an extremist who is attempting to hijack Spike’s movement and turn it into a bloody revolt. Trixie and Walker are living a vagabond existence, adventuring across Equestria with assorted company. Walker, to find a way of redeeming himself, and returning to his home in West Virginia. Trixie, trying to find a way to earn the awe and respect of her hometown and family. Fate however, conspires them to run into some familiar faces in the Crystal Empire.
In a spoiler-free chunk of info, it takes place during season 3.
I also want to take a moment to thank you, my readers, for all the encouragement, constructive criticism and support you've given me over the last couple of years. You guys are awesome, and gave me a real thirst for writing this stuff. And I've come to realize, writing is a far more collaborative process than just a guy tapping away at his keyboard. Audiences and readers shape the narrative too. I'm not only relying on my editors, but other writers who establish and explore conventions within the context of fan ficiton and MLP fanon. Its the readers, whose comments guide me forward in understanding how to take the story direction that is "surprising but inevitable" (phrasing stolen from a writing teacher of mine). I think readers play a huge role in crafting the narrative, especially in serially released works.
I've also been a little absent from reading fan fiction lately. So I'd like to get back into the swing of things by taking some recommendations for fan fics and generally cool stuff on the inter-tubes (what can I say, I found out about Prequel comics from a comment).
If you wanna know more, or have a suggestion, leave a comment, send a PM, make a smoke signal. All those communicatey things. I'm trying to be better about responding to stuff.
-Trump Card
You mean sapient, not sentient. Sentient means it has some degree of free will, sapient means it can think for itself. Human adults are both sapient and sentient, because we have free will and we can make our own decisions. Human young children(how young is very much debatable, but there is a line somewhere) are sentient but not sapient, and that's why pedophilia is illegal. Robots are neither sapient nor sentient, and as far as we know cannot be. As far as I know, it's impossible for something to be sapient but not sentient.
sequel, i cant wait, literally, i cannot wait. *explodes from excitement*
Nice to see you are continuing! :D
Can't wait to read it, and make yet another absurdly long comment. XD
I joke. I joke.
Well, I have a whole list of general suggestions on my user page, but if you want some specific ones I'll toss a few here. Also, where there are a number of crossovers there, none of them require knowledge of the other IP to read.
A Voice Among the Strangers: This is an interesting an exceptionally well done HiE story with a language barrier that does not get magicked away and might be my single favorite story on the entire site.
Stardust: Discord sends Twilight to XCOM earth where she has to befriend humans who are busy fighting aliens intent on wiping them out which makes them justifiably xenophobic.
Hail to the King: A human with a whacky personality is resurrected in in the Crystal Empire in Sombra's body with magic which tends to make a mess despite his best intentions and is probably the single funniest story I know of on this site.
Without a Hive: I am not really sure how to describe what makes this story great because it is honestly more masterful execution than anything else, but the basic premise is that it follows a young changeling who winds up stuck in Equestria after an accident as he adapts and grows undercover and eventually falls in love with a pony.
Rainbooms and Royalty: This is a fairly straightforward AU with Rainbow Dash as Celestia's personal student instead of Twilight which really shines because the author has an excellent grip on Rainbow's character.
Hopefully that gives you a decent spread of options in different genres so you can find something you like, and if not there are a bunch of other great stories listed on the front of my user page.
¡I cannot wait!
On a sidenote, when you wrote the Man with 2 Names, you ironically chose a username referencing a birther. Well now, your username is the gift which keeps on giving, because he has went from the Great White Hope of making the Whitehouse White again to king of the xenophobes. For the kind of stories you write about oppression, xenophobia, and racism, you somehow managed to choose the best possible name. As long as Donald Trump continues to make a fool of himself, you will get free publicity. You have half an year of free advertising, at least, still to come.
I hope Rainbow Dash is still "the sane one" by the time this ends. Damn, that was weird typing that sentence.
Donald, it's good to have you back. I admire your determination in writing the whole thing before letting it run out the door. I'm not sure if I'd ever be able to do the same thing. I really enjoy the stream of feedback that my readers provide, especially after an update.
Best of luck, buddy. Truth be told, though, I'd prefer a story that focused more on Walker. Spike's thrust for non-equine rights is awesome (and appropriate) but it doesn't grip me as much as what Walker is doing right now.
Finally! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb9sDVHdUcU
Feels like Christmas has come early! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJf2vELBdAc
Your last story was so sexy, it made me doot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmqOV4JkRcs
Poor Walker. Hope he heals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0G2Yuy3wCs
Walker and Trixie are on an adventure! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEanGNjrNkM
He'll hopefully build up his strength with meat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbAB8wkZAP4
If Ponyville thought they were spooked when Walker was there, then how afraid will they be when the civilized world(s) hates them? When their skeletons come out...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6B6SHgUWis
There'll be a shitstorm won't there? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C80CTdPyRFQ
Scat is going to hit the fan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNf0ChD5Gq4
Maybe a police force will arrest the actual offenders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpVYhMtHgow
Luna and Celestia could tag team against Ponyville. With the Crystal Empire on their side. An empire frozen in time for the past 1000 years being more progressive than Ponyville? That'd be epic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsuU0DACJNE
Maybe Luna's blessing will help bring the traveling duo good fortune. They have what it takes to be all-stars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fzFHdT7xao
Time for Ponyville to take their medicine! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8eXzTrjPIE
While Twilight is preoccupied trying to salvage her silver platter privileges and reputation, Spike can fight for justice. And get inspired. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VBnKeZeHuQ
I will pray for you to have good bones and calcium.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTq_XHdQPSI
P.S.
I thought after The Man With Two Names we'd never see you again!
Good to hear from you again, looking forward to more works from you
Awesome, I can't wait!
How can Ponyville be resisting Spike's movement if they're all feeling bad about the revelation that they're all racist dicks? Is there a split between a group that sees how bad they had gotten and a group that thinks they were completely right?
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The way I see it, there's going to be ponies that treat the report as exaggerated propaganda, and fight against the equine rights movement, there's going to be people passionately for it, and people unsettled and uncomfortable about both what happened in the previous story, and the changing political sphere
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well, TIL. Thanks for explaining the difference :D
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Thanks for the recommendations, I'll check some of them out later tonight!
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there is only going to be a couple of Spike's movement chapters where Jerry isn't involved.
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I think the role she's going to play, without giving too much away is the irate and unreasonable voice of reason. or something.
3238657 Oh, crap. Derpy will ask her to tone done the rhetoric about how horrible the others are, won't she?
Good to have you back man. I enjoy your work and hope to see more.
So glad to have you back with us, friend! It's been awhile coming, but the sequel to AMWTNs is definitely something I'll be looking forward to. It'll be interesting to see how Twilight and the others have fared after a whole year has passed since the incident and whether or not their friendship has been able to hold together. There are so many questions, but for the sake of not having anything spoiled, I'll just stick with three.
1. What sort of role will Cadence play in the inevitable confrontation between Twilight and Walker? Will she be sympathetic towards the mare she used to foal-sit or the human whom that mare had so grievously wronged?
2. Will there be any kind of closure regarding the fate of Lucky?
3.
Does this mean there will be others traveling with them? Perhaps outcasts like Walker and Trixie whom they had met on their travels?
And of course, you know me, I can't resist making a suggestion or two.
1. What would you think of the first chapter opening with a small introduction written by Princess Celestia which serves as a preface to Loose Leaf's published report? Not a wrathful condemnation of Ponyville, but a sad deceleration of her disappointment and shame for what was allowed to transpire in the town that she had loved so much. It would also hold a message of hope that her little ponies will one day be able to see the error of their ways. Think of it as the sort of letter a mother might write her son after learning that he had been expelled from college.
2. It would be interesting to see what sort of ramifications (if any) the incident had on an international scale and whether or not it has affected Equestria's relations with the neighboring countries.
Looking forward to reading the first chapter.
Good luck to you.
Yesssssssssssss!
I actually leaned forward in my chair to make sure I'd read that correctly, like a character in a movie. I can't even describe to you the hype I have for this. I loved that story! Looking forward to the sequel!!
Sure glad I checked on your profile. I was about to reread the man with two names so it's awesome to see a sequel in the works.