Three Years of Pony Stories · 6:32am Jul 24th, 2015
In June of 2012, I stumbled into the world of pony and subsequently, fandoms in general. I learned about memes and shipping and the vast amount of creativity people could conjure up from these preset universes. What amazed me more was the flood of well-written stories about these candy-colored ponies that had stolen my heart. Past Sins, Daylight Burning, The Immortal Game, Contraptionology just to name a few. There are several others that I've forgotten that only exist as google docs linked from EQD.
It was around this time I was deciding that I wanted to be an author, so what better way of preparing myself then writing stories about ponies? Because there's totally a correlation that says writing about My Little Pony will help you become a real author.
You can't tell me otherwise.
I made my fimfic account in July of 2012 and went to work. My first story... was poor. As was my second... and third. Don't bother looking for them, you won't find them. I didn't write something I was decently proud of until Concordia's First: Mingling Worlds. I had big ambitions back then; I still do honestly. But I was totally set on making a four part epic that included interdimensional beasts, ancient goddesses and an adventure around the entire world ending with an epic battle in Canterlot!
That will probably never happen.
Production of that stopped in March of '13 when I stumbled upon Sunset Shimmer. Well... the rest is history. I didn't expect to have a niche character—I kind of didn't want to have a niche character at the time. But I just kept coming up with ideas for her and contentiously fell in love with the little rebel even after Equestria Girls. So, if my legacy across the fandom is a Sunset Shimmer fanatic who writes half-decent stories about her, so be it.
Something I also never expected to do was write a shipping story. Any shipping story. I found out what shipping was and thought 'well, that's weird, but whatever. You'll never catch me doing it.' Oh, life is funny.
Seriously, these last three years have been amazing! I've met some amazing people, come leaps and bounds in my writing abilities, broadened my horizons and wrote a novel!
A freaking novel!
Who cares if it's fanfiction—it's 200,000 words of novely goodness!
So many people I'd love to say thank you to: JustAnotherTimeLord and Cerulean Voice o name two. Zomg for being a pain in my side. Frission and Foals Errand because they're awesome. Sholan for being a twat. DrakeyC and Scipio Smith for letting me violate touch their Sunset Shimmer words. And Shiek927 because they leave awesome and long comments. I'm too lazy to link today.
Honestly, I'd thank each and every one of you, but I'd be here all day. But I love you guys, even when you get on my nerves, I love you.
So, three years of pony, what's next you may ask?
Well.... there's this thing called 'real life' and it's starting to stalk me pretty close. I'm in my last year for my bachelors degree in creative writing. I then will be perusing a masters in library sciences for financial security while I struggle with my first real novel. So, after this year, I'm seriously going to be trying, key word trying to ween myself off of pony writing. This October and November, I'll be taking a bit of a hiatus to get a bit of a jump start. November is National Writing Month, so I will be spending all of it writing some real fiction. And so I'll have something specific to work on, I'll be spending much of October outlining and story boarding.
That aside, I've still got plenty of ideas grounded here. Hopefully I can finish Long Road to Friendship and Firebird Dahlia before the new year. I think I can do it actually provided I don't get too distracted.
Speaking of distraction, I've got a new Sunset story in the works! You know, to keep with the trend of making a new one for every year I'm here.
I won't start writing it until sometime next month when Long Road is fully outlined and ready to end. And for my own birthday present, I'll be releasing the one-shot extension of Sunset of Time. Well, it's a one-shot with two or three parts.
And then, December or January, I will begin work and release of Long Road to Friendship's sequel. I'm crossing my fingers for the Friendship Games because I think it holds the keys that will lock a lot of my ideas in place.
So that's the past, present, and future. I'm going to write as much as I can until I can't anymore, and I'm certainly going to try to work a little faster if I can.
I've wasted enough of your time now. I just wanted to celebrate three years of writing and share what the future has in store. Thank you all for being awesome people (most of the time). For your reward, Sunset art!
Godspeed you wonderful bastard.
and thanks...
Long Road to Friendship super charged my interested in Pony Fic in coming back the fandom back in April and I've been splooging on fics ever since.
Good luck with your original fiction! From seeing what you can do right now, I'm sure you'll be able to get published! One day I'll binge read all of your stories... just not tonight. I hope the best for you!
--Stahl
It'd be about the coolest thing ever to see you published outside of fanfiction. I wish you the best of luck in seeing that happen, and hope you'll keep us updated on how that's going
Three wonderful years spent if you ask me, you deserve the best!
No; you're the Sunset Shimmer fanatic who writes amazing stories about her. Long Road is to come to an end soon, eh?
Why does it have to!? Can't it just continue on forever as Sunset and Twilight live happily ever after together? *sees "Sequel"* 
Good luck with real life writing, you certainly have the talents. I almost got into real life writing myself, but my interests took me to television instead. Fanfic is enough to sate my writing lusts for the time being. :)
Also, to brag - I've written a 270,000 word epic, that is being revised in my spare time because I hate revisions. Catch up to me!
Sounds scary.
Yeah, being a pain in the ass is generally the only thing I'm good for :p
You introduced me to the glory that is the best pony, Sunset Shimmer. I look forward to all your future works man, pony or otherwise.
I just found you recently, since I first started reading fics a few months ago. Anyhow you've given me an amazing experience and you're a wonderfull writer. GL with the future and I am SURE you'll go far!
If I had to be honest at first I hated Sunset Shimmer, she seemed no more than a tipical bully brat with ambisions of power and world domination and I think it's safe to say that your writting took my notion of Sunset and stomped it in the dirt hard. You have been not only a great author but an inspiration to many of us (hell I started writting because I wanted to be able to write as good as you) so rest asure that not only you will leave behind a great legacy but also I'm sure you will be up there with Tolkien, Martín and so many great authors some day in the future
Aw yeah! You're getting your bachelors! I applaud you for going through college and keeping up with your stories. That's not easy. I have to say, when I came across Long Road to Friendship back on March 26 (yes, I remember the exact date. How could I not?!) I was hooked. You actually gave me the the inspiration to spring onto writing my latest story. You inspire so many people to write, buddy!
Lets hope Friendship Games is a blast!
ur a butt
No, thank you for giving us so many amazing stories. And
violatingtouching my Sunset Shimmer words.Best of luck on the first novel! And with the masters too. Does the novel have anything to do with the short story that you shared a while back?
And remember, let us know when you get it published because it can be hard to find the good stuff in such a crowded market.
Do you think you'll self-publish or look for a tradpub deal?
Aww, you're welcome! I had no idea you appreciated my comments that much!
A bit saddening that you're slowly going to get off the train, but it sounds like you're moving to bigger and better things! plus, there are still new stories to look forward like LRTF's sequel and this mysterious new Sunset project!
Congratulations on all your hard-work! you say that you were inspired by Past Sins and all those classic fics from the fandom. For me, Sunset of Time is right there next to them. You're just as good as those guys and it's wonderful that you've grown so much that you want to move forward with writing in your future.
The fandom definitely helps draw many people together and helps us discover what we want ^__^.
I'm happy things are looking up for you and have you have a lot of things going on! ♥
3265105 Well, when Long Road is done, I'll have two novels done and almost 400,000 words, soooooo get on my lvl! (Also, hopefully I'll be editing tonight)
3265467
3265536 Thank you! I'm glad I could inspire you guys to write again.
3265709
3265966 Yes, though the first series of books follows a different cast of characters forty years before the short I shared. And I would like to find a publishing house to take me on. I think there's more exposure through that than self-publishing.
3266052
Oh, undoubtedly you're right, I just
gave up after the first couple of rejectionsprefer not to give someone in New York the final say on what happens to my hard work.3266052 I've been writing for 10 full years since I was in high school. Your move
3266052 When you have your novel published, please tell us what the title is! WE NEED MORE LITERATURE. I NEED MORE WORDS TO READ!!!!!!!
3266150 ...you win... for now.
3266779 hypervocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/winning-charlie1.jpg
Good luck with trying to write something different. I would point out that this is as real as any other fiction, even if for legal reasons (and probably ethical ones) it's not exactly something you can make profit on. Fanfiction is still writing, even if the character and world aren't strictly of your own personal devising. It might be worth trying to take Sunset and any other characters you've created (the essential personality, etc) and change the setting just to see what you get. Hope NaNo goes well for you. I've tried a couple time, but making it past 10k words has never happened.
Do you have source links for any of that art? The last one there with Sunset Shimmer's life in stages is pretty cool.
3267725 Indeed, the last one has quickly become one of my favorites. Here they are in order.
http://sigma012.deviantart.com/art/My-Past-is-Not-Today-542054967
http://sigma012.deviantart.com/art/SunsetShimmer-542581369
http://sigma012.deviantart.com/art/Sunset-Shimmer-538442606
http://sigma012.deviantart.com/art/Sunset-Shimmer-Hybrid-Remastered-527896769
http://sigma012.deviantart.com/art/My-Past-is-Not-Today-524583983
3267759
Thanks.
When exactly IS your birthday? :3
3330232 Friday actually.
3330500
Cool! I'll try and see if I can get you something in time :3
3330707 That's nice, but you don't need to get me anything.