Your Best Story · 6:05am Nov 11th, 2015
Alright, everyone, here's an interesting question for you. What do you think is your best story, and why?
For me, personally, I would say that it is Flight. Flight is not my absolute favorite story that I have written, though it is certainly up there. I do return to it again and again when I look back on my previous works. So what is it that makes this my best story?
For one, I feel that it has the best pacing so far. While I am using a framing device, the story isn't rushed. I took the time to show the conflicts and show why each character acts the way they do. At the same time, I didn't oversaturate the story with unnecessary details. For another, I feel like I got to spend enough time with these characters to really flesh them out within their one story. Whether canon or not, each character went through some kind of emotional journey or growth, and it really worked in the story's favor. Lastly, I let the story breathe as was needed. In this, I mean I did not stop myself from letting the story go in the direction it wanted. As I stated in a previous blog, I never meant for Lyric and Luna to bond at the end. It just happened. However, it was a great way to get into Luna's head more, to show her feelings about the past and those she left behind, as well as an excellent way to bring the story full circle. Through this, I also got to see a bit more of Lyric, as her personality is still opening up to me and surprising me on occasion.
So, that's my best story and my reasons why. What are yours?
I consider Kingdom of Avia my best story.
It is the catalyst that has led to almost all my other fanfics, so I now have an entire universe ("AviaVerse") to explore. The characters are well developed and each has their own personality. Plus, it has a lot of conflict in it, which I have a lot of fun writing. Because it's an AU story, I get to do my vision of the different canon characters (mainly the villains) and make them more a threat and less a minor inconvenience.
Even better, if I changed the names of canon characters (most AviaVerse characters are OCs, so no need to change their names much), locations, and species but kept the characters' personalities, I could turn Avia into an actual novel.
3535224
I shall have to check it out! It sounds like an interesting story for sure. I also enjoy how you have created your own universe with it. It's funny how that often happens, no?
3535232 Indeed it is! So often, writing leads to creating an entire world. Which sometimes makes things hard if you have multiple stories in multiple different worlds all going on at once.
I hope you will enjoy my story!
3535235
Trust me, I know just what you mean. Long before FiM came on the air, my friend and I were creating characters for various series, or just for our own enjoyment. Thing is, those characters then led to their own worlds within worlds (if they spawned from an anime, for example) or they are now part of a closely knit cast of characters where having one character's story means showing another's.
I'm sure I will enjoy it! Can't wait to read it!
3535238 That sounds really cool! Creating characters and worlds is always fun!
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It is! And even if the world already exists, it's fun to fill in the gaps and/or add to it.
3535246 Yes, definitely!
3535255
What would you say your favorite part of world building is?
CanI play? I only have one story...
3535263
Absolutely! Go right ahead!
3535263
Oh, and if you have a non-pony story, that'll work, too.
3535258 Probably exploring the lore and histories of the worlds I create- like what the culture is and why, how those worlds came to be, etc. Second favorite part is having the characters of that world interact both with beings of their own world, and beings of other worlds. Leads to interesting conflict, and depending on the world and character, possibly some culture shock.
3535267 Well technically my best story in my opinion is not realised and as such doesn't really count... So I'll subtle for second place
3535269
Very cool! For me, after creating the characters (because I've tended to notice that the world comes after enough characters have been established) it's figuring out the politics. Why do some characters act this way, and why do they view others the way they do. What tensions are going on, and what needs to be solved.
3535271
Fair enough.
3535272 Awesome! And answering those questions can lead to so much more writing, it sounds like!
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It really can! Or at least, more world building.
By far my best is Reconstruction, set after the Season 5 opener and dealing with how the town is dealing with the newfound freedom from Starlight through the view of Double Diamond. The only one-shot I've ever been proud of, my best pacing, my best characterization (DD's voice is not pleasant to listen to, but I've been able to make people forget that) and honestly the only one that I've honestly felt satisfied and would change nothing to. It's made my "Top Stories" list for a reason, followed closely by Mare Magnet, though "Reconstruction" perfects and does better what was developed in "Mare Magnet" (which isn't complete).
I suppose my proudest piece of work is A Prose By Any Other Name. For one, this is my first story that featured a pony OC protagonist, and for another, it is my first dark story I had ever written.
More importantly, the character of Dusk Prosa has to be one of my most complicated and loved characters I have ever created. Based off of the INTJ Briggs-Meyer personality trait, he embodies the stoic, cold person we may know in life, but also having a richer inner life than most other people (or ponies, for that matter). I had written many months ago a little blog about what I wanted Dusk to become; but, looking back, it seems that blog was unnecessary. I have always believed that if you create a character well, their story will come naturally for you. What started as my first pony OC became one of my most complex creations, diverting from the earlier planned course and creating his own life that I could not have anticipated.
The story as a whole is also special to me because it will be the first long-story I will ever complete (right now, while several chapters have not been posted, the story is over 100,000 words long! Not to mention, it's 340+ pages on the google doc!). I have worked on this story ever since the end of July—that's about five months just working on it. While I did write a story that was well over 120,000 words, it was not great, and I quickly ditched it in favor of improving my craft (remember, at that time, I was still getting back into writing, and had not found a suitable style).
This story also helped me find my true voice; one that combines my formal tone in essay writing with my creative side. Formal creativity, or creative formality, is an oxymoron kind of style. Paradoxical, uncanny, seemingly impossible to have, but I have noticed that the greatest science-fiction writers have a similar prose. Should you read this story, you'll see that I have come to specialize in the innermost thoughts of a character—monologue. Inner conflict seems to be my forte, and what a character thinks I have placed utmost importance on. I've also noticed that I prefer writing in a more passive voice, though I do try to switch it up now and then.
A Prose By Any Other Name offers up a delectable proposition—there will be sequels made! I have yet to write them, as I am finishing the story up as I speak, but they will be up there eventually.
Lastly, APBAON also offers up some unique themes, or at least differing views on certain thematic insights. There is an emphasis on time, and the inevitable outcome of things; the past also plays a part in shaping the characters; and there are others that I could list (but won't because spoilers :P).
For a story that started out as a simple, Slice of Life backstory for my OC, it has become the work I have placed the most emphasis on. In all honesty, it probably will sink down the list as time goes on and as I write more and more stories; after all, with time comes improvement, and with practice, even faster. Yet, I still believe it to be my finest work I have ever written.
I consider Five Nights at Pinkie's as my best story. But even then, it's not all that. I've gotten praise about it though in the comments, and while I love and appreciate all of the words they say about my story, I still could have done better. I didn't really focus a lot on the characters' backstory to let people know HOW he changed, just that he did. I didn't really give any rhyme or reason for the romance to be in the story in the first place outside of using it for a shameless plot device. A lot of people praise it for capturing the spirit of the original game and for having a great plot twist at the end, and I appreciate everybody who thinks that, but I still could have done better. Added more to the story to flesh out the characters in it and make it a bit longer. But the reason I say it's my best is because of the plot twist at the end, the way I captured the spirit of the original game, and because of the numerous people who praise the story in the comments. I may not know those people, but what they say about my little story is always amazing to read.
Even though FNaP could have been better, I'm still proud of what it turned out to be. 
My best story would have to be The Man With The Quarter-Staff. Why? Because I feel like I could really put my emotions into that story and really give it all I've got, plus, it was fun!
Well, as you know, mine is definitely: School! Flying! Falling! Goofing!
I just like it that I can let my mind go over varies ways of how the story can go and what 'you' and the other characters do. Hence the name 'Falling! Goofing!" It's also just fun to see these things come to paper, and then a few days later, I re-read it and am like; "What the hell was I thinking?" But even then I still enjoy it.
My story with the fewest conspicuous issues (plot/pacing/etc.) is probably A Dinky Little Problem. But is it my best? It's tough to say. There always seems to be a difference between how I feel about a piece and how people respond. E.g., I published something a while back that soaked-up nearly two months of my spare emotional and mental capacity, yet it's struggled to earn views. Go figure!
I think my best story is technically Twilight is Annoyed , but I think my personal favorite is Swooty Bell Part 4.