Questions, for the sake of answers, and to obfuscate apologetic grovelling · 10:36am Jun 9th, 2016
Let's get the second part of that out of the way first:
Sorry for not updating. I messed up some finals and I have to swot up some more for a retry. So while I expected to be able to relax with some writing for a few weeks, it turns out that the status of school is still in. So you can trust me when I say I'm sorry, because I really want my summer-break.
The good news is that I started on the next chapter, name pending. It's only some 2000 words, or four pages on google docs. Not much, but hopefully enough to get the ball rolling, slowly at first, like a dung beetle, but hopefully faster in a while, like a cat with an occupied hamster-ball.
So, whenever I go out for some much-needed oxygen in my lungs and some much-needed airing out of the denim hugging my buttocks, parts of the upcoming chapter starts coming together in my head, some jokes, some observations, some fine-feeling narration. I can't remember half of them, because for some reason, most of the times I feel inspired, it's when I'm doing something where writing isn't an option, like going out for some fresh air, or trying to listen to a lecture, or attending my cousin's graduation. If I ever get invited to a wedding in the near future, I'm bringing a pen and a notepad. I don't care what people say, weddings are just, so, boring. Anyway, these little spots of inspiration will slowly become too much to try and hold in my head, and eventually they will take up so much of my brain-capacity that I will be able to reach some of them when they're the most elusive. That is, when I'm actually trying to write.
So expect a chapter, not in the next few days, perhaps, but expect it anyway.
Next up is a question about the story, or rather, what impressions people have of the story: Where do you people think Gabe is from? I'm mostly asking because if she's from my neck of the woods, she speaks at least two languages by default, she knows a third one for funsies, and the one she and the ponies have been speaking this whole time isn't English (is 'trilingual' a word?). I have some ideas for when Rarity starts speaking other languages gratuitously, and Gabe responds in kind. Would people reject that idea? Is it a bit weird to find out that they've been speaking another language this whole time, and is three languages a bit too much? Any other thoughts?
Also, thoughts on my new avatar? I kinda like that name, and I'm thinking about making it my user-name even if the avatar doesn't turn out to be a keeper.
Now I just hope someone will respond to this. I feel like such a loser every time I write a blog-post that no one reads... there's no expiration-date here!
I totally get you on the writing stuff. You have no idea how many of my ideas come to me when I am in the shower, or laying down in bed trying to sleep. Both places I can't just start writing my ideas down. Then I forget them but he time I get out and dried off, or wake up the next day.
I think Gabe is from somewhere in Europe that speaks English as its primary language probably... or Canada. Since quite a few in Canada know French too.
The new avatar is alright. Changing your username is up to you. I changed mine from my original one to the one I stole from my character.
4010571 Ah yes, all those great ideas during bedtime. Those are often really good, and the really frustrating part there is that your writing-tool is so close but you shouldn't really use it.
We call them 'Brits'
Her name does sound really French. One of the prime reasons for me not having said where Gabe's from is that if I do write a First Contact-fic some time in the future, it's gonna be difficult enough to do so about my own country, doing so about some other country feels like asking for trouble.
I can't remember you having another username. What was it?
4010613 Its all good, you would only need plausible stuff for whatever country you picked.
I did long ago, It was ImoutoAlchemist.
4010626 Well, I suspect that it might be most plausible if I write how the culture that I'm more familiar with would deal with alien ponies
Topaz Moon is a good pony name, it's got the whole three-syllable thing going on. Maybe Gabe should get a pony-name for when she doesn't want other ponies to ask her if she was raised by gryphons. Maybe 'Lazuli', after lapis lazuli, but I dunno.
Shame about the finals. It sucks when you think you're going to be done with something big like school, then SURPRISE! You're not done yet
As for Gabe, I originally figured she was from New York. It's not uncommon for successful people in any major city to be multilingual.
4010715 Thanks
But, you know, I'm mostly in school for the knowledge, rather than the grades. The letters on the paper stops being relevant within weeks pf practical use, or so I'm told. Still, I should study, I'm clearly missing something here.
New York, though
When Luna says that Gabe's hometown seems like 'quite the city', Gabe says that it's 'not that big'. No, for simplicity's sake, I've always written it like she's Swedish. I guess one of her parents were French, probably her mom, and so with a insatiable appetite for books and movies and games, that would explain the three languages. The question is whether or not I should confirm this, or if people don't like that idea.
Carrying a pen and a notepad around isn't a bad idea. Although if you have really good self control and can minimize distractions, writing your little bouts of inspiration on a smartphone would probably be a better investment. Heck, I even know some authors who wrote a few stories on their smart devices. Unless you prefer the old fashioned way, that's fine too.
As for your question on Gabe's origins, I'm pretty sure it's safe to assume that she's from a fairly modern nation. I would guess somewhere in North America or Europe.
Other languages? I've read this situation many times before—I really need to get out more—and I'm willing to bet a few people may reject the idea of a character speaking another language with no mentioning of it previously and subsequently. It's completely jarring in most cases. I know some health facilities prefer to hire multilingual doctors, but a hint earlier on in the story wouldn't hurt.
Think it's fine to have Rarity and Gabe speaking French, could have some fun with them having a secret language, but I think it would be too weird for the reader if they found out they have been speaking Swedish or German all this time.
To be honest I find your new avatar to be a bit... weird. Your last one was very colorful and had a smiling, goofy pony on it. This one is dark and something I wouldn't be surprised to see on a biker gang emblem.
I would recommend going to the Art for Fanfiction group and commission some art. I did that and was pretty happy with the results.
4010741 I have a bunch of notes on my smartphone, but it's on its last legs. It's an Iphone 3GS, so if it was ever smart, it's gone senile long ago. Still, a bunch of random stuff has accumulated in there that's sometimes useful, sometimes just confusing, like this part about Luna describing the vague feeling of anger during her first century on the moon to Gabe, Gabe: "in space, I guess no one can hear you steam." Or when Gabe asks Armor if he has any ex-fillyfriends, and he says that his ex is called 'Moonlight'. Gabe: "Suddenly, that Thin Lizzy song got a whole lot raunchier.'
Ah, good. That's what I was going for back when I was even less sure if I ever wanted to specify where she' from.
That's a voice against the idea. Any examples of stories where this has happened?
4010827
Don't forget Apple Bloom
Alright, that's another voice against the idea. Starting to shape up like nothing's gonna be specified. Well, that would just mean that I should carry on like always, I guess.
Could be fun if she turns out to be a weird foreigner in the eventual sequel, though. If I ever write that much, I might be arrogant enough to not care if people oppose the idea
My current avatar is from Metal Gear Solid 5. In it, you can make these custom emblems for your base to use as your avatar. You can choose colors, backgrounds, some words, often military-themed like 'squad', or 'battle', or 'sword', and pictures of things like combat-knives and crossed Kalashnikovs and wolf-skulls. Obviously, I made the manliest emblem I could
I scouted Art for Fanfiction a while back, but I didn't have a really good idea for artwork. What do you guys think about this idea for a coverpic?: A hill with a tree in the distance, everything dark (because it's a sunset), with a filly walking away from a wheelchair with a stallion, or a mare, or a group of ponies, looking back at her, and waiting patiently.
I have no problem with Gabe being multi lingual. It raises the question of which language she is currently speaking.
4010927 Swedish.
4010939
It just hit me. Gabe has never caught on that age is speaking Swedish, when that moment hits it could blow her mind.
4010949
I don't follow
Good luck with your finals, I can kinda understand where you are standing right now.
As for being multilingual, I don't think three languages are an exaggeration. If you ramp up to four or five it requires a bit of an explanation probably, but it would still be plausible. After five you are probably studying languages for a living.
4010960 Thanks
Speaking of which... if she's a native Swedish speaker, and has learned English and French, she kinda actually does know five languages, if you count Danish and Norwegian
4010875 Ah, you misunderstand me. I'm not entirely against the idea of other languages in your story. In fact, I quite like it. The weirdness factor is what caught me on. You should consider: if they find out that they've been speaking another language this whole time, how will that impact the story? And if it will impact the story a great deal then it should be mentioned frequently, or at least be relevant to circumstances, to make it seem less jarring.
Sure, give me a few weeks and I can sort through the unbelievable amount of HiE stories in my bookshelves. Nah, that's too much work. There's plenty of stories where other languages come into play. You'd have to be more specific in the details, but one story I can recall from the top of my head is A Novice Swordsman in the Canterlot Court written by DungeonMiner. If I can recall correctly, the MC is an American who can speak Italian, or Bitalian as our pony friends would say, yet that little fact wasn't mentioned until much later on in the story and was hardly mentioned ever again. It's abrupt, but I'm fine with it because it barely has an impact on the story.
4010969
And that would be an excellent explanation for the reason she know so many languages. Maybe just don't make her equally fluent in all of them, gods know my spoken English is way behind the other languages I know, and I'm far from an atypical case
4010953
Sorry I was thinking that Swedish was a second language not her first.
4010970
'They' as in the characters in the story, or you readers? Because I didn't mean that they suddenly started speaking Swedish, if they are, it's what they've always been speaking, and it's written in English because I'm pretty sure that you're not allowed to write in any other language on this site. Also, the amount of readers would shrink drastically.
As for if it impacts the story... well, normally I'd say no, because when I think 'impacts the story' I mostly think of things like properly foreshadowing the appearance of a villain, or setting up the plot-device that saves the day. However, this is a slice-of-life for the moment and probably for quite some time, the story actually is, so far, just Gabe familiarizing herself with the world of magical ponies, walking around Ponyville, learning some new nifty skills, and getting some emotional healing. In that sense, the sense that this isn't about saving Equestria from a world-ending threat, and more about Gabe hanging out with the locals, I suppose you could say that it does impact the story.
But the actual impact it would have, as I've said earlier, would be in the not-confirmed sequel when Gabe goes back to her old home-nation and helps establish contact between Earth and Equestria. People might go 'whaaat!? I thought she was American or something. They've been speaking Swedish this whole time?'
The other impact, and this could be more important, and I'm just now realizing this, is when Gabe talks with the princesses about Earth. We've had one talk, and while her nation-state didn't come up, as far as we know, at least, in the future, people might be confused when she's talking about... I'unno, Earth's economy or something, and how its biggest player is that kinda weird and somewhat arrogant nation on the other side of the ocean, and people go, 'uuh... is she talking about China?'
Well, you mentioned that it was 'jarring'. So that's what I meant, if its been jarring. Although, really, any story where something like this has come up, done well or poorly, I like seeing examples of both, and I've considered reading Novice Swordsman before. I guess this bumps the priority a bit
4010995 Well, Swedes are the butt of jokes in the rest of Scandinavia for struggling to understand Danish. Then again, Danes are the butt of jokes in the rest of Scandinavia for struggling with understanding Danish
4011017 Well, like I said, nothing's confirmed yet. Mostly concerns about people being confused if she would ever talk about Americans in the future and refer to them as 'they'. So, for now, perhaps Swedish, perhaps English, perhaps that new language that's supposed to have no uncertainties which I can never remember the name for.
Personally, I have no problem with Gaby being multilingual. In my town virtually everybody speak two or more languages, the only place where they don't speak English is the town hall
And since Gaby graduated from medical school it's basically guaranteed that she knows of at least three languages. Her native one, English and Latin. Believe me I know what I'm talking about.
The question is what is the purpose of her knowledge of other languages in this story?
If you want to refer to the fact that she can speak pony then it can be explained as a side effect of her transformation, unless you want to use this fact in some kind joke for example let's say, she has a habit of swearing in her native language or something like that or Rarity says something funny in French and Gaby is the only one that understands it. Otherwise it does not matter for this story.
As to where she comes from, I would say USA, Canada or somewhere from Europe.
It probably will be all, good luck with exams
4011295 One of my concerns is... well, since this is a slice-of-life, the everyday-knowledge and skills that the characters possess, and how they use it, are what's important, at least for now. As opposed to an adventure, where it's things like martial might or knowledge about the enemy's strongholds and things like that which matters. As such, I wanna make sure that this doesn't come across as the SoL-equivalent of: New Powers As The Plot Demands.
Perhaps there won't be any purpose. Uh, let me answer this and the next part together.
Well, there are several stories, good ones, that I like and are popular, where it's stated outright that the language in Equestria is pretty much English, but with phrases like 'everypony' and stuff. And I've read one where it's German, I think. So while I haven't written anything in stone, I know it works for me when doing it that way, and I'm considering doing so in my story too, if I feel the need to.
So, like I said, not written in stone, but let's say that the language of Equestria is pretty much what Gabe was speaking back on Earth, but with a few other phrases. Two things about that.
One: If I write a sequel, and that's a pretty big if, where permanent contact is established between Equestria and Earth, it's gonna be difficult enough to try and think up how my own culture would deal with having a portal to another world in their backyard, never mind trying to figure out how a foreign culture would deal with it.
Two: When talking about Earth with the ponies, and I'm especially thinking about any talks about Earth with the princesses like in Keepsakes and Sharing And Caring, people might just be confused, should the talks seem to center around some unspecified, out-of-the-way country somewhere in the world, probably the west but we're not sure.
I remember reading an HiE way back where, if I remember correctly, Celestia asks what's so bad about Earth, to which the human brings up a bunch of bad stuff from history, all of them centered around the United States. 'Oh, humans are awful and we kill each other all the time, we came to this land and killed all the natives, and then we brought slaves from another continent and exploited them'. To which I just thinking 'first of all, that happened long before anyone you've ever met was even born, secondly, we have quite a list of atrocities of our own, we don't need to feel guilty about that stuff as well'. I guess what I'm saying is that I probably can't, and don't really want to, have Gabe talk about Earth in a USA-centric way, and not just because it would be a bit weird considering how Euro-centric the world war-talk was.
She doesn't swear, but she does say 'twilight of the gods' in her head. I don't know if that phrase is used anywhere other than Sweden
Thanks
American here; if you make your character multilingual, it'll be confusing for me where the skill came from, so i suggest you use it as an on-demand gimmick, and gloss over her source of education with quick subject changes. Use the author notes to remind the audience of her country of origin and standard linguistic exposure of the common citizen.
-Example storyboarded scene to introduce the concept-
Rarity: slips into french(or other language) to accurately describe frustration with pony/item/circumstance.
OC: replies to question the word choice by translating it aloud in common equestrian/english, or , replies by providing a facetious response in that language with a 'better' word choice.
Rarity: is internally abashed at failing to disguise her emotional outburst, attempts to recover by replying with a question of how the OC knows <language by equestrian name>.
OC: claims it is normal to know it back where se lives, or, claims she learned it in school.
OC: takes charge of conversation, switches subject to how <language by earth name> can possibly also exist in Equestria.
Rarity: corrects <language by earth name> with <language by equestrian name>, proceeds to provide small lore dump about how she learned <language>.
Example Author notes:
After a scene introducing the concept as normal for the OC, the readers allow it to exist as a passive skill as long as the skill is not investigated in a way that strongly establishes a sense of nationality.
Discovery, recognition of suffering, coping mechanisms, and consistently evolving emotions are the relatable hallmarks of your character, not their flag.
Future uses of the language: small uses such as single words and short phrases should come in italic appearance, and if it is a whole conversation longer than one exchange it should come with (side-along parenthetized translations) for the rest of the conversation.
In total, i support multilingual skills, as long as the source of the ability to use those skills is glossed over, or you will invite socio-economic and geopolitical diatribes and harm your story. You can make exceptions if you can weave it into the OC's life narrative, and weave that human drama into the immediate story drama internally and externally.
4011035
Then there is no problem, if she comes from Sweden, she certainly holds some general knowledge about the world, in contrast to the stereotypical american
no offense
*coughs* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE&index=6&list=PL006A240F5FB401CB *coughs*
Then again I can say that they speak a common language because they understand what is said and written on her computer
4012339
None taken.
; this blinds our ability to make comparative qualitative judgements while allowing us to proclaim qualifying judgements by whatever definition fits the random data we perceive at that specific moment. 
We Americans (prefer being/are raised into being) knowingly ignorant of general facts while still keeping track of general concepts
Granted, you'll never get anyone to say this aloud themselves, but if you say it to us we'll always agree.
4012192
Hmm. You know, I can do that.
That's a pretty good example. I'm getting more ideas for amusing scenarios from it, too.
Aw, that kinda sounds like a compliment
Hmm, noted. It's too bad, though, I really like the whole cultural exchange-thing, where you can examine human and pony cultures through, or with the help of, visitors from Earth or Equestria, like this, this, and this. I get the feeling that you don't think that's one of my strengths as a writer
4012339 I've seen that before, and I really hope that stuff was cherry-picked
As for the computer, I knew there was a reason I didn't give the name for anything Gabe showed the ponies
Both Windows and Mac OS have been available in Swedish for as long as I can remember, though, and I can sorta remember 3.11, though mostly the screen-savers
Probably Linux, too. Leeeeeenux, not 'Laijnucks'
4012504
Like a nation of guidance counselors
I understand this problem well. Do you always carry your mobile with you? Believe it or not, I do all my drafts, planning, and notes on mine with a simple plaintext notepad app. Editing and cleanup happens later. I can't say for sure it'll work for you (and there are places where that's still not going to work), but it's been a huge help.
4012644 I do, but it's an Iphone 3GS, and even opening the notepad-thingie is starting to become an uphill battle for it. Also, a lot of the time now in the summer, the sun is so glaring when I'm outside that you can't tell what it says on screen
4012568
Have not seen; have not judged.
My commentary was a blanket statement geared to the lowest common denominator of authors, which you are not. 
Doing that as you describe it is good, and i encourage the cross-cultural comparisons.
Just let it never become the theme of the story, just let it be another note of counter-harmony to the main melody.
Capiche?
4012988 Aaw, thanks
Hmm, so far it's kinda shaping up to me doing what I've always done. Oh well, the thing with nationalities might never come up anyway, but I thought I'd check what people's thoughts on it would be.
Oh, look. More languages
Sort of. It's all kinda abstract. Like I said, it looks like I'm gonna be doing what I've always done, which is pretty much sitting down and generally giving things some thought when I write 
But yeah, I capiche
I would go the route of her speaking English with the ponies and her being from Sweden. The thing is that a lot of Swedes that I know speak English with barely an accent. You'll notice that it isn't a common accent what they're speaking but it is subtle and easily ignored considering "hey, she's from a different world and was a completely different being so who cares about an accent that is slightly different." So there's your explanation for why nopony asked about her accent as they probably would be more surprised if she spoke in the exact same way with the exact same accent as they did.
So have fun with her switching to a different language with the ponies or talking about other countries from a perspective that isn't for once from a US centric one. That would be a nice change of pace for a MLP story. Oh, and don't forget to let her swear or rant in her native language if she's really upset/angry. When I do that you know you've really pissed me off.
4030249 Hmm. I'm writing up this as one possibility: If I ever get a good reason to specify Gabe's nationality, I could go back and add a few lines when she hears the diamond dogs talk, when she hears Zecora talk, and perhaps when she hears the first ponies she meets talk. It might confuse people who've read it and remember the stuff that's happened until then, but that might be fun, too
One weird thing that could happen if the ponies are speaking Swedish is in a first contact-situation. If there's a portal opened between Earth and Equestria, and the ponies are speaking Swedish, people around the world are probably gonna be pretty pissed off that this whole new trading-partner and prestigious ally speaks a language that just over 10 million speak. The Finns to the rest of the world: Nyahahahaha!