Quick hits · 9:57am Jun 10th, 2016
Cool things I've read recently, FSVO "recently" that means "tabs still open in my latest browser window":
• hazeyhooves' "Review of a Review of Saddle Row Review" was inspired by my post on Quiet Boy, illusion and authenticity, but wanders through some fascinating territory to get there — including a structural deconstruction of Arabian Nights. I've linked Haze before, but they're criminally underrated (as posts like this show), and worth a follow.
• ScarletWeather is another criminally under-followed author with a collection of incisive blog posts. Her latest is on intentional rule-breaking vs. unintentional rule-breaking, and what justifies breaking writing rules.
• If you go to, or want to go to, conventions (brony or otherwise), then check out Bad Horse's new group Convention Planning for ... well, convention planning; or the related Convention Experiences group for reviews and discussion of attended cons. Even if you don't have any interest in cons, you can have a few moments of entertainment finding Present Perfect in the Planning group's banner image. Also, a brief reminder: I'll be at Bronycon this year, and it'll be your first non-U.S.-west-coast opportunity to meet me in person.
• Chuckfinley's A Brief Glance At The Papers On Princess Luna's Desk, which is in the Featurebox right now, is beautiful beautiful word porn. It's exactly what it says on the tin: a scattered mix of personal notes, academic papers, a piece of poetry, and (descriptions of) drawings that collectively offer an indirect picture of Luna and her relationships and interests. Titanium Dragon hated it; I disagree. Your own opinion will probably turn on how much you like indirect storytelling, and how much fantasy academia is your fetish interests you, but it hit a sweet spot for me.
• If you'd like to read some new horizon words, I claimed a bronze medal in the latest Writeoff Association original fiction event with the minific "The Red Forest". I've also entered the current round, and judging is still ongoing — so if you'd like to read and rate a bunch of MLP minifics, you can help determine which ones will float to the top!
You're a darling, Horizon. Thanks for the shout out!
Titanium Dragon is an insightful reviewer and a good author, but I must side with you against him on the subject of ABGATPOPLD. It's more of an extended vignette than a normal story, with all the characters and action happening off-screen, only seen obliquely and through the things on Luna's desk. I understand why he wouldn't enjoy it, but I loved the story.
4012560
I'm kinda glad I got the review I did from Tits, because he's wrong about everything. He's like the Bill Kristol of fimfiction.
This is not news.
Hey I will be at BronyCon too! Maybe I can get 500 followers by then so I can pretend I'm somepony important in the writing world!
4012584
Dude, I didn't even know it was possible to burn metal.
(Love ya, TD, but that's still a funny line.)
Oh you're definitely coming now? Sick. Looking forward to it!
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4013305
Now now, we all know jet fuel can't melt steel beams. What chance would it have against titanium?
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Mikey is my spirit animal.
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I thought that the hinted-at story was interesting, but I have to admit I got kind of bored with the thaumababble bits, and it sort of lost me in a lot of places attention-wise. I liked some bits of it, but it wasn't really my thing.
Other people clearly enjoy it more than I do, which is allowed, and probably typical of most things. I still don't get how all of you manage to keep your food from turning to ash in your mouths.
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Breathe fire after you eat.