Fic recs, January 6th! · 3:39pm Jan 6th, 2017
Bad at writing Zecora dialogue? Go read this thing right now!
I wrote a new SCP! It's not super-great, but I'm glad I got it released. :B
I might start making the Flash Fiction Online spotlights a regular thing. Well, monthly, anyway. :) Womens Work by Amelia Aldred is a lovely piece written in vernacular about a Depression Era spirit medium. Or you could try A Lumberjack's Guide to Dryad Spotting by Charles Payseur, about gay lumberjacks hunting dryads. :V
H: 0 R: 3 C: 3 V: 0 N: 1
Sex Ed 101 by RarityEQM
Reading by Scarlett Blade
Mature: Sex
Genre: Sexual Comedy
Cheerilee understood the need for sex education in Ponyville. She just had no idea it would turn out this poorly.
One of my big criticisms of a lot of stories is placing sex in the vicinity of young characters, most usually Spike. Sex ed is the one context in which I have no complaints about this happening. Furthermore, this story succeeds because its central joke revolves around just how wrong all of Cheerilee's class is about sex. Every line of dialogue out of a foal's mouth is hysterical and paints a picture of the sexual proclivities of their relatives. (I even enjoyed the joke at Applejack's expense!) This is 100% worth turning your mature filters off for, since it's just a cavalcade of kids asking questions like "How many vaginas do I have?" (This spoken by one of the male students.) Really, really hilarious stuff.
Recommended
Rain at Sunset by OldTimer
Reading by Astro-Brony
Genre: EQG Comedy
With her clothing stolen, Sunset needs to find a way home from school before anyone sees her.
Okay, just how many stories are there about Sunset being naked at school? Because this is basically a less funny Sunset Shimmer's Naked Mile, and there's what looks like another one in the sidebar for this story. Anyway, aside from "seen it before", my complaints are that the comedy is regularly undercut by explaining, and this ends up being a very standard romance by the end. Like, seriously, it is not at all realistic that saving a girl from nudity is going to let you sleep with her. And don't tell me that didn't happen. As much as this story enjoys reminding us that she's naked (this despite the OC chastising Sunset at one point for doing just that), that her breasts are doing this or that, Sunset staying the night at his place cannot equal anything but sex. And that's just stupid.
Not Recommended
Chocolate Talk by Harmony Pie
Reading by Scarlett Blade
Genre: Cute
Princess Celestia invites her new student to have hot chocolate and get know each other better.
If there's one thing I really appreciate in fiction, it's writers who can capture the mindset of a child. Twilight's story in the middle of this is a perfect example of what I look for, and it just totally killed me. :D This is an adorable piece, never sugary or sappy, just glorifying the cuteness that is young Twilights with low self-esteem. I'll even take the Harry Potter reference as part of the package. If you haven't had your daily dose of cuteness yet, you could do far worse than reading this story!
Recommended
A Hearth's Warming Fanfic by Tennis Match Fan
Reading by GutiuSerenade, et. al.
Genre: Light Comedy
Starlight Glimmer discovers the truth about "A Hearth's Warming Tail".
Just from the title, you can tell what the big reveal is going to be, and that's the main problem with this story: it's 100% predictable, down to the ponies-shipping-ponies at the end. Beyond that, it's not too bad. I mean, if you haven't read thousands and thousands of fanfics like I have (and I didn't spoil the ending too much), this might be fun, and I'll even say I appreciate the premise. If nothing else, Starlight has good taste in ships. :V
Recommended for Starlight Fans
The Vanishing Virgin Trick by TheCrimsonDM
Reading by Scarlett Blade
Mature: Sex
Genre: Shippy Clop
Things heat up in Trixie's wagon after she and Starlight confess their feelings for each other.
I may not like Starlight that much, but I sure appreciate her role in this ship, I mean, Trixie needs someone to smooch now that Twilight's with Moondand if I appreciate this story in particular, it's thanks to Trixie's characterization. She's often portrayed as the mature, experienced one in relationships (usually with Twilight), so seeing her cast as the virgin for once was nice, and the plethora of self-doubts on display was also good. If I had one criticism — and I don't often say this about clopfics — it's that I wanted more. After they get through round one, we're just told they had a steamy night of passion, but darnit, I wanted to see what Trixie does to reciprocate, how she handles it. Still, there's at least enough here to satisfy if you ask for at least one sex scene per fic.
Recommended If You Like Clop
Allure by Jay-The-Brony
Reading by Astro-Brony
Genre: Tragic Romance
The shame, the self-loathing, were all too familiar to the old stallion. But they were worth it… right?
Stories about ponies may be stories about people, but the reverse is not always true. To write stories about people, one must make the ponies far more like us than they really are. Or, if you want to write a story about infidelity, you could take this fic's track and use an in-universe explanation for why a stallion would wander. The end result is quite good, focusing on the stallion's feelings and his helplessness in the face of his own situation. I would criticize it for not having more of a punch at the end; it doesn't really have anything to say about its character beyond "Isn't this unfortunate?" But for what it is, I very much appreciate it, and I'd say it's a worthwhile read if it sounds interesting to you.
Recommended
A Heartfelt Apology by Megapone
Reading by Scarlett Blade
Mature: Sex
Genre: PWP
This is the first Megapone fic I've ever read, because, spoilers, I tend to avoid him since he mostly writes weird stuff I don't wanna read. My impression? He certainly knows what his audience wants. This wastes zero time with frivolous things like scene-setting before our two bedonged heroines are going at each other like you'd expect. I mean, the whole point is Trixie apologizing for something, but it's never even suggested what that something might be. That is dedication to the PWP label. I had a few chuckles. You'll appreciate this if you enjoy… fluids. >.>
Recommended If You Like Clop
Bad froggy! No steak!
I really should look into writing an SCP or two.
Man PP I had no idea this was the saucy edition
I seem to remember you enjoying Colts Will Be Colts, but I'm not sure you ever reviewed it? Not asking for a review, just mentioning it in case you'd forgotten.
4371602
Captain Sand's been reading a lot of clopfics in this stretch, and there are still a lot to go!
4371613
Nope, haven't read it! I'll move it up from the RIS to the RIN. :)
4371700 that makes sense
Just give a brother a trigger warning or something so I can start feeling ashamed for reading this in public before I'm partway through the third review, y'know?
Writing Zecora can be easy.
Just try hard to not be cheesey.
Don't be on the fence.
And you can build your sentence.
When they tell you to stop rhyming and they mean it,
Ask if anypony wants a peanut.
Thank you so much for reviewing!
4371700
Well, crap. I thought you read it and said, "God dammit Trick," or something like that, with a smiley or some indication you liked it.
Now I have to figure out which of my too-many stories you said that on.
Also, it's not too hard to capture the mindset of a child when I'm still one myself :P
4371895
Welcome. :)
4371950
I do recall saying that on one of your fics, but I don't know any better than you which it was. :V Just consider it deserved.
4372132
Aha! It was Girl Talk.
I knew it was something heartwarming, and about a year old, give or take six months. That winnowed the field to two fics.
4371851
I find that the best way to write her is to put her in a ridiculous situation where she is unable to talk throughout the entire story.