And So Ends Another 366-Page Volume in the Book Series of Life · 2:48pm Jan 12th, 2017
Blog Number 24: Good Old 2016 Edition
It's fair to warn you that this is going to be a big one, though in my defence I write these things so rarely that it could be weeks before you see another one from me. That being the case, I'm including a contents section here so that anyone can just skip to the part they're interested in.
NaPoWriMo 2016
My 2016 Output; the Sixteen Fics
Lapidify: To See and Die, and the Royal Canterlot Library
Work and Play, and Equestria Daily
New Character Tags
2017?
NaPoWriMo 2016
The results for this event were going to be published on Equestria Daily, and that post was scheduled for 15th December 2016. Unfortunately, nothing came up on the day, and it's been almost a month without any updates. It's hardly a catastrophe - writing and publishing the fics themselves is good enough for me - but it is a mite disappointing that we don't get to see the full list of contributors and their works, all together in one package. I've sent two emails to Equestria Daily and PM'd ABagOVicodin here, since he seemed to be in charge of the event, but the former haven't responded yet, and the latter seems to have disappeared.
I'll try a third email, even though my first two seem to have had no effect. Since I'm not completely stupid, I'll send one to Sethisto this time and see if that helps. I hate to be a bother, but I'd really like to know what's going on. At least if there's a delay, I'd rather know about it than remain ignorant and uncertain.
My 2016 Output; the Sixteen Fics
On lighter news, what a year it's been for my writing! Sixteen fics across twelve months, four of which have been accepted by Equestria Daily, with a fifth currently under consideration. That's over a third of my total output. Where was this productivity when I wanted it five years ago!?
I mentioned (roughly a couple of blog posts back) that I should give a few details about most of them, so I might as well do the whole lot now as a kind of retrospective.
Southern Front, a scene depicting Ahuizotl agreeing to perform a criminal service for Nightmare Moon. It's basically what happens when a savvy-enough villain works out that the world is run on narratives, and exploits the unstoppable-hero tale to his advantage by basically acting as shield for the real villains. What I particularly liked about this one was how Ahuizotl tries (and fails) to hold his own with the likes of Nightmare Moon, and how the two villains work off each other.
Windbags, in which Fluttershy reluctantly throws herself into the pegasus market and ends up talking to a dim cryptozoologist and a greedy skeptic. Even I'll admit there's not much to this one beyond a characterization exercise with a small twist at the end, but I enjoyed depicting how Fluttershy's knowledge of strange animals could be used for ways other than the straightforward "is nice to animals" angle. One example is the parody of Sagan's "invisible dragon in the garage" thought experiment.
Rise of the Solar Wind, the first one of the roster submitted to Equestria Daily. It stars in a hypothetical AU where Celestia never ascended but Luna did. Being the elder sister and yet getting overtaken by the younger would lead to a lot of conflicting feelings, and while I can't say I played them to the hilt, I tried at the very least to allow a glimpse into Celestia's confused thoughts over, among other things, having to work her way up the social ladder just to get a chance to see her sister. It's kind of bittersweet, but I like to think it ends on a hopeful note.
The King and the Changeling, a fairy tale about wild Equestrian breezies whose bad behaviour earns them a rebuke from Zecora and an offer from Chrysalis. This was the second fic to be accepted by Equestria Daily. I'd been reading some Grimm Fairy Tales, and thought I'd try something similar, with Zecora perfectly fitting into the story as the mysterious rhyming enchantress. King Helmet Shell's tragedy was a late addition, as originally there was no rhyme or reason to what happened to him. My pre-reader suggested a much better ending to me, hence the "But first..." monologue that wasn't originally there.
Rejuvenation, a sequence of scenes depicting Starswirl (Star Swirl?) as a spirit reincarnating across the ages, all in the wake of a terrible mistake he made by ignoring Clover the Clever's advice. I tried submitting this one onto Equestria Daily, but there were some significant problems with the voicing, and the pre-reader suggested the characterization wasn't fleshed out enough. I still kind of like it, but I see their point. It'll need some hefty work done before I submit it again. Presumably, I'll get around to it... eventually...
Lapidify: To See and Die. I'll talk about this one below, because this one's special.
Banal Evil, about a scheming aristocrat whose strong love-hate relationship with Equestria causes him to um and ah over his plan for the nation's annihilation. This was another characterization piece, and I'll admit that, in exaggerated form, it mirrored my feelings for the show around that point (but think more "like-dislike" or "like-uninterested" than "love-hate"). I could probably use Lord Dextrous again in a future fic, as a villain with second thoughts is a character with potential.
Work and Play. Again, it's special enough to warrant its own section below.
The Literary Hypothesis, probably the strangest fic I released out of all sixteen. It's about Mane-iac before the comics were invented, or rather it's about the scientist who had an uncomfortably stern background that turned her from a wide-eyed explorer to a jaded pragmatist working on said comics. Tags were a nightmare for this one, since I had no idea from the start what it was beyond "Sci Fi", and more than one commenter has pointed out the way Mane-iac seems tangential to her own story. However, I think she fits in well as a catalyst for the second character's development, and I had a lot of fun playing with the concepts from the show (such as Haycart's Method and the way the "virtual reality" comics work).
Villainy Abroad, in which two hired henchmares seek out the traditional mystical McGuffin while evaluating each other's work ethics. Vanilla and Carmine - basically, the sheltered newcomer and the sadistic veteran, though I don't think that does their characters nearly enough justice - were a blast to write, and part of the enjoyment was in getting them to treat a fantasy adventure quest like another day at the office. What I particularly enjoyed was showing different aspects of their characters in that context; for instance, in the first chapter the normally inexperienced and soft-hearted Vanilla manages to show both a ruthless streak and a flash of intelligence when trying to get information from a librarian, yet in such a way that it fits her characterization.
Yes, I'm blowing my own trumpet, but I really am so proud of how this one turned out, which is why I'm so baffled and disappointed by its relatively unimpressive reception. Especially when compared with my enthusiasm for the project, it's got to be the most underrated of all my fics. Currently, I'm waiting for a response from Equestria Daily concerning this one. I hope it gets in. I want to give it a better chance.
(Cue the pre-reader's laundry list of things wrong with it. 
)
I've mentioned the next four fics in previous blog posts, so I won't delve into them here. Splash Dash and Practical Nightmares Only were briefly discussed in Blog Number 22, while Hive Versus Hive and Magical Deathmatch received extensive coverage in Blog Number 23.
As for the last two, I'll discuss Floral Issues and Eights Week at the bottom of this page in the Statistics section.
Lapidify: To See and Die, and the Royal Canterlot Library
11,705 words. Complete.
This one is basically a surprise hit. At the time, I thought it'd make for an interesting experiment in the horror genre, and the original ending's minimalist style was a lot more lacklustre than the tenser, more emotional style my pre-reader suggested I adopt. Then I submitted it to Equestria Daily because the result seemed like a good short story. And it got through as usual, with the request for minor edits and an improved ending. And then Skywriter wrote a blog post telling people to check it out. And then the comments started pouring in. And then the Royal Canterlot Library sent me a PM with interview questions. And then I remembered that this group posts said interview on the site for everyone to see...
Needless to say, I was not expecting a response this big. I mean, obviously I put some effort into the fic, but if you'd asked me which fic would likely get this kind of attention, Lapidify: To See and Die wouldn't make it to the Top Five (Top Ten, maybe). I won't be dissecting it here, because I do plenty of that in the interview, but may I take the opportunity to say how utterly unexpected and gratifying all this is?
Oh, and for those interested: the interview is scheduled to appear on the Library website on 20th January, and on fimfiction.net on 27th January. Believe me when I say that it's the abridged version.
Work and Play, and Equestria Daily
9,654 words. Complete.
Oh my word, this one. I submitted it to Equestria Daily late December, and to my utter surprise it got through without so much as an "it's a certainty but please correct this spelling first" email. Different pre-reader, perhaps?
EDIT: Spoke too soon. I literally just received such an email, only several days later than it should have been. Ah well, better go have a look at the details...
In any case, this one was originally going to be much shorter, though I forget now what the first draft looked like. In any case, most of the story followed from comparisons between young Pinkie Pie and young Applejack. Both worked on farms that they wanted, for their own reasons, to leave behind. Both went off somewhere else (Ponyville in Pinkie's case, Manehattan in Applejack's) to better express themselves. Both of them discovered their true selves when the Rainboom appeared. What makes them interesting is how they differed after that: Applejack decided not only to return to the farm, but to forge her identity there, whereas Pinkie decided to stay in Ponyville after forging her new identity on her own farm.
The fic practically wrote itself from there, considering such details as Pinkie's obsession with fun times and Applejack's ruthless work ethic, but - more to the point - how one could blur into the other. Obvious examples are in the first two chapters, in which Applejack bucks apples while pretending to be a crime-fighting sheriff, and Pinkie gets a job with the Cakes that allows her to better fulfil her desires. There were also other things going on, but overall I'm extremely pleased with how this one turned out.
New Character Tags
We have new character tags! Good grief, when did that last occur?
I've already picked out ones I'd like to write stories for in future fics, because it's a bit like receiving new toys to play with. Yes, this is kind of an irrational response: as far as writing goes, the presence or absence of a character tag makes no difference if you want to write a story about someone from the show. That said, it's much neater to have a selection you can focus on, instead of picking "other". It just looks better. Also, it's really useful for people who want to narrow down the list of stories they'd like to read, obviously.
As for the resulting changes, surprisingly I haven't had to do that many. The list is below, but basically I need to expand my repertoire a bit:
Through the Eyes of the Hurricane.
Formerly “Other”.
Now “Commander Hurricane”, “Private Pansy”.
Rejuvenation.
Formerly “OC”, “Other”.
Now “Starswirl the Bearded”, “Clover the Clever”, “OC”.
Flitter’s Night.
Formerly “Flitter and Cloudchaser”, “Other”.
Now “Flitter”, “Flitter and Cloudchaser”*, “Other”.
*This might seem needless considering it basically tags Flitter twice, but I think it's justifiable. A large part of that fic is about the relationship between the two, hence the "Flitter and Cloudchaser" tag, but it's also to shed light on Flitter’s characterization more than anything. So, it's a "Flitter and Cloudchaser" story in which the focus is mainly but not exclusively on "Flitter". If it helps, it's similar to the "Main Six" getting hugely involved in a story while the overall focus rests on one or two members. Also, poor Spike. Wouldn't it be nice if we had a "Main Seven" tag for him too?
Lastly, as a member of the World-Building Alliance, I am happy to see we now have species tags. It's like they finally noticed us, ain't it? 
2017?
Well now...
Uh...
There you have me. 
As Yogi Berra was alleged to have once said, "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." I have lots of ideas, but then ideas have never been the problem. Picking one of the ideas, writing one, and finishing one has clearly been the problem.
I'll show you, in summary form, four ideas that have been on my mind recently. They'll serve both as illustrations of my point and as hopeful previews of what (may be) coming up:
Erato's Lyre (Slice of Life)
Spike is sure he's found the best present ever for Twilight, at least until Pinkie Pie points out a potential problem.
Gift Horse Luna (Comedy, Slice of Life)
Taken aback by the loss of the ancient traditions, Luna tries to revive Hearth's Warming as she remembers it. However, even a staunch defender of the past can find something of value in the new ways, surely?
Petalback (Drama, Slice of Life)
When Twilight and Spike are summoned by Rainbow Dash to Zecora's hut, they're alarmed to discover that Fluttershy has a parasitic plant attached to her back. Unfortunately, getting rid of this monstrosity is only one of the problems they'll have to confront...
The Canker (Drama, Sad)
On the eve of the Winter Solstice, Applejack is horrified to discover that Fluttershy has been marked by an inevitably lethal curse. From that moment on, she resolves to beat an unbeatable force and save her friend. She just doesn't know how.
I'd like to have a year as fruitful as the last one, but only time will tell. Given my track record, I won't make a promise (on the grounds that I might not be able to keep it), but rest assured my enthusiasm is still burning away in the hearth of inspiration. Or something to that poetic effect...
Well, I've run out of things to talk about, so that's all for now. Impossible Numbers, out.
Statistics
New Stories?: Three, but since I've already talked about Magical Deathmatch, I'll focus on the other two.
Floral Issues is an odd fic with an odd history. Initially, it was intended as a scene in a much longer AU fic, in which the background characters unintentionally sabotaged the events of the first two episodes and had to step up when Nightmare Moon returned without any opposition. Strangely enough, the fifth short story in A Campaign for Extra Trixie (this one) was originally going to be part of that fic too. Later, the project went into limbo and I pulled out the piece for a "sample of behind the scenes writing" skit on Blog Number 10. By that point, the project had radically changed in character, and while one aspect of that fic has been on my mind several times since, this particular scene was no longer needed and ended up quietly shelved.
When I rediscovered it recently, I thought the scene had some potential, and so I gave it a once-over and released it. Frankly, I'm kind of surprised it's garnered more attention than the much more ambitious Magical Deathmatch, but predictions clearly aren't my forte. What I liked about it was how the cowardly trio fit into a context where it would both make sense for them to be scared (venturing into the Everfree and getting lost) and for them to be exposed to a scary situation in the first place (their strong obsession with flowers). In practice, it also works as a lighter and fluffier horror piece to counteract the darkness of Lapidify: To See and Die, since both involve the same mythical monster.
Eights Week. How do I even begin to describe Eights Week?
Consider Princess Celestia and the Equestrian version of Oxbridge (the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge considered together, for those few who don't know what they are or who worry that I don't know what they are). Note that Celestia is old enough to have been around when those two universities were founded. Note also that Celestia has her prankster side, and then make fun of the concept by suggesting that this regal bastion of calm wisdom might once have been a chaotic wild child in her youth (like many nobles). Note finally that social mores may well have been considerably tamed since then, for better or for worse depending on what you like. Add in the fascinating post-exams celebration that is the real-world Eights Week, and you've got this fic.
New Updates: No.
Story Count: 38
My Total Story View Count: 34,304
Age: 1,857 days, or 265 weeks and 2 days
My Follower Count: 91
My Followed Count: 72
In case it wasn't obvious, I really liked Lapidify. Here's to a productive 2017!
4384476
Ah, I did wonder: I mean, I picked up a few hints here and there, but nothing concrete...
Thank you!