2019

“Wait!” I can hear you ask. “It’s not even November yet!”

I’m glad you mentioned that.

So next Tuesday marks my second anniversary on the site, and what a time this second year has been. I’ve taken part in an amazing collaborative effort with Some fantastic people that prompted me to work on my writing game, finished a collaboration with Blackwater (and asked her out a couple months later, answer was yes. Squeee!), and have been set on some pretty awesome stories (more on those in a minute.

“But Rose,” you say. “Why are you talking about 2019 if those all happened in 2018?”

Well, you see, here’s the thing. 2019 is a year where I’m going to try and be a bit more active in the community. I don’t know how yet, but I hope to hit at the very least EFNW in May. I’ve been invited by some great people and I even have a challenge waiting for me out there that I might not be able to accept because of the lack of cooking spaces - and the fact that I cannot make gumbo or jambalaya to rival that of Captain Benjamin Sisko’s family.

Ah well.

Also, I kinda want to meet you people. I like people in social situations as long as I’m not carrying a tray with food on it or behind a bar. I tend to hate those types of situations. Some people in those things are a little handsy and I hate breaking wrists. Too much paperwork.

Now if I can make it to EFNW, that may be my only con, but with Bronycon’s last gathering being 2019, and with my fekking living in Maryland, I should at least make the attempt. It’s a two hour drive, give or take. I’m sure I can find the time. It’s the last year. It’s sure to be a blast.

Ok! So, writing plans!

Homecoming

We have a new main Homecoming story in the works, simmering on the back burner for a moment as I draft and finish off some of the stories currently in progress. I shared a rough idea of structure with a few people and hammered out a few things to keep it from going too Fallout: Equestria in theme and structure. Not that I don’t like the way they are formed, but if I’m going to write FoE, I have a lot of research to do.

There is going to be deer in this one. Most of my wait is shaping the idea of their society in my head. I may be a discovery style writer but I like having good mental images before putting words to the digital paper.

Equestria 616

This actually has a few different things going for it. I’ll be finishing up Beneath the Argent Moon before my anniversary hits, so that has a couple of chapters to go. I have a scene I know I want to happen but I have to set it up first. And whybwas Human!Fluttershy smiling at the end of the last chapter?

I also intend to delve into some fluffy TwiLuna since I’ve made that a thing and some more MoonDash. More on those as they develop.

Bardic Lore

Azure has a way with words I don’t. Unfortunately, she hasn’t been talking to me as of late. Into the Wilds will be stalled until I have a little less on my plate. And I have to structure this one chapter better since we find out how she gets her cutie mark. I’ll see if I can sober her up enough to finish the story. She and Gleam has their anniversary the other night and they partied hard.

Non-continuity Based Stories

Remedial Studies will be wrapping up soon. With just diplomatic lessons left, Sunset’s make-up semester seems to be going well, and she’s got a pretty great marefriend out of it as well. But we still have that little nagging problem.

Juniper doesn’t want to go home. Oh dear. We really should talk to her about that.

I also want to thank everyone for the reception I got with Things Left Unsaid from the bottom of my heart. It may not have placed in the contest but it felt a lot better than last year’s entry which could stand a revision or three. It also paints a different picture of Sunset’s past than intend to, making it a little bleaker and shadier. Maybe that didn’t go over so well with some people, but I can’t have all my AUs be sunshine and rainbows when concerning Sunset’s apartment.

I may also be turning The Sorceress and the Siren Into a longer work. I’ve had some thoughts on how this could be fun in a way, with a Spice and Wolf spin with the Siren as Holo and the Mage as Lawrence. It might be fun. But that’s secondary to Homecoming.

I night also have another Wand and Blade story idea as well, but it’s really nascent. Keep an eye out.

So....

Reading List

So I’ve done a lot of reading lately to try and recharge my batteries. I’ll be brief.

Wavelengths Series by Novel-Idea

This is an interesting set of tales taking place in one of the parallel timelines that Starlight created when she stopped the Rainboom. There is no Spike, Twilight is a librarian, Sunset is still a student at the beginning, and Moondancer is a snarky little gem. At the time of the last completed book it is still around a year or so before the Summer Sun Celebration so no Luna. Yet.

I do recommend it if you haven’t read it already.

Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons - Speak by Heartshine

This was a lovely tale with some interspersed comdey and quite a few hard pokes in the lower feels. (Threnody is a smolpega. I wanna give her all the hugs) it follows Threnody, a young Heartmender (an empathic counselor that help ponies with their pain.) who is summarily transferred from her nice and cushy job in the city to a house out in the middle of nowhere because she is the only Heartmender that they have left that a paitient hasn’t burntout (a real physical thing in this verse) or run off.

The pony is Blackjack. If you are familiar with FoE, you know what’s coming.

This was the first FoE I read to completion (or to its current posted completion at least) since the little bits of PH I read way back when don’t count. It sets a wonderful stage with light hearted comedy, some good action scenes, and some decidedly great wandering parts. The characters are diverse and humorous (I tease Heart about one line in particular) and they have a good balance in personalities with Threnody being an interesting pony almost in defiance of what her name means — so far.

Quill and Blade by Anzel and Crystal Wishes

Admittedly, I’m only just starting this series. It I’m liking it already. I’ve read three stories in it so far: Sunny’s Days, Three of Hearts, and Three of Diamonds. I have several more on my tablet to read as I have time.

This is a lovely interconnected series of stories that have actual impact between them. I may have started from a recommendation very much like this from Novel, but I’m glad I picked them up.

Sunny Day is a cheeky little mare that flirts with anyone she wishes. Her friends all help her to grow and eventually join The Royal Guard...but that’s where the true story begins.

In Three of Hearts and it’s direct sequels Three of Diamonds, we follow Azurite (omg omg I wanna hug her and feed her sweets and she’s such an adorable little thing!)

Ahem. We follow Azurite as she transfers in to Pony Relations as a Warrant Officer in the Royal Guard. As she acclimates, she runs into Sunny Day and Soarin. And is pulled towards both of them.

She is also smol. And adorable. And I’d better move on.

Project: Sunflower by Hoopy McGee

I was very mixed on this one before reading it. I’m very critical of HiE stories (for good reason) and if I hadn’t had someone even more critical of it recommend it, I probably never would have touched it.

I’m glad I did.

Erin Olsen is a member of Project Sunflower: a scientific team trying to find a new world for humanity to flee tonas the Earth is slowly consumed by something called the Black Tide, something eating and destroying everything in its path. Their experiments eventually find a portal to Equestria and they look for a way to determine if they can open negotiations.

Erin volunteers, and from there begins an interesting set of events that I enjoyed. The characters are crisp and real, and everything feels like something that could have happened pre-Princess Twilight. It was a little heart wrenching for me since it referenced the Golden Oaks a few time.

Now that’s not to say I enjoyed everything about it. I did have issues with the introduction of twnetyfirst century tech to Equestria. As fun and amusing the thought of the Mane Six watching How to Train Your Dragon and Studio Ghibli films was, it did break my immersion a little. I could have been fine with a tablet coming over loaded with history and literature but the focus on video streaming was a bit much (though Fluttershy watching cat videos was adorbs).

I think that pretty much wraps it up for me. Time for me to get going and do something productive with my day.

Later!

-RQ