"In Our Loving Memory" Afterthoughts and What's Next · 1:02pm Sep 4th, 2019
In Our Loving Memory Afterthoughts
So I've finally published a story and finished it after several months being out of commission. It's like a breath of fresh air, though considering what I plan to be working on after this, I'll squirrel away back and just work on the next thing. I don't want to rest on my laurels too much—I'd rather have a pillow for that.
The premise behind In Our Loving Memory was the natural progression of the worldwide change that happened way back in Magical Curiosity: it will soon be history, history enough to be on a history textbook for grade-schoolers. Not just the change but the human era itself. As time goes on, the number of creatures who could really call themselves former humans (since they have experienced humanity before) dwindles. A hundred years later, you'll find that they'll likely comprise less than one percent of the world population—good thing we have long-lived principals Celestia and Luna to be living relics of that time, but still...
What drove me to write the fic, however, was a history course. Call me easy to impress, but I am still amazed at the power of history, of its narrative and how whoever controls it can sway and lead an entire people—give them a reason for being here, a common suffering and cause to unite in, a vision to strive forward to. A people without a firm memory of its history is, therefore, one that can be easily turned this way and that by those only in it for the power.
While the above easily lends itself to overtly political narratives and sagas, there's something poignant about remembering and forgetting, even as people change. It's easy these days to forget and to just chase after the next big thing. Of course, as they say, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Now, although the big Change from Curiosity wasn't really anybody's fault, there's a very human responsibility that comes after it: what happens to humanity now? Do they preserve it? How can they preserve it? Do they live it out somehow, saying that there's something unique about the human spirit even when there's no one to call human anymore?
One interesting thing about history is how a common suffering and a common cause oftentimes mean uniting a people. Revolutionaries birthing new nations usually fall back on this, even if they see that conflict from different perspectives, because there's a sense of solidarity, that they're in this together to fight back whatever's preventing their freedom. So, something similar comes up here, and that's one reason why I didn't want to depict this future of Earth as something that's partially embroiled in conflict and tension—because everybody's on the same boat. They're all in new bodies that can utilize the Equestrian magic that's flooded their whole reality, so what now but to help their fellow former human?
Beyond pontificating about history, it was fun to flesh out such an Earth this far out, this slow adaptation to the Equestrian way of life while mixing that with the human infrastructure, both physical and social, underneath. It's nice to think about a griffon couple holding a grilling contest, Equestrians and Earthens traveling between worlds through a vast portal network, manipulating magic like it's something fresh and new... all of that and more was fun to imagine.
What's Next for This World?
Let me be frank: nothing, at least for the near future.
In Our Loving Memory is a swan song for Magical Curiosity, even an attempt at redeeming it and giving it my saving throw, much more so since it was released just a little over a year after Curiosity ended distastefully. With that, I've told and shown all I wanted to tell and show in this world for now. There are some random ideas floating around in my head like what would a daily podcast crew do through the Change or Earth's A.K. Yearling facing her new life as an adventurer/writer while getting advice from her Equestrian alter ego, but there are other things that have interested me.
Pony (or Equestrian) in the Philippines
PhB Poster - Flying Proud by Jhayarr23
If you don't know yet, I'm a Filipino. One thing I've noticed on this site is that the average pony-on-Earth story would take place in the United States or at least somewhere in Europe or North America. While that's all fine and dandy, I've realized that I feel like someone looking from the outside-in, especially when I get to the comments section of such stories and I don't really get things like interstate road trips or extensive train networks. Not to mention that the writers of such stories likely know what and where they're writing about because they live there or at least have a very good idea about them. I should know—writing A Volunteer in the Bureau, set in Los Angeles, required me to read up a lot about the city and how things were there, and I still think I haven't read enough about it. Good thing it's a very cosmopolitan city; I think that made the process easier.
Anyway: if they can write about ponies in North America or Europe, I say, why not write about them in the Philippines? A short story about it, something peaceful or poignant or what have you... well, why not?
Though, I must admit, what pushed me over the edge here was Admiral Biscuit's recent blog post which included a challenge to readers to write stories about ponies working on Earth. But, well, better now than never, I believe.
As for its timetable: I'm currently busy outlining A War's sequel which, if God is willing, would take me a month or so at best. I hope to then start work on this short story by early-to-mid October and then publish it before December.
Speaking about A War...
The War of Our Lives
Outlining for A War's sequel, tentatively named The War of Our Lives, is well under way, with about ten chapters already given outlines (though I don't know the total number yet, and I'm not sure if I should say it as soon as I do figure it out). Honestly, there's not much else for me to report here other than that, yes, progress is being made here every day (except Sundays).
And I guess that would be all for now. I hope you have a good day. 
Midnight Sparkle: (chuckles in Jungian shadow archetype.)
In any case, this definitely worked as a capstone for the setting. And I'd love to see a PoE story set somewhere I barely know, written from the local perspective. Looking forward to the war story and whatever else you have planned.
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Let's just say Midnight Sparkle was so good at it, even the writer forgot!
In addition: Just reading the typical pony-on-Earth story on here for me is already set somewhere I barely know of, so, really, this is going to be a case of a writer writing something because no one else is doing it—so I'll do it myself (which also goes for the Crystal War timeline thing with A War and The War—I'm surprised, as far as I know, that nobody's completed some over-arching saga of sorts with it).
Anyway, I hope it will be worth the wait! Outlining worked pretty well with Memory, and, now that I've outlined substantially before, I'm refining my outlining methods to suit how I write to make the writing process even smoother. Hopefully, it'd be even better!
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For war chronicles, I recommend Antiquarian. Many of his war stories focus on a griffon-pony war, but The Tab is explicitly post-Crystal War.
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Why thank you.
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Thank you for the recommendation, but I'm afraid I'm a step ahead already! I've read a few of his War's Generation stories already plus The Tab precisely to prepare myself for writing the Crystal War story.
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Now you've made me feel all warm inside