It's even stranger to think that I've been reading and writing fanfiction for eighteen years, starting on sites like Gametalk. INaNo Swordpony (as in nano-sized, as in "one billionth") · 2:27pm Nov 6th, 2019
Some years ago, I wrote a fight scene to explore what happens when ponies cross swords. It turned into a story that was equal parts "Kingkiller Chronicle," and "The Thirteenth Warrior" fanfiction. At the time, Swordpony was considered to be Skyrim fanfiction, since that game had just come out. It didn't help that it arrived on Equestria Daily on the same day as EQD's first Skyrim/Pony banner art.
I was a terrible author.
Six years later, after many stops and starts, I finished the first draft of Swordpony in two notebooks. It was painful to read, even for me, even though I loved rereading my early chapters. So I began to rewrite it in google docs. But each rewrite swelled ever longer. Every new idea grew more grandiose than the last. I couldn't allow myself to cut anything.
Every time the show beat me to something, I'd cringe and say "Well, at least I know I'm on the right path." And then... I'd kick the can further down the road, procrastinating with more edits, more rewrites, more planning sessions. I wanted to be the first to do every new idea, and show everyone just how smert and perfect I was, and I was terrified that someone would say "You should stop changing your story to be more like the show." So I kept changing the story to be more like the show. And every time the show beat me to another idea, I'd cringe and...
Terrible cycle. Vicious cycle. Message to any new writers going through that cycle: escape!
Somewhere along the road, I wrote "The Weak" as part of the "Outside Insight" contest. It was at this time I realized that I'd only ever finished short stories. Most of them were fanfiction. So, one fateful November, I set on a plan to finish Swordpony during National Novel Writing Month.
Every National Novel Writing Month, I'd go on another editing spree. And the can bounced further with every kick. Eventually, I stopped working on the story altogether. The thought in my head remained the same: "One day."
Then my target audience killed himself.
Still, to this day, I've only ever finished short stories. And yet again, I thought about rewriting Swordpony. It turned into a thought experiment; a distraction. Someone was even kind enough to offer assistance. I'm thankful for that, but I'm more thankful that he delayed. The "thought experiment" was a mire, and it quickly fell into the same trap as Swordpony 1.0 (and 1.1, and 1.2, all the way up to 1.99). Too many ideas. Too much planning. Too many chapter names. And no way was it getting illustrated.
National Novel Writing Month is back. It's a somber time. I spend more days mourning Jimmy than I spend working. The light has not come back into my life. It's time to face the fact that it never will. One way or another, I have to make my own light. A new light.
And a thought arose when I saw the final scene of MLP:FiM. I may be a procrastinator, but there's one thing I can do right. Short stories.
Can Swordpony really be condensed into a handful of vignettes? Probably not. Most of it should just die on the cutting room floor.
The rest... Well, let's find out. If nothing else, "The Weak" deserves that sequel. Just don't expect illustrations. I only draw for paying clients these days.
SIDE NOTE: the showerunners absolutely implied, repeatedly, that ponies DO have the superpower of bursting into unrehearsed song and dance, en masse, at a moment's notice. They lampshade it. When non-ponies sing, they do so alone or in chorus. Just watch Spike. I've only rewatched up to season 4, but man oh man... Spike is the proof.
EDIT BACKSIDE NOTE: confession time. Last week I edited "The Weak" to fix some minor errors. The word "captain" needed to be capitalized a few times. I also added a mention of lumber bears because I have a problem and I can't help myself. [EXTRA UNNECESSARY EDIT: I changed the greek word "Archisminias" to a Sindarin word that sounds similar, but has a... slightly cooler meaning[/END TOTALLY THE FINAL EDIT i sware] There's even a brief mention of the origins of the Crystal Empire, which is something I thought I wrote in the first draft, but forgot to. And I've added a line at the very end, to clarify Clover the Clever's [lack of] ownership over "that" quote.
Consider it housecleaning in preparation for guests.
More words from you is always welcome. Glad to hear it!
5151619
Thank you.