Interview with SilverStar7

Interview with SilverStar7

Q: “Alright, now tell me my dear friend, what inspired your username?
A: 
So, I feel I have to mention that the username has nothing to do with the character Sheriff Silverstar. I actually didn’t remember that that character existed when I made the account, otherwise I wouldn’t have picked the name. Thankfully, that character never did anything significant after Over a Barrel, so it’s rare for someone to think that I got it from that character, but I need to get that out of the way. The real reason is mainly alliteration. When I was younger, I was involved in a writing forum online and my username was something like Quicksilver. I liked that name, but obviously, that username was taken. I then tried “Silverstar,” because I like alliteration. That was also taken. SilverStar7, even more alliterative, was not taken, so here we are.

Q: “What drew you into MLP?
A:
My sister wanted me to watch the show with her. She was a fan of a YouTuber - I believe it was Alex Day - who had watched the pilot and did a video about it and my sister wanted to see what my reaction to it would be. I enjoyed it and felt it was good enough for me to keep going. The first season was completed at that point, so she and I watched all of those episodes together. After season 2 started, she had given up on the show, but I kept going.
What drew me into the show was really the characters, worldbuilding, and the show’s writing overall. All of the Mane 6 are strong characters and that makes for fun and interesting stories by itself, yet behind those characters is a fantasy setting that is just as engaging. It may not be “Avatar: The Last Airbender” levels of worldbuilding, but the fact that that is the first comparison that comes to mind for me should say something. And then the writing staff did a good job of using those characters and settings to tell interesting stories. In the first season, episodes like Winter Wrap Up, Sonic Rainboom, and Cutie Mark Chronicles took full advantage of these factors and kept me on board to see what came next for 9 seasons.

Q: “Who is your favorite pony and why?
A: 
Applejack. I’m sure that will surprise some people, as most of the stories I’ve written have centered on Twilight, but I’ve always liked AJ best. I enjoy her no-nonsense attitude and willingness to say it like it is. Also, the countryisms are great fun! That said, I think she generally works better as a side character playing off of someone else, but then so do some of my other favorite characters, like Uncle Iroh from Avatar.

Q: “Favorite episode and why?”
A: 
Applebuck Season. This is purely for personal reasons. I understand that later episodes of the show are better in many respects, but Applebuck Season is the episode that convinced me that the show could be good. The Ticket Master felt pretty “meh” compared to the Pilot and I questioned whether I’d want to watch a more slice of life show, but Applebuck Season showed me the slice of life potential that the show had. It was funny and showcased strong interactions between AJ and the other characters (except Rarity - RIP Rarity section that ended up on the cutting-room floor). Also, it stars Applejack and centers on her overcoming her own problems, rather than overcoming some external obstacle, which I generally think makes for a stronger story.

Q: “What inspires you to write?”
A: 
I’ve always wanted to write fiction. It is a drive I can’t help. Even when I was a kid, it was one of the first things I did when my family got a computer. I’ve had various hobbies over the years, but I’ve always come back to writing eventually. My brain comes up with concepts all the time and I enjoy making them come to life through writing.

Q: “Tell us about a story that inspires you to write. It doesn’t have to be MLP specifically!”
A:
The Harry Potter series. That series greatly influenced my writing because it taught me that I don’t have to be all Tolkein-esque with long descriptions. Those types of stories can be good, but it isn’t how I like to write and, generally, it isn’t what I like to read. I don’t need to know what the inside of Mr. Dursley’s office looks like, I just need that detail that he had his back to the window and didn’t see the owls swooping by, because that detail matters for the overall story.
It also plays with a lot of interesting ideas, like Dementors and Horcruxes, and I am all for stories that toss around ideas. Some people criticize Rowling for not having strong enough prose, but to me, she found a perfect balance between prose and storytelling. I struggle to get through series like The Lord of the Rings or The Wheel of Time, yet books like Harry Potter or The Dresden Files I can knock out easily. And that is the type of writing I aspire to.

Q: “Give us the background of the author! Tell us all about you. Well in a short summary.
A: 
I’m a 20-something who has lived his whole life in Michigan. I hope to someday make writing into a career, but it’s proving difficult. Outside the fandom, I mainly write science fiction and fantasy short stories, although I have a few novels that I’m trying to hammer out. I play the Chinese board game “go” on occasion, as my avatar suggests. I also speak French and Esperanto, although I’ve never written in French (I have in Esperanto).

Q: “What is one thing MLP has taught you?” 
A:
It might sound stupid or cliche, but MLP helped me to better understand the value of friendship. Seeing the impact that the Mane 6 have on each other really spoke to me. Three of my best friends no longer live nearby and I’ve mainly kept in touch with them via Skype, texts, and making a point of seeing them when they do come to town. One I haven’t seen in person in almost 10 years! Without this show, I question whether I would have fought as hard as I have to maintain those long-distance friendships. I can’t say I ever thought “oh, what would Twilight do in this situation” or something, but I know that the show gave me a deeper appreciation for just how important friends can be.

Q: “Is there anything else you'd like to say?
A: 
I want to thank my readers here. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to complete my first novel-length story with More About Time. Without them, I wouldn’t have seriously considered trying to go beyond writing just for myself. Last year, I was able to qualify as a semi-finalist in the Write Michigan short story contest. The readers here were a part of why I thought I should enter in the first place. Everyone who has Liked and Favourited and commented on my stories has given me the ability to believe that I can actually write for real. Even the critics have helped me. I’ve had some *very* negative reviews on some of my stories here, but I never get angry about them, because they show me new possibilities for how to improve. And I’m always trying to improve.
Also, I’m very sorry that I’m terrible at getting sequels done...

Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of interviewing you, you have truly been a pleasure to talk to. I hope you continue being awesome.
-Nailah.

Link to SilverStar7's fimfiction page: https://www.fimfiction.net/user/101829/SilverStar7