Q & A Followup · 4:52pm Apr 11th, 2020
A promise is a promise. You asked, and now I'm gonna give you my responses. Hope they're to your satisfaction. Thank you to everyone who sent in questions.
First up we have Bronycommander who asks the following:
What was your motivation dor your scootaloo and Diamind storires, and your headcanon for Scoots parents
The inspiration for my headcanon on Scootaloo's parents actually came from FiMFiction user and Scootaloo fan Matt11, he wrote several stories depicting Dizzy Twister as Scootaloo's mother. So after a while I started adopting it for myself. And as for the father, Quick Shot, the inspiration came from seeing an earth pony stallion at the end of "Tanks for the Memories" who I could've sworn looked like a pegasus. I noticed he had similar coat and mane colors to Scootaloo, and at least one person Equestria Daily thought so when they wrote the follow-up for that episode. As for why I wrote so many Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara fanfics, it was largely to fill in gaps, especially in Diamond's case when the show forgot about her. I really feel like reformed Diamond is an interesting character to write for, because there's so much about her life that still remains a mystery.
Next is BrawnyBold who asks two questions. The first is as follows:
What made you write the MLP FiM What-If stories?
I'm not entirely sure what made me want to do the What If series originally. In fact, when I did the first one I at the time had no desire to make it into a series. I think it was at least originally an attempt to explore the possibility of doing some episode differently. At first it was only those episodes I really didn't like and really wanted to see be done differently. As time went on I started branching out and experimenting, tackling episodes that I personally liked but felt could've been improved, and extending other episodes.
The second question is as follows:
Do you have a favorite fanfiction that you sometimes re-read?
Within the site, I have compiled a list of my top five favorite fanfics, with my number one favorite being "You Will Never Be Alone" by Matt11. It's a Twilight Scootadopt fic, and I think what really brings it to the top for me is that the adoption itself is fairly early on into the fic, from there on there are trials and tribulations as Twilight and Scootaloo both adapt to their new life settings. I can't really say for sure that I have a favorite non pony fanfic, though.
MLPFollower is next, and asks only:
What are your thoughts about crossovers?
In general, crossovers can be very tricky and are one of the hardest (if not the hardest) genre to pull off. Crossovers done properly can be some of the greatest stories ever told, and crossovers done poorly can be some of the worst stories ever told. The key to doing crossovers is to think about the franchises you're combining: How would they interact? What they would think of each others' worlds, powers, and other unique attributes? How and why would they cross paths? And how would they ultimately work together either willingly or reluctantly? Another thing to keep in mind with crossovers is to not make one side look great or overplayed at the expense of the other, you want it to be a team effort and that means you need both sides to be able to pull their own weight. As for ponies, I find that there are two different kinds of crossovers, at least within this site: You have the usual "Worlds Collide" crossover where ponies and the other franchise mix either intentionally or unintentionally. And then you have ponyfications or ponyfied adaptations of various works. In the latter case you have to consider what to keep and what to change. You need to be able to have nods or references to the original work, while also giving it a unique pony flavor. And that can mean considering characters in a different light depending on the world.
Amber Sparks asks two questions, the first is:
what's your favorite MLP Episode?
I've compiled a list ranking all the episodes from worst to best, and my favorite even after nine seasons remains "The Perfect Pear". It was able to finally shed light on the Apple siblings' parents, made good use of both of its celebrity guest stars (particularly William Shanter who proved that he can act void of his usual "Shanterisms"), had a wonderful song that Felicia Day performed to perfection, and managed to be one of those rare later season episodes that found a good use for Applejack without sticking her on the sidelines or overexaggerating her flaws. I also like how it paralleled the parents with each of their offspring, giving us indications of who inherited what from whom. And considering how romance was often one of the weaker aspects of the show, the fact that they could do it so well in this episode made it all the more touching.
The second question is:
Favorite Fic?
See my answer for BrawnyBold's second question, because the answer I gave there is the same answer I have here.
And finally we have Brony kaiju soldier who asks a whopping ten questions! First up is:
What video games do you like to play? Are you a console or PC gamer?
I like to play a wide variety of games, though I'm particularly fond of late 90's/early 2000's platformers: Especially Crash Bandicoot and Spyro since I owned them and played them a lot as a kid (I have played the remastered trilogies of both, and as good as they are I think I'll always be partial to the originals for the sake of nostalgia). I've also recently gotten back into the Roller Coaster Tycoon franchise, particularly Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 and its expansion packs (2 was the peak of the franchise upon retrospect). And I'm also fond of revisiting both the Mario Party and Mario Kart franchises. I'm both a console and a PC gamer, though in terms of PC gaming I don't really do online play right now (I used to play Team Fortress 2 quite a bit, but I left the game in 2016 after the Meet Your Match update killed casual gameplay in favor of a competitive lite to compete with Overwatch, marked by long load times because of matchmaking unless you wanted to try your luck with fan servers).
The second question is:
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
That's really tricky now, because the coronavirus has upended a lot of my plans. I was going to (and still will) graduate from Eastern Michigan University after this semester with a double major in history and political science, but I didn't get a chance to finalize my plans after that before the pandemic hit. I was planning to pursue either a career as a history professor (likely at the college level) or a historian, move out, get my driver's license and settle into a full time, independent life (and perhaps start considering dating). But now I don't even know if that'll be possible within the next ten years, especially since I didn't get a chance to look into graduate school and consider whether I would have to do it if I really wanted my dream career. Heck, considering I am at least temporarily unemployed because of the coronavirus (I was moved from furloughed to terminated because the holding company that manages my restaurant went into Chapter Eleven bankruptcy before the virus hit, and a potential buyer backed out when operations had to shut down and the bankruptcy court proceedings were put on indefinite hold), I may have to first look into getting a new part time job in case my old one doesn't come back when the pandemic ends. I still do hope to be out on my own within ten years and at least on my way to a full time job related to history, but it all depends on how long this pandemic lasts and when businesses start re-opening and resuming normal operations (which probably won't be until 2021 at the earliest).
The third question is:
Any favorite movies?
In terms of animation, I'm particularly fond of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, an animated Batman movie that manages to really convey the tragic nature of the caped crusader, and the duality of Batman versus Bruce Wayne. But I'm also fond of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop motion classic based on a short poem Tim Burton wrote, a film that combines the dark aspects of Tim Burton's work with the musical style and whimsy of a Disney film (particularly the Disney Renissance films of the 90's). And for live action, my favorite might just be the official EON Productions; Casino Royale, which marks the debut of Daniel Craig as James Bond and a continuity reboot for the franchise that sets it in the 21st century. Casino Royale serves not just to introduce Craig and the rebooted continuity, but also as an origin story for James Bond that fans had long been wondering about. It shows how and why Bond becomes the cold hearted secret agent he's known as in other films, stripping away the gadgets, the one liners, and even the glamour, sophistication and romantic nature, revealing that the world of spies and secret agents is often far from ideal. That it's often a thankless job where the only rules of the game are: Trust nobody, and it's often kill or be killed.
The fourth question is:
Any hobbies other than MLP?
I belong to quite a few fandoms besides this one, though none that I'm as involved with in terms of writing and observing content for. I do play video games quite a bit and own a variety of consoles across multiple generations. And I do like trains, especially steam locomotives. But I've never built a model railroad, seen a steam locomotive in action on a major railroad or tourist operation, and have never really railfaned.
The fifth question is:
What are your hopes for future gens of MLP?
Well, I don't know when G5 will come out now that the cornoavirus is shutting down everything. But I'm hoping that this will give the show runners time to reconsider their approach, because what was shown of G5 had me concerned that it wouldn't be much of a change. The idea of taking the mane six but simply dumping them into a new world and maybe changing some of their character models or personalities didn't really feel like a new generation. It felt more like G4.5, taking the lazy way out by piggybacking on nostalgia for the old brand instead of making a clean break and starting anew. As for subsequent generations after G5, I only hope that they can learn from the mistakes and missteps of the show. Particularly in that having a free lance writing style where episodes are worked on in no particular order and then assembled into one later, really prevents you from having story arcs or overarching narratives. As well as the fact that it's not a good idea to order more seasons while your current one is in development, you want to give yourself time to see how fans react to what you've already put out, because otherwise you're likely to make the same mistakes again.
The sixth question is:
Any movies or shows you're looking forward to in the future?
Doesn't seem like there's really much to look forward to now that everything's been shut down, though even before that time I don't think there were any particular movies or shows I was really excited for. Even the big movie to kick off G5 had me cautiously optimistic at best, hoping beyond hope that it would turn out better than I was expecting. The only thing I can say for sure I was really considering looking forward to was No Time to Die, the 25th official James Bond and Daniel Craig's final outing in the role of James Bond. The real draw for me was that this time we know for sure the Bond actor isn't coming back, that this indeed his final time as the secret agent. And it looked like it had the potential to either send Craig off on a high note after Spectre was decidedly average, or potentially destroy his legacy by completing wiping the slate clean despite the current supporting cast showing potential to grow into their roles.
The seventh question is:
What's one place you've always wanted to visit?
Well, I've always wanted to travel outside the U.S., particularly to Western Europe (the U.K., France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, and maybe Italy and Portugal). I feel like it would be cool to see the world and visit so many iconic landmarks, to see a world beyond the one I've always known.
The eighth question is:
What's one thing you've always wanted to do?
I've always wanted to railfan and ride behind a major steam locomotive, or chase after it.
The ninth question is:
What kind of history do you like?
All kinds of history fascinates me: From gaming, to voice acting, to animation, to even some live action. But the history I'm most fascinated by and most passionate about is U.S. history. In a way, I suppose I'm living through a period of unprecendented history right now. And when the history books are kept (if ever), I imagine this period of time (the last decade or so) will be seen as a time where you would never believe it happened if you weren't there to witness it for yourself.
And the tenth and final question is:
Do you like mythology? If so, what's the most interesting?
I'm not really into mythology. I do know a little, mostly Greek and American, but not enough to be an avid buff of it. It just doesn't interest me.
Well, there you have it. Hope the answers were to everyone's satisfaction. Once again, thank you to everyone who sent in questions.
I do like it! And it's a pity about the virus.
Still, as I am German, should you ever be able to visit Germany, I hope you enjoy your stay
And by the way, while Diamond is interesting indeed after reformed, it could be interesting what brought Siber Spoon to follow her. I mean, even before the cmc got their cutie marks, she showed signs of respect for them, like clapping at Granny's story about ponyville
This was a great 'getting to know you' opportunity. I reside in PA and have some friends in MI that I worry about given it has been said to have one of the higher concentrations of this bothersome virus. Hopefully you, your friends, and family are able to stay safe until the virus either gets a vaccine, or runs its course to where treatment is more like the flu instead of a deadly respiratory disease.
Your thoughts on Crossovers is definitely noteworthy, too. I tried one where I used "Xenoblade Chronicles". However, to this day, I've gotten no comments on it. So it would seem my execution was off.
In tandem with the "Xenoblade Chronicles" is how I have also merged MLP with Animal Crossing. This has gotten a few 'likes' but not many, if any, comments.
Fortunately, as with all writing, you don't know how it will work until you try. :)
Thanks again for sharing these insights into what makes you who you are. :)
Will there be another Q&A in the future?
5243935 Not until next year at this time, or maybe if I hit 850 followers before then.
Thanks for answering my burning questions. I hear you with the Coronavirus being a drag; my job definitely gets crazy with people freaking out over it; I'm thankful to still be working, and I hope you manage to find some work. I'm a rail fan, too, and I've wanted to try getting those model train sets or seeing a steam locomotive outside of Disney World. I've been thinking about taking some trips out to some of the heritage railways across the U.S. , and possibly Europe, and getting the steam engine experience in the distant future. If you have a tv provider, might I recommend RFDTV if they have it? Every Monday, they run an hour long program on some rail history; it's really interesting to watch. History's also something I enjoy, as well as mythology. Nothing like those classic consoles; I have a few consoles myself.