Random Ramblings CDIX · 2:15am Nov 26th, 2020
IN WHICH I WEIGH OPTIONS
Here in Flyover Country, it's Thanksgiving Eve. No gatherings obviously, but turkey's roasted. Enjoy music.
So, no real lead-in. Just please follow me past the "Continue Reading" prompt.
Given my pathetically slow output, you may be surprised to know that ideas for stories Pony and not-Pony run through my head all the time. Some are more worth holding onto than others. Some are good enough but I don't have the spirit or stamina to do them at the time so I simply file them away. Many times I've started a story but got bored or realized it was crap partway through and stopped. Sometimes a concept comes into my brain and I'm not sure how to make it work.
As many of the two of y'all who still keep up with my work know, I like to do experimental stories. Like the one I did without commas, or the one without capitalization, or the one that was entirely in iambic pentameter (i.e. sonnets). The latter, I felt, didn't get enough credit from the general reading populace, but those few who read it realized what I was going for and seemed to love it.
The idea that popped into my head today -- or yesterday; I lose track of time -- was to have the central part of a fic run through a recursive translator to turn it into total gibberish. Obviously, under site rules I'd have to start out in proper English just to prove I know what I'm doing. And what I'm doing will be a shitpost. I'm just not sure how to frame it.
Two options, both involving Twilight.
- Twi gets a letter from Sunset Shimmer written entirely in Old Equestrian Runes and tries to translate it herself and we see someone else reading the results. I've already established in my MLP canon that Twilight can't read runes except for certain spells while Sunset is fluent (it was a plot point in the final "Recovery" story)
- Rainbow Dash writes another fanfic and asks Twilight to read it. Unlike the first time, where I intentionally refused to show the fic, letting the reader imagine it through Twi's horrified reactions, this time we'd see Dashie's attempt at writing
Both options have their upsides and downsides. TBH, while the first idea would be the most workable, Twilight knows her own language well enough that she could at least attempt to suss out the correct parts of a garbage translation. OR, I could have her do an auto-translate spell -- that certainly feels in-character for her.
The second option doesn't require as much plot effort but it DOES force me to get into Dashie's mind to write a badfic and THEN send it through a machine to make it worse. Canon says Dashie isn't stupid, she doesn't doesn't learn in an orthodox way. But just because she can ace a Wonderbolt exam doesn't mean she can write. But if her first story was readable trash, why would a followup be unreadable trash?
Ah, decisions, decisions.
I've been sleeping for much of the day partly due to the bad weather but also because I don't really have anything better to do. I went to the pharmacy to pick up my crazy pills but one was on backorder so I'll have to go back after the holiday, which is fine by me.
I just ordered more stuff from Japan. I'm still waiting, HOPING, my previous order shows up sometime this year. Thanks to COVID, I had to have it sent Air Parcel, which takes at least two months, and we're nearing month 3. Sigh.
Anyway, that's all for tonight.
Peace out.
I like the second. :)
Happy belated Thanksgiving!
Option 1 sounds fun!