Shenanigans Mixed With Drama · 11:33pm Mar 11th, 2021
I am in awe of writers who can do things I can’t do: how Estee writes characters in desperate need, how Cynewulf writes the weight of immortality, and how Georg writes heartwarming, among many others. I recently added another to my “in awe” list.
I love how Ninjadeadbeard writes shenanigans mixed with drama.
One of the things that hooked me on MLP was the way it juxtaposed the epic and the zanny. The show opens with a full on creation myth that would not be out of place in an ancient belief system. Moments later it pivots to Spike being unable to spell precipice. Twilight gets dumped in a mud puddle, “Rain-blow-dried”, and later accidentally drinks straight hot sauce and burst into flame! Shenanigans! The story pivots back to Twilight confronting the evil from the creation myth, almost falling to certain death, and almost getting eaten by a Manticore. Drama! Moments later a threat is defeated by a silly song and laughter. The viewer is on the edge of their seat because they don’t know what will happen next, or even what tone the show will display next.
Ninjadeadbeard writes pivots from shenanigans to drama and back again as well as anyone I’ve seen. And the resulting stories, though recognizably more adult than the MLP episodes (some are rated E, others T, and not an M among them), are solidly in the spirit of the show!
It helps that Ninjadeadbeard's stories pay extensive homage to the canon. Characters sound in character because they are often dealing with issues and challenges that are inspired by plot threads left dangling in canon.
My introduction to stories by Ninjadeadbeard are in the Anarchyverse. I started with the first one Ninjadeadbeard wrote, Midnight at the Crystal Library, not the first one in the chronology. I went forward in the timeline from “Midnight”, including Home Again and All These Midnight Days (which is just about to wrap). Each one masterfully mixes shenanigans with drama and lore. I am looking forward to reading more, including Anarchy: Pony of Chaos, which the ‘verse is named after.
I hope you enjoy Ninjadeadbeard's Anarchyverse stories as much as I have.
Who do you think writes shenanigans mixed with drama particularly well?
This is seriously one of the coolest endorsements I've ever gotten from somebody, and it's awesome.
You're awesome. I really needed this. Thank you.
5474109
Glad to! I have enjoyed your stories immensely!
Do you have any favorite stories from other writers that balance shenanigans with drama?
5474118
I would definitely recommend Let's Do This, who also has a fairly robust, well-developed universe with a lot of character and heart. And shenanigans.