It Is Recommendsday, My Dudes #37 · 8:05pm Dec 1st, 2021
So December is going to be a bit different for this blog series. While I was going back over my prepared list of stories to pull from, I realized that I'd fallen behind on what was supposed to be the backbone of this series: bringing to light authors and stories that have gotten overlooked and particularly to new blood on the site. I'd developed a backlog that was longer than I'd thought and a few of the 'new blood' authors were only new in the loosest sense anymore.
So! To correct this problem, I'm dedicating December to highlighting those new authors. To note since I'm behind that some of these authors aren't new-new. My criteria is that they published their first story no more than a year ago and can be classified roughly as 'undiscovered'. (Which is entirely subjective, but some newer authors - like iAmSiNnEr or Mockingbirb - are quite successful without needing a nod from me. They'll get their own mentions in other blogs.)
So our trio for today uses G5 as a focus and we'll lead with the longest of them: The Endeavor Within by Mike Cartoon Pony.
This story comes in two parts - one about a year before the events of the movie, and the other right after the ending. It focuses on and builds one of the largely ignored relationships in the movie: between Phyllis and Sunny. And, just as aptly, between Phyllis and Argyle.
In the first half, Phyllis dresses down Sunny after one of her attempts to use Canterlogic's product faire to promote pony unity - the one that resulted in her being banned from Canterlogic's grounds when the movie takes place. She talks about her own youth, idealism versus realism, and growing up. In the second half, Phyllis approaches Sunny in the wake of magic's resurgence to talk about the same things in a very different light.
What I really love about this one is how it establishes a background for Phyllis and Argyle. The two obviously knew each other and interacted, but we only have the barest hint of it in the movie. As well, it gives Phyllis some excellent depth: she's an antagonist, but her reasons and thoughts are completely understandable. It fits well with a lot of the movie's themes and makes her a sympathetic character in her own way. She's not cruel or evil - just a pony. And that really sets this one apart.
Next up we've got another entry from Imposing Sovereigns 3: The Queenly Mask by spookyalice.
Similar to the first, it brings the focus onto one of the movie's secondary characters: Queen Haven. In particular, it glimpses into her life and her relationships with her daughters - at the death of their father, when Zipp was in her rebellious teens, and when the magic finally returns.
The story starts with a damn strong opening and continues from there, giving some excellent perspective into Haven's thoughts behind the actions. And it holds true to the movie as well: it captures the care she feels for her daughters, while also showing her commitment to her role as Queen. The crown weighs heavy, after all.
It's a well put together piece with some heavy emotions. Honestly, I'd have loved to see more of the conflict between idealistic teenage Zipp and duty-bound realist Haven - but I of all people have no room to talk about things being too short! What's there is a wonderful treat and great for giving Queen Haven some depth.
Then last on today's docket but certainly not least is Late Delivery by WaywardSon.
The subject of the Cake Twins situation has come up a few times in the wake of G5's initial revelations: foals can be born of a tribe not their parent's. That's established, so in G5's world of pony separation, what happens then? Some authors have taken it darker than others and a few (hi Sock!) have used it to swap around the origins of some of G5's main characters. This one, though, I think? It's probably my favorite.
Where it sets itself apart is that there's basically no use of canon characters - there's brief mention of a few but none actually appear, and that actually makes the story stronger. There's no world-shaking conflict. No big picture. Just a few newborns and a handful of good hearts trying to do something positive in a world that's against them. The story starts with a birth and keeps that important focus tight from there.
Throughout the story, it drives home that no matter the good intentions or the need, this is something underground. Sneaking the foal out under cover of darkness to a blind drop-off, to be carried away to a secret meeting in a remote location. Layers of secrecy to protect good hearts and deeds. That adds a nice element of tension to things, running alongside the way that every pony we see cares. They may not understand or know what to do, but they're doing their best with what they've got and what they know - even if it hurts.
And then, of course, there's the capstone at the very end that ties it all together in a way that makes perfect sense.
New or catching up? Try Recommendsday: The Index for your story needs!
>The Queenly Mask
Oh my yes
Recommended? Me? Aw, I'm really flattered! Thank you very much. I've really liked a lot of your work too, and have read a fair share of the recommended fics from these blogs. Or smile when I see one I've already read and liked.
I'm just glad you read the revised version, where I cut a long, meandering 1.3K segment from the second chapter (still available via the Author's Note, as it does work, just mucks with the flow), which has thematic purpose but got bogged down recapping portions of the film. The ends did not justify the means there. Thankfully, the revised bridging material works just as well, adds an echo of its own, leaving the fic overlong, but not severely so. There's still argument to be made that Chapter 1 alone should have been the story (I definitely wasn't brave enough to end on a downbeat note), as it does contain more of the most effective material, but that's neither here nor there.
Also:
Published my first story on Dec 22nd, 2020. Sneaking in under the wire there!
More coherently, a lot of the things you mention were my concrete goals with The Endeavor Within. Primarily, I was thinking about "okay, these two characters basically don't interact in the film, but they clearly have a history together. Surely there's something to work with there?" The other was doing a Phyllis story without Sprout, as that has been 95% of her use in fics thus far. It's understandable, she spends basically the whole film as either a plot device for him, or for the film's segregated setup. Not a great inspiration for character buildings. But there was, clearly, something there. So I wanted to see if she could stand as her own character. And, well, hopefully, she did, and I straddled the line between idealism and realism.
I'm amused by how many people say "I loved the backstory between Phyllis and Argyle", clearly wanting more. There just wasn't organic space for it. Hopefully the fic's end, pointing towards more discussion between the two as regards that, is satisfying.
That's enough about my fic, though. The other two here are excellent - "The Queenly Mask" partially inspired my own, actually, not in any of its specifics, but just in the notion of getting a small character piece with one of the tribes' figurehead before the film and right after it ended, centred on their relation to a main character(s). I honestly admire its minimalism more then anything - I applied that in bits and pieces in my own story, to some success (mostly in the first chapter), but here it's amazing, honestly. I feel you wanting more of the butting heads in the 2nd chapter, but, you know… it's in a good way!
And the 3rd entry, I only read that two weeks ago, and found it largely excellent too. I wasn't as fond of the ending note that ties it all together, but it's mostly for personal reasons, and I acknowledge it gives the piece a sense of connection and completeness that makes it all the better. Mostly, though, I just loved the logic behind how WaywardSon tackled his application of the concept, and the balance of using a shuffling ensemble of original characters where they are largely blank slates as their cause is the real 'character' (which slipped on occasion due to tone mismanagement, but only occasionally). I savoured all 4.5K words of that one! That they managed to do a "no pre-existing characters" piece based on a film where the worldbuilding and lore was, frankly, quite sketched in is enough of a miracle in and of itself.
I've read Sock's fic, which I also thought was pretty great. Haven't seen any others, though. It's such a great concept with many potential applications, I'm really curious for more now.
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I would actually disagree. Could it have been left at that? Yes. But I think it would've lost something along the way. The first chapter sets up Phyllis' thoughts and priorities; the second challenges them to show how she reacts. That's meaningful.
I chose my words and my fic order with good reason.
Thanks so much for the kind words! I'm so glad people liked my little fic ahaha. As I said in the authors note I was planning for there to be more, but I can get really bogged down so I decided to trim things down just to make sure it gets done.
I would like to write more Zipp and Haven butting heads, though :P
One of the things cut I'm saddest about is that I wanted to imply/indicate that Thunder died doing the same thing Zipp was doing in the movie, performing aerial stunts out of sight. But I realized it would raise a lot of other implications that I didn't really have time or space to explore, so cutting room floor it went.
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I get that problem. I think you captured at least some of that with how Haven keeps comparing Zipp to her father, at least. There's that distinct vibe of her going 'oh damn it, it's him all over again'.
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Yeah I was sure the comparisons would come through in other ways, and maybe a some point I'll actually write about *that* but it would be the kind of thing necessitates its own story.
Again, though, thank you so much for the kind words (:
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I only said there could be an argument to be made. I didn’t say I would make the argument.
Having written the material, I was compelled for the same reason you cite here to retain Chapter 2 - Chapter 1 was written second as a reflection to it, and wasn’t designed to be fully standalone.
Possibly I’m just still shouldering the brunt of some feedback, or I’m too close for that objective viewpoint. There’s lots I love about Chapter 2, and I would not trade it away whatsoever - in conception, I felt these two chapters needed each other and would be greater then the sum of their parts. That viewpoint still holds much merit.
In any case, thanks again for the kind words!