Wow, what's with this week? Brush updates, a bunch of newcomers post great stories, RRBB starts something new, Dark starts something new... have I gone to Elysium Fields? Whatever the reason, I like :)
Today I'd like to do a huge shoutout to Jade. (You weren't kidding when you said you know how to write.) the story is called The Human Within Me and is the saddest heartwarming story I've read ever! (And if you all are confused, yes it's sad and heartwarming at the same time!)
@Tech Nightling, @CodeFilly: is there a way we could have recommendation fics appear on the site? I think I'd like to have a popularity meter, but also something like an editor's choice. (Although, I'm not an editor so we'll need to work on the name.)
@MixaMax: Well? Your move :) (I'll get popcorn.)
LyraHands
@Jade: That's very unlike you. Did you post a draft?
MasterOfThisAstra
@MasterOfThisAstra: Yes. I rushed it a bit to have it ready for today, if you know who would get all p...roblematic about it. I'll do an edit later this week and fix the stuff.
Jade
@Jade: No sweat. I'll go through it for you.
@LyraHands: just to let you know, Brush has written something magnificent. I'm still in the process of editing it, but I think we'll be submitting it for publication (it's original fiction, though. No humans).
MasterOfThisAstra
I like Jade's story. And Simile's. Why are there so many good writers? :P
Brush
@Brush: you still haven't showed it to me! When I ask my stupid brother he always goes "uhh, still working on it". :/ You've seen my sketches, what's the big difference?
Also, any chance you'll be needing pictures?
PaintDrop
@LyraHands: That's a good idea, actually. From a code point it's not that difficult. Tech and I made sure we could add modules freely. The main problem is the UI. Nothing I could do there. Maybe Tech will have some ideas when he gets back.
CodeFilly
@Jade: I see the Crystal Empire style. :) Wonderful job on conveying all the emotions (you are in your element there). I've no idea how you managed, but you actually touch on what would be valid human concerns. Those together with what the pony is going through make for a magnificent read.
My only complaint (other than the editing misses) is the length. You're on the edge of what is acceptable in terms of pacing, a few more thousands words and things would have been much smoother, I think.
InItForTheShiping
@MixaMax: you gonna say something or now? Jade owned you, mare! He made a feather duster out of your tail! :D (Not that you didn't deserve it, you grump :p)
Also, where's out entertainment? I want there to be enough flames so that I could fry my hay! :P
RRBB
@RRBB: Careful! You might get the thread licked again. :D
Brush
@Jade: I've never met you, but you write some mean prose. ;) I'll disagree with Shiping a bit on the humans. There are some aspects I'm not sure will go as you have described, but those are just my view and quite minor.
Have you throught about extending this into a 6 chapter story? Or alternatively to write a sequel? There's so much more than can be said. The characters are awesome (although Brush and Simile's win out with points to spare).
Guess I'll be saying goodbye to my A+ :/ Between this, Daggers, The Human and I, and MCE itself, I'm not sure if I'll have the time for school.
LightSparkle
@LightSparkle: Graduation comes first! We talked about this!
@Jade: I never doubted you can write like that! The poem was enough to show me your skill. All you need to do now is refine it until it becomes as hard and shiny as a diamond.
DarkSparkle
@DarkSparkle: "Hard and shiny"? Maybe somepony needs a coltfriend? :P
And chill. My studies come first. I'll just reduce my extracurricular activities... like hanging with friends and going to bars, and picking up guys (Seriously, you'll be surprised how easy that is here.)
LightSparkle
@MixaMax: hey, you sleeping or something? :/
LyraHands
@InItForTheShipping: Were you serious about helping me with emotional descriptions? I'd much appreciate that.
Maybe you can mentor me? Or even join me in a collaboration? Just for the sake of learning, of course.
Simile
@Simile: My pleasure :)
Anyone who wants to polish up her writing skills is welcome to ask.
InItForTheShipping
@all: MixaMax just galloped out of the house! I have no idea why or where she went. Only thing I know was that she packed a bag in a hurry and grabbed her last savings. I don't know what happened exactly, but I'm worried. She’s never done this before.
Short&Hoofy
@Short&Hoofy: What? You sure she hasn't just gone to finish some work at town hall. I'm sure it's nothing. Best you can do is call the guards.
LyraHands
@Short&Hoofy: That sounds serious. Want us to do something? Personally, I think it's nothing. She probably forgot some bug ass meeting. You know how she is. If nothing changes in a few hours, let me know.
RRBB
Moving this to PM. If we need site help we're ask at a later date
LyraHands
Did she leave a note? A message? Anything.
Jade
@Jade: nothing so far. I'll check her room and the kitchen, but I doubt it. Something must have freaked her out.
Short&Hoofy
@Luna: did you know anything? Did Max talk to you about vacation, relaxation, or anything?
LyraHands
Nope, is news to me. I'll use what I can to track her down...once a full day has passed. I'm almost sure that there's some idiotic reason that got her hooves in a knot.
Don't worry, all. I'm on it ;)
Luna
And I'm on it as well!
TheRealLuna
I was suspecting this when she didn't answered Jade. Something happened, I can't wait for the next chapter.
This style of writing creates a particular problem with proofreading. Namely that it's impossible to know if a typo is deliberate or not. Since I can't tell, I'm going to note everything I found.
I... have no idea what she said there.
goes
Probably meant to write "thought about". At least that would make more sense.
refine
here
The hints that DarkSparkle is Twilight are overwhelming. And yet, I do have a hard time seeing the Twilight of today sounding so... cold and detached, I guess. The tone just doesn't strike me as fitting. I never think "Yeah, that's her". Close, but not quite.
Perhaps it just a problem with the medium they use to communicate. People say it can be hard to convey sarcasm over a forum, for example.
7997186 Quite a few of us speculate that DarkSparkle is Starlight Glimmer. It would certainly fit with the way she responded to negative reactions by deleting her account and leaving the site.
My theory for the moment is that Twilight swapped places with her human counterpart in order to study the world of Canterlot High. So LightSparkle is pony Twilight in the human world, while DarkSparkle is human Twilight in Equestria.
Just how long will this story be?
7997239
The Starlight Glimmer idea, I could see. As I could the HumanTwi one. As for LightSparkle, I doubt Princess Twilight would even joke about picking up guys. My money is on Sunset Shimmer.
7997239
7997303 I'm still leaning on DarkSparkle as Twilight Sparkle. She sure acts as though she's an authority on actual human behavior, as someone who has met them would. What I'd love to see is LightSparkle submitting popular stories from the human world under the guise of human fanfiction.
Also: No, Lyra, no! You're messing with forces beyond your comprehension. A Featured box may seem like a good idea now, but it will bring more strife to your site than Discord himself could!
7997303 Good point about LightSparkle there.
7997513 Yeah, I definitely prefer if DarkSparkle legitimately does have inside information about real-life humans, and that's why she acts like she knows more than everypony else. Twilight would be the obvious choice there—but Starlight could also work, if we assume that she's heard from Twilight about her trips to the human world.
7997303
7997513
7997574
I was absolutely convinced DarkSparkle was Starlight, but now I'm waffling. The way she and LightSparkle banter sounds much too much as if Dark is Twilight.
Simile and InIt?!!! And Simile is trying to gather all our young artists and musicians and bring them under her influence (Bwah-ha-ha-ha!!!) I am afraid. Very afraid.
Jade and Mixa are headed for an end worthy of a romantic comedy. I hope it's based on Taming of the Shrew and not Romeo and Juliet.
And now licking threads is officially a thing.
7997186 :D Thanks! It's a compromise. This way I have some leeway. Please continue to point out what you find and I'll correct :)
As for the Sparkle twins, they might surprise you... or not :P
7997239
7997303
7998246
7997513
Soon you'll know for sure :) Will send out invites to discord in 5 hours from NOW. :)
7997287 My optimistic goal us to keep going till the start of 2018. That should put it round 380 chapters in total.
7998265
It might be spoilery, but you'll have Max answers in today's usual update ;)
7998306
7998265 If the two theories of Simile being a retired Chrisyalis and InItForTheShipping being Cadence are true, then there are going to be a LOT of fireworks come the second meetup. XD
7998304 In that case a fully-voiced radioplay-esque reading would be very very unlikely. However, if you used text-to-speech like every other online thread adaption....
I'd be happy to have a go myself, maybe we can talk about it more on the DiscordAlso, willing to bet that Mixy's sudden departure is due to her sudden desire to march up to the Crystal Empire and either personally buck Jade to the moon or buck him sideways in bed
7998302 .....Will the invite be like in the comments here, at the end of a chapter, on your Author's page, journal page, or via PM? I'm gearing up to say "I have never clicked on an invite so fast" but I can't see anything to click yet. XD