Average Statistic leads an exceedingly normal life. Every day, he wakes up, goes to work, works, goes back home, and falls asleep, with the expectation that everything will be the same when he wakes up the next morning.
At this point in most stories, something horrible would happen, something only the main character, in this case Average Statistic, could solve, prompting an adventurous quest to save the world.
But not this story. In this story, nothing exciting happens, no problems need solving, and there is no world-ending conflict.
Just the average day of an average pony in the nation of Equestria.
Chapters (1)
So... tragically mundane.
One of the better stories I've ever read on this site.
The Kid couldn't help feeling depressed for the fella. This is his dreary life, just the same thing every day. No adventures, no love, no anything.
Gotta say, I have to agree with the Kid here.
2722117
Wow, thank you.
And yeah, looking back on it, those last four paragraphs really brought the mood down a lot...
And if (IF!) I made a sequel it would probably be called something like Average Statistic 2: Live Free or Die Average, because everything sounds better if you follow how Die Hard names their movies.
2733075
It's a different kind of story, you know? How boring and mundane can you make a story before it becomes interesting to read?
And it's ironic, because I'm still in high school, (I'll be a senior next year) so it doesn't even describe my life.
I spent some time trying to figure out what I was missing here, when I realized that I wasn't missing anything. This story is exactly what it says it is, a simple description of a simple guy's day. It's odd how tragic normalcy can seem.
I wrote a review of this story as part of my application to The Royal Guard. I'm going to share it with you, because this story deserves attention.
A Day In The Life of Average Statistic is the truest and purest form of the Slice of Life genre. It is, really, what Slice of Life is all about: showing life, in all its glory… or in this case, the lack thereof. I believe that anybody that asks about how to write a slice-of-life story should be directed to A Day In The Life of Average Statistic. While many slice-of-life stories delight in the fantastic nature of life in Equestria, A Day In The Life of Average Statistic is not about that. In a way, it is deeply engrossing: a story about an average pony leading a life of normalcy, with all the small inconveniences and skullduggery that everybody has experienced in their life at some point. It is an almost-tragic love letter to mediocrity. Nothing of true import happens. There is seemingly no deeper meaning. It is a careful, focused exploration of the character of Average Statistic, the protagonist of the story, and his life. It’s nearly voyeuristic in a way, being such an intimate exploration of a single pony’s life. Perhaps that is part of the appeal of the story. While not a sad story, there are things that the omniscient narrator knows about Average Statistic’s average life that are revealed only to the reader, and in a way they are deeply tragic. However, because Average Statistic is unaware of these things, he stays relatively content and happy. Average Statistic is not bothered by the normalcy around him. To the contrary, he almost revels in it. He is good at his job, lives as well as he likes to, and does enough to be happy with what he has. In a way, Average Statistic serves as an object lesson, a subtle message: adventure is out there. Mediocrity can be bliss, but the potential for so much more exists around us, if only we are to reach out and grasp it.
Or perhaps it is none of that, and it is simply about an average day in an average pony’s average life.
The story’s language is precise and crafted to fit the tone of mediocrity and normalcy that suffuses the narrative. It is never boring, but it does only exactly enough to move the story along and no more. The descriptions of Average Statistic’s world almost verge on the edge of becoming Beige Prose, but this is such a fitting expression of that “mistake” that it is forgivable for the sake of the story. It is “artfully beige”, I suppose. The complete lack of dialogue serves the same purpose. Though we are privy to Average Statistic’s innermost thoughts, there is no room for any dialogue. Dialogue, after all, would almost verge on becoming interesting, and would destroy the whole tone and feel of the piece.
This short story will take almost no time to read, and I urge you to take a half-hour to do so. While I think it will not universally appeal to everybody, it is so unique in how it is crafted that any aspiring writer should take the time to explore the piece and experience a masterfully crafted example of slice-of-life.
3852993
Wow. Thank you. I don't even really know what to say here. I'm flattered that you thought so highly of this, I guess.
Propsy directed me here. I would have never expected that reading the life about an average guy wouldn't make me want to fall asleep. That says a lot compared to all those history textbooks, where they're supposed to be telling me the life of someone who did have something happen to them.
Tastes like Chekhov.
You know what this is?
Well-written. Very well-written indeed. You have my approval.
Accepted into Nonpareil Fiction. Well done. It's a good story.
That was depressing.
I love stories like this.
Is the irony in that chapter title intended? Either way, it certainly adds to the vibe this story gives off.
5332022
I'm not sure what you mean. What irony?
So, I guess the answer to your question would be no, considering I don't know what you're talking about...
5332090 Think about the chapter name carefully: "An Incredibly Normal Day."
5332141
Oh! Right... I guess that would mean ' An Extraordinary Day,' wouldn't it? If that's what you meant, that is. That never crossed my mind, though I do like that very much. I had just intended it to be 'A Very Normal Day.'
5332184 Well, keep it the way it is! The irony is actually really good with the story.
5332264
I intend to.
I'm really depressed that he never gets together with the girl. It makes you think, though. You have to go for what you want and not tell yourself that you can't do it. He kept telling himself that she wouldn't like him so they both end up sad. If he had given himself more credit and asked her out, they could've been happy. Like that Shia LaBeouf video that's all over the internet says, "Just do it!" Believe in yourself. That's a good message to take away.
And then, one day after a giant monster attacks the city, he finds himself asking the mare out. Or vice versa.
W-why is this so depressing? It should, by all means, be a drag and incredibly boring. But it’s very interesting, and also depressing.
This. Is. Beautiful!
Seriously, this is so amazing. You took a very average pony and his very average story, and turned it into a character piece that delved into missed opportunities. As I was reading, I spotted the many ways Average could have made a difference and made himself stand out. But he didn’t, and he never will.
Why not move his alarm if his hoof keeps hitting the table every morning? Why not fix the cracks in his ceilings? Why not fix his water pipes? Why not buy himself that dishwasher and hair dryer? Why not have a more interesting breakfast? Why not ask the mare out? Why not give the homeless pony some change? Why not take some time to enjoy some baked goods? Why not go out for lunch with his
friendscolleagues?Small things, but Average will never change his routine. And thus, he’ll remain plain, boring and utterly forgettable. His life is so mundane it’s sad. It’s tragic. All this to say, I love this story.
Gorgeous character piece. Have an upvote.
Oh, and congratulations on the Seattle’s Angel’s feature, Round 184!
Hiya there, _NAME_!
It is my pleasure to announce that I consider your story, A Day in the Life of Average Statistic, be to among the Absolute Best of Heartstrings! Enclosed in the link is a review of the fic.
Stellar work, and keep creating!