Some of you are going to want to see today's comic from Wonderella:

And to the rest of you, I apologize.

Long rambling interview here. Thanks to RBDash47 for all the work he's put into the Vault over the past year and a half.

Sometimes I take a chance and choose one story off the front page from an author I haven't heard of before. Sometimes it pays off, like with Decisions by brand-new fimfiction member hester1. It's tagged sad, but it isn't the kind of story that leaves you saying "Oh, the feels!" It's mostly low-key, told from the point of view of a waiter watching the story's real protagonists. It's partly about how we have to make difficult decisions,

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If you're thinking of doing some cosplay at Bronycon, do not google "pony costume" at work.

Also, BDSM is expensive. Something like this:

will run you about $3000.

Structurally, writing is like computer programming. A story has the same hierarchical structure, the same complex interdependencies, as a program. Both require a big toolkit of patterns and structures, an intuitive sense of which ones are right for which project, the ability to estimate how big the different parts should be, and an awareness of common errors and pitfalls. And the more you write, the more you can just dive in and start hacking in ways that would lead a beginner into

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The tree that owns itself:

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To write stories, I have to understand human nature, observe closely, and pick up subtle details in the things people say and the way they interact. I could take any of my characters and tell you what they wanted, what their strengths and weaknesses were, how they felt.

But if I'm so good at that, why is my father such a mystery to me?

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... except I am a slowpoke and it's already featured: Pony Verse. A book of pony poetry in a variety of styles, organized by darf, with 39 chapters by 9 authors, including someponies named Horizon and Aquillo. A poetry recommendation from me might be seen as an insult. But if you want pony poetry, this is where to go for it.

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Before I spoil the mood by getting snarky, I’d like to give a big thanks to Wanderer D, who moved my first story on fimfiction, “Friends, With Occasional Magic”, to my Bad Horse account. And thanks to Boss Pony, my 600th watcher. He’s not even one of my sock puppets!

Have you ever wondered how I produce these beautifully-formatted blog posts?

No?

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I just found Stephen Diamond's blog Disputed Issues, which is about writing legal briefs. His insights apply to any writing. In "A rare shortcut to better writing", he claims there is one simple thing you can do to improve your writing.

Learn to type faster.

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