Nice Things

Accolades

Winner, Secret Moon's Self-Isolation Contest 2020 (for Away)

Honorable Mention, CategoricalGrant's CuddleFic Contest 2018/19 (for Dragon Lord Ember Skips Work for an Hour)

Interviews

- Royal Canterlot Library interview
- Interview by Nailah

Equestria Daily features

- Dragon Lord Ember Skips Work...
- You Betcha!
- Red/Yellow
- Away

All About The Cloptimist

Welcome! Pull up a chair and read awhile. Well, if you like slow, talkative slice of life character pieces where not a lot actually happens, anyway. But if that's you, then oh wow are you in for a wild ride!*

*_{(NB Legal notice: Wild ride not guaranteed.)}

So... the basics. British. (Wales). Lawyer. Music nerd. Favourite pony: Applejack. I'm a latecomer, both to the fandom and to writing here, but people seem to like my stuff, and I have fun writing it, so here we are. I've been in the featured box, Equestria Daily, and the Royal Canterlot Library, and even won a contest, without ever really understanding how any of that happened. You might know me as DazzleShips in other places. I like feedback, good or bad, and I pay far too much attention to upvotes and downvotes. I'm bad at coming up with titles.

But mostly, I just hope you enjoy my stories. So, um, enjoy my stories!

TC
x

Blog Posts
39

36 weeks
Awaken

It's been a while, but - while I'm not likely to write anything new, sorry! - I'm at a place now where I feel comfortable logging back in and reading (and sometimes commenting!) again. I know this didn't really merit an announcement, but I've seen a few DMs and comments since the last time I was here, and I just wanted to reassure people that if you want to message me or leave comments, they will be read, and not just disappear into the void!
7 comments · 99 views
58 weeks
Inactive

I won't be deleting the account, because it's been pointed out to me before that some people somehow found something they liked in my stories and it's not really fair of me to take it away, but I'm done with Fimfiction. Thanks for having me. Bye.
16 comments · 649 views
76 weeks
In which I apologise for being a year behind schedule and note a remarkable coincidence

So, the five of you who are still following me will note it's been a while since I published a story, and even longer since I teased my big upcoming project - nearly a year since that blog, in fact! I'm so sorry.
Read More
5 comments · 164 views
86 weeks
Unhelpful notes

Falling asleep last night, right on the cusp of sleeping, I suddenly had what I thought was a brilliant idea for a story. Grabbing a pen I sat up and wrote it down, so I wouldn't forget it in the morning.
My scribbled notes say "A place in every heart" and then underneath it just says "good idea for a story! CADANCE IS IMPORTANT have to use third person not first though, Important!"
And nothing else.
Read More
1 comments · 127 views
91 weeks
Still here, still writing, stay tuned

On the one hand, I'd hoped to have finished a couple more stories by now. On the other hand, I'm still working on those stories, rather than this latest absence being another thing where I can't ever seen myself writing again, so... yeah! Stay tuned, stories 18 to 20 (Celestia/Luna crossover spectacular, and a Meadowbrook romance that's missed the deadlines for the contests it was meant for) are on their way!
2 comments · 129 views

Somewhat Successful Stories

Dragon Lord Ember Skips Work for an Hour The mighty Dragon Lord Ember slips away for an hour, to meet up with her secret mate. by The Cloptimist 3,060 words · 208 · 9
Red/Yellow Whatever happened to the "other" Sunset Shimmer? Our Sunset finds out. by The Cloptimist 2,628 words · 174 · 6
Familiar Spike finds Twilight awake in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, worrying about her upcoming elevation to ruler of Equestria. As usual, he knows what to say to put her mind at ease. by The Cloptimist 2,127 words · 70 · 3
You Betcha! Torque Wrench does a favor for Kerfuffle in her hour of need. Not that it means they're friends or anything. Just a little engineering project, don'tcha know. by The Cloptimist 1,876 words · 83 · 2
Away A unicorn with an unwanted special magical talent isolates herself on a remote hillside, away from other ponies, for their sake and hers. by The Cloptimist 8,223 words · 109 · 4

Sometimes I'll write a story, and it ends up getting lots of nice reviews, or being featured on Equestria Daily, or hitting the featured box (or even, one time, being chosen for the Royal Canterlot Library). Here are some of those stories.

Somewhat Less Successful Stories

Âme Câline Starlight cuddles Trixie as the sun comes up. That's it. That's the whole story. (Well, mostly.) by The Cloptimist 6,128 words · 63 · 6
Diplodocus A dinosaur dig at Sweet Apple Acres threatens to send Rainbow Dash and Applejack's relationship into a tailspin. by The Cloptimist 23,781 words · 22 · 9
Seven of Cups, or, How Derpy Got her Groove Back Derpy drowns her sorrows after getting some bad career news... but when one door closes, another opens. by The Cloptimist 4,184 words · 48 · 1
Errors Three unlikely heroines are accidentally sent halfway across the world. How will they get home? by The Cloptimist 19,996 words · 32 · 1

Sometimes I'll write a story, and it *doesn't* end up getting lots of nice reviews, or reach the featured box, or receive very much attention at all, really, but I'll be super proud of it all the same. Here are some of those stories.

ETarget Praxis
MLP: FiM
Comedy
Slice of Life
Cadance thinks it's important a Crystal Princess lives up to her heritage. Shining Armor isn't so sure.
Cadance
Shining Armor
Flurry Heart
Royal Guard
The Cloptimist · 1.3k words · 61 3 · 960 views
TÂme Câline
MLP: FiM
Romance
Slice of Life
Starlight cuddles Trixie as the sun comes up. That's it. That's the whole story. (Well, mostly.)
Trixie
Starlight Glimmer
The Cloptimist · 6.1k words · 63 6 · 966 views
ESeven of Cups, or, How Derpy Got her Groove Back
MLP: FiM
Slice of Life
Derpy drowns her sorrows after getting some bad career news... but when one door closes, another opens.
Derpy
The Cloptimist · 4.2k words · 48 1 · 703 views
TAway
MLP: FiM
Dark
Slice of Life
A unicorn with an unwanted special magical talent isolates herself on a remote hillside, away from other ponies, for their sake and hers.
Death
Celestia
Luna
OC
The Cloptimist · 8.2k words · 109 4 · 1.5k views
TDiplodocus
MLP: FiM
Romance
Slice of Life
A dinosaur dig at Sweet Apple Acres threatens to send Rainbow Dash and Applejack's relationship into a tailspin.
Rainbow Dash
Applejack
Rarity
Petunia
The Cloptimist · 24k words · 22 9 · 538 views
ENot Fade Away
Equestria Girls
Sad
Slice of Life
The Rainbooms discover they won't be playing an encore.
Sunset Shimmer
Applejack (EqG)
Rainbow Dash (EqG)
Sci-Twi
Fluttershy (EqG)
The Cloptimist · 1.3k words · 39 5 · 1.8k views
EYou Betcha!
MLP: FiM
Slice of Life
Torque Wrench does a favor for Kerfuffle in her hour of need. Not that it means they're friends or anything. Just a little engineering project, don'tcha know.
Torque Wrench
Kerfuffle
The Cloptimist · 1.9k words · 83 2 · 1.4k views
EFamiliar
MLP: FiM
Slice of Life
Spike finds Twilight awake in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, worrying about her upcoming elevation to ruler of Equestria. As usual, he knows what to say to put her mind at ease.
Twilight
Spike
The Cloptimist · 2.1k words · 70 3 · 1.7k views
EErrors
MLP: FiM
Adventure
Comedy
Three unlikely heroines are accidentally sent halfway across the world. How will they get home?
Trixie
Diamond Tiara
Derpy
Starlight Glimmer
Filthy Rich
The Cloptimist · 20k words · 32 1 · 659 views
ERed/Yellow
Equestria Girls
Sad
Slice of Life
Tragedy
Whatever happened to the "other" Sunset Shimmer? Our Sunset finds out.
Sunset Shimmer
The Cloptimist · 2.6k words · 174 6 · 3.9k views
TDragon Lord Ember Skips Work for an Hour
MLP: FiM
Romance
Slice of Life
The mighty Dragon Lord Ember slips away for an hour, to meet up with her secret mate.
Ember
Thorax
Dragons
Garble
The Cloptimist · 3.1k words · 208 9 · 4k views

Comments ( 135 )

Viewing 116 - 135 of 135

KingSombraTheTyrantRuler

KingSombraTheTyrantRuler #135 · Feb 27th, 2022 · · ·

Vote now! (And comment on the blog for your vote to be counted)

Uz Naimat

Uz Naimat #134 · Feb 1st, 2022 · 1 · ·

Thank you so much for the follow!

The Cloptimist

The Cloptimist #133 · Dec 9th, 2021 · 1 · ·

3104686
I'll give it a listen when I get the chance, but at least that review doesn't make it sound boring, so that's already a plus in my book!

Bad Dragon

Bad Dragon #132 · Dec 3rd, 2021 · 1 · ·

3104680 I got a review for my song:

it sounds like you shitted on a cat and then try and eat the cat

I'm looking for a second opinion.

The Cloptimist

The Cloptimist #131 · Dec 3rd, 2021 · 1 · ·

3104678
I don't believe such an objective determination is really possible, personally. I can only give my responses, which aren't any more or less valid than anyone else's, and try and make them interesting to read.

Bad Dragon

Bad Dragon #130 · Dec 3rd, 2021 · · ·

3104677 So you're the one who determines whether a song is good or bad?

The Cloptimist

The Cloptimist #129 · Dec 3rd, 2021 · 1 · ·

3104671
Well, my day job is law, but my freelance and personal music writing (and radio work) is a long-standing sideline. I'm also one of these people.

Bad Dragon

Bad Dragon #128 · Dec 3rd, 2021 · · ·

What does a music journalist do?

KingSombraTheTyrantRuler

KingSombraTheTyrantRuler #127 · Nov 29th, 2021 · 1 · ·

TYSM for the follow!

shortskirtsandexplosions

shortskirtsandexplosions #126 · Aug 19th, 2021 · 2 · ·

derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/6/13/2064687.jpg

The Cloptimist

The Cloptimist #125 · Jun 7th, 2021 · 2 · ·

3048503
Edwyn? He's great, he has a lot of really beautiful and catchy songs, including a couple of big hits (not that one though!) Sadly he had a massive stroke a few years ago and nearly died; he can't play the guitar any more, though he taught himself to walk and talk again and has recorded more albums since. Seems like an absolutely lovely bloke.

A Man Undercover