Writing

Welcome all, once again, to the EFNW Fanfic Spotlight! In this week’s three short stories: We get a glimpse into the relationship between two Old Friends, Celestia reminds her student that true friends are Never So Far Away, and Twilight writes about why she writes.

Old Friends

by RBDash47

Words: 2,368 Complete: Yes

Not much can be said about this piece without giving too much away. Suffice to say it is a great little glimpse into one of the more unique friendships in Equestria. Slightly melancholy, very short, and full of little details that make you feel like there’s an entire story hidden between every line. The friendship in question is one I’d never imagined before, but now having read it, I can’t imagine things any other way.

 

Never So Far Away

by PoweredByTea

Words: 3,513 Complete: Yes

This story is one of my favorite examples of “slice of life.” It is short and simple, yet provides just enough character growth and one of those brilliant little life lessons to really make it shine. The tale, told from Twilight’s perspective, does a great job of showing the teacher/student relationship she has with Celestia, and the trepidation she continually has in trying to live up to the impossible standards she imagines the princess expects. Once Twilight catches the princess with her hair down, and the two spend a short while relaxing simply as friends, she of course learns an important lesson.

The lesson, like the story, is simple, but I think even more valuable because of it. What really sells me on this story however, is how naturally things play out. The author does an amazing job portraying Twilight as a pony who knows logically that her fears are unfounded, yet still struggles with them anyway.

 

This is a Story You Will Never Read

by Cynewulf

Words: 3,865 Complete: Yes

This one is a bit of meta-fiction, and is basically Twilight’s stream of thoughts as she sits in a coffee shop, writing. Most of her ponderings are about writing itself: the process, the reasons she does it, and how it relates to life around her. Most notably, she talks about “The Novel,” that one all writers have that is never finished, that they’ve been working on forever, that won’t see the light of day… but that we all keep coming back to anyway.

Mixed in with the thoughts on writing are other little snippets about her life, and those of the ponies around her. These are just little things here and there, but from the deeply intimate point of view, they show as much about Twilight as they do about the ponies she’s discussing.

In the end, this story feels like a relaxing chat with a good friend in a coffee shop, about those silly little oh-so-important things that drive us all.

 

And that will do it for this week. Last week’s edition can be found here. Don’t forget, Everfree is only three weeks away. Hope I’ll see you all there.

Until next week, have fun!

–Xepher

Wow, it’s Thursday again already? Guess that means another issue of our Fanfic Spotlight! *cue applause and/or crickets* This week, three stories, USDA certified theme-free: A show-worthy, “Director’s Cut” expanding upon Discord’s reformation; the Canterlot bureaucracy deals with paperwork, the free press, custard, and other eldritch horrors; and an earth pony goes to great lengths in a quest to gain wings and a horn of his own.

Chaos and Kindness

by pjabrony

Words: 5,193 Complete: Yes

Here’s an excellently cheerful tale to start us off this week. Set right in the middle of “Keep Calm and Flutter On,” this story does a great job of fleshing out Discord’s reformation with additional detail. While there are one or two small bits that feel a tad “headcanon,” the bulk of the story is so much like the show itself that I like to think of it as the “Director’s Cut” of that episode. I also find that in that light, it’s one of my favorite episodes. “Redemption” is, to me, the key element in what makes MLP so powerful. Fluttershy’s treatment of Discord was one of the most powerful pieces of canon to hit on that note, and this story makes it even better. In other words, it really shows why friendship is magic.

 

Whom the Princesses Would Destroy…

by GhostOfHeraclitus

Words: 19,758 Complete: Yes

This story has many of my favorite things: Big words, interesting characters, Pratchettian-style footnotes, weaponized custard, and one of the best-worst puns I’ve ever encountered. (You’ll know it when you see it.) It is probably one of my favorite pony fictions out there, mostly because it’s just such a fun read. The writing itself is superb, with amazingly inventive word play, and grammatical constructs sometimes almost as absurd as the happenings they describe. Yet it’s full of ridiculously goofy fun too. Then, buried beneath all that, there’s a great heart to it as well. The characters come alive, and you genuinely sympathize with their drives and plights by the end.

One note: When reading, I suggest you open a separate tab for the footnotes, and read them as you encounter their references in the story. They’re much funnier in context than as a blob at the end.

 

The Monster Below

by Greenback

Words: 185,843 Complete: Yes

I almost went with another bright and cheerful story here, but then we’d have had a theme, and I promised no theme this week. Besides, I’ve been meaning to feature this one for a while. So, first off, just look at that cover art. That’s what sold me on this story in the first place. If you’re intrigued by that, then you won’t be disappointed, as it really does do what it says on the tin. This is the story of an earth pony that isn’t content to just be an earth pony, and goes to great lengths to become something more.

The bulk of the story reads a lot like a great comic book. The fact that it is almost entirely cast with OCs also lends itself to that interpretation as well. Here we are seeing new characters, who aren’t in Ponyville, don’t know the mane six, and only see a Princess in newspapers. It also has all the trappings of a graphic novel: mega corporations, mad science, ancient artifacts, midnight urban break-ins, secret identities, etc. In fact, I like to think this story could be an artifact from within Equestria itself… that is, I imagine this story exists inside the world of MLP, sitting between The Power Ponies and the latest Daring Do on the shelves at bookstores, with eager foals lining up to get their hooves on the next issue each month.

Also note, while it is tagged “Dark” and “Tragedy,” this is a very long novel. In the course of things, it hits pretty much every emotional note along the way, and like any good, long, adventure story, there are bright cheery moments, humor, action, and everything in between, as well as the promised darker elements. In other words, it is by no means just a sad-fic or tale of woe.

 

Unfortunately, as there were no suggestions for a community choice entry, that’s it for this week. Last week’s edition can be found here. If you have any suggestions for next week, let me know below!

Also, don’t forget that Everfree Northwest is less than a month away. Preregistration will be closing June 13th, so if you’re planning to attend, this is your last week to get discounted admission. More details here, or just go register. I hope to see all of you there!

Until next time, beware the custard!

–Xepher

Welcome back for the eighth edition of the Fanfic Spotlight!

As I sat down to review and select stories for this week’s issue, I couldn’t help but feel cheerful. We’ve had several weeks of warm, sunny weather here on the edge of the Cascades in Central Oregon, and a wonderful cool front came in today with a lovely breeze and some nice afternoon showers. On a personal front, I’ve dug through most everything on my to-do list, I have several exciting things coming up soon, I’ve been having a great time with friends lately, and I was sipping a glass of some truly excellent cider. But my brain gets bored easily, and demands contrast, so it’s insisted on a quartet of sad stories, because a bright, crisp spring day wouldn’t be complete without a sucker punch to the limbic system!

So yes, we’re doing another theme-week, this time of four sad-yet-hopeful stories: Spike learns that history doesn’t always remember the little things; an elderly Pinkie is Tired, but still smiling; Twilight optimizes the apocalypse in a series of perfect Moments; and Celestia keeps a sobering list of Statistics.

 

I Need You To Be Brave

by MidnightDancer

Words: 3,066 Complete: Yes

This story is one of reflection, and of loss, as a much older-but-still-young Spike looks back on the friends he’s known. This story is fairly simple, but I think it does an amazing job capturing Spike’s frustration, realizing that history will remember Twilight and his other friends merely as figures in their history books, not their little quirks and who they really were. Despite the melancholy mood for most of the story, there’s a warmly upbeat finale to it as well. Take twenty minutes, and go get your first dose of feels here.

 

Tired

by Ebon Mane

Words: 7,033 Complete: Yes

Another one-two-punch to the feels with this one, as an elderly Pinkie Pie catches up with old friends. The writing here is excellent, if a bit unusual for first person Pinkie. Personally, I like it, as fifty-plus years should change everypony, Pinkie included. The idea that she’s calmer and more formal at times in her speech is a great touch in my opinion. The author also does an excellent job in providing completely believable, aged, and mature versions of the other characters as well. All are still quintessentially themselves, yet time has taken its inevitable toll, for better and for worse. Like all the stories this week, it is sad, but hopeful as well.

 

Moments

by Bad Horse

Words: 8,326 Complete: Yes

“Practice makes perfect. And Princess Twilight wants everything to be perfect. Especially the end of the world.” That’s the story’s own description, and I couldn’t give a better summary without spoilers. What I really love about this story is how it so perfectly captures the essential nature of Twilight Sparkle, and what makes her a hero. Many other stories show her overcoming her overly-analytical tendencies in order to save the day, yet “Moments” does just the opposite, highlighting those very same “flaws” and treating them as the strengths they truly are, and leaving Twlight to handle the apocalypse as only she ever could. And it is a beautiful thing to behold.

One should note this is essentially three different stories in one. The first chapter is/was a stand alone story. Reading the rest of the chapters changes that into something new. Then the final “Afterword” changes it one more time. I’d suggest you take a moment to pause and reflect at each of those points before reading on, in order to fully appreciate each independently.

 

Statistics

by xTSGx

Words: 1,042 Complete: Yes

Rounding out our week of Summer Feels, our Community Choice comes from Super Trampoline and managed a weirdly interesting feat that probably set my brain down the path to this week’s theme in the first place. What feat you may ask? Well, as I sat here on this beautiful day, feeling totally cheerful, this story managed to make me shed a tear over what is basically just a bunch of numbers. Normally statistics hide the emotional impact of major events like war, disaster, or even unemployment. They’re the mask hiding the true face of those affected. This story however, manages to use them to the opposite effect, and by merely providing a long list of statistics, engenders a major emotional impact.

 

That’s it for this week. Last week’s edition can be found here. As always, keep posting stories for the community spotlight below, as well as any other thoughts you have. I promise I’ll find some more cheerful content for next week as well!

Until then, go have some fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun!

–Xepher

Welcome one and all, to a special seventh episode of the Fanfiction Spotlight. As I was putting my notes together for this week’s stories, I discovered that my brain apparently decided to do a theme-week without running it by me first. That’s rather rude, but oh well. My brain is always mistreating me, yet if I’m honest… it usually knows better than I do anyway.

So, on this “very special episode” we’ll be showcasing four stories about “impossible” loves: An epic tale kicks off when a guardspony shows mercy to an injured changeling; an elderly Pipsqueak looks back on his amazing life and love; Daring Do finds a fan in the most unexpected of places; and Caramel struggles with new feelings for a lifelong friend.

 

An Affliction of the Heart

by Anonymous Pegasus

Words: 35,358 Complete: Yes

Since I’m apparently doing a theme this week, I figured a super-popular novella would be a good place to start. This story follows Warden, a guardspony, and an injured changeling he’s captured, but can’t bring himself to kill. What follows from there is a great ride, filled with humor, action, and of course, plenty of romance. I’m especially fond of the witty banter between the two main characters.

This story is the first in a series, the fourth of which is still actively being written. Thankfully this first one is relatively short, and a good, complete story, in and of itself. If you enjoy it, you have a lot more to look forward to. If not, it’s not a major commitment either. I certainly think it’ll be worth your time though.

 

The Other Side

by Rust

Words: 5,387 Complete: Yes

Pipsqueak is old. Really old. But he had a good life. A really good life.

I first read this story shortly after it was published back in December, and at the time, I wrote:

That was not only an amazingly heartfelt and touching story, but just a brilliantly written and elegant piece of prose as well. The language flowed smoothly, the pacing was perfectly balanced, and the descriptions were astonishingly vivid and beautiful. Then on top of that you hit every [bucking] feel my limbic system is capable of! 

I just read it again now, and my opinion has not changed one single bit.

Daring Do and the Dance

by Georg

Words: 2,169 Complete: Yes

This one was suggested by Horizon (who I should try to pry suggestions out of more often.) It is a surprisingly fun little piece about Daring Do, told from the perspective of the evil minion who fell in love with her as they fought. It has a great balance of humor and sentimentality, with just enough visceral elements to make it all work. It very quickly made me smile, and I kept smiling all the way to the end. Be sure to listen to the “background music” suggestion linked in the story’s description before/as you read it.

 

His Thorn on the Rose

by Regidar

Words: 4,778 Complete: Yes

Our community choice this week was suggested by Flint Sparks. It is, in many ways, the same basic plot as the Daring Do tale above: Guy falls in love with girl he knows he shouldn’t. All this week’s stories already share a theme, but these two in particular really make a great study in how the same theme, even told from the same perspective, can result in two stories with almost completely opposite emotional results for the reader. That said, this story certainly stands on its own too, and is a great read without making it a study in opposites. On that note, it has a very short prequel that is certainly worth your time as well, though not necessary for understanding here.

 

Well, that concludes this “very special episode.” If you missed it, last week’s edition can be found here. Also, please keep suggesting stories for the community spotlight below, and let me know what you thought of these, or any other stories we’ve featured! Hopefully my brain won’t pull another theme-week next time, but who knows?

Until then, have fun!

–Xepher

Howdy, and welcome to the sixth issue of our Fanfic Spotlight. I’m Xepher, and in a break with tradition, this week I’m featuring some rather horse-famous stories and authors, instead of the obscure works targeted in the past. This week: A metaphysical meditation as Pinkie Watches Paint Dry, Twilight overreacts when she discovers that Princess Celestia Hates Tea, and an epic tale begins when Twilight looks into the methods of Petriculture.

 

Pinkie Watches Paint Dry

by AbsoluteAnonymous

Words: 2,500 Complete: Yes

This one comes highly recommended by at least two of my fellow staffers, Pony Tim and Piquo Pie… and about 3200 other fimfic readers, judging by the rating. It is a very short piece, but an interesting meditation on the identify problem, and what exactly makes a thing that thing and not some other thing. Of course, it’s all wrapped up in the head of Pinkie Pie, so while knowing about the Ship of Theseus, and other metaphysical philosophy may give a deeper take on it, it’s certainly not needed.

 

Princess Celestia Hates Tea

by Skywriter

Words: 8,536 Complete: Yes

Another suggestion from Piquo Pie, but one of my personal favorites, as well as a favorite of several thousand others too. Here, Twilight discovers that Celestia doesn’t actually like tea. As that’s impossible though, she assumes there must be something wrong, and in typical Twilight fashion, the situation rapidly gets out of hoof. While plenty of stories do the, “escalate to absurdity” thing, what makes this one great is the way in which the author uses it to provided a very poignant look at Celestia’s devotion to her subjects and duties. Well, that, and it’s genuinely hilarious and well written, as are most stories from Skywriter.

On that note, you should also make sure to check out some of his other works. Derplicity is another short/funny favorite of mine, and Pony Tim also suggested Sun Princess. Heck, just read anything of his, it’s all fantastic.

 

Petriculture

by Kwakerjak

Words: 6,716 Complete: Yes

Another one from Pony Tim, but likewise, one I enjoyed thoroughly as well. When Twilight decides to look into “rock farming” as one of the many Pinkie-related mysteries she’s encountered, nothing seems to be available on the subject. As she digs further into the subject of how Pinkie could possibly grow rocks, she discovers something even more surprising about her friend’s past.

This story itself is a bit of a slow burn, with the really interesting stuff coming near the end. However, it is merely the opening to an entire cycle of stories, with four sequels and several spin-offs that eventually form a rather epic adventure that scales up until the very end, with plenty of fun and some really interesting characters along the way.

That’s it for this week. Last week’s edition can be found here. I do apologize for the lack of a community recommendation, but the one suggestion was longer than I had time to read this week. Please continue to post your suggestions below, and I’ll see you all again next week. Until then, have fun!

–Xepher