>>106994A Very Happy And Sunny Life: The perspective of the story is quite unusual, consisting entirely of diary entries, and it interestingly portrays a maladjusted pony who can be considered the ultimate NEET, the zenith of autism. The erratic and disharmonious style of writing accurately represents the protagonist's inner turmoil and delusions. The author clearly has a decent knowledge of psychology and uses this to full effect. He manages to make the audience feel scorn and pity, hope and disappointment, glee and sadness, all for the same character, often at the same time. One may feel disgust at Ipsa's irrational hatred but likewise identifies with his all-too-human view of a nearly perfect world and expresses pity toward his tragic past. Also, V is feels-bait and I wanted her to stay with Ipsa forever.
I was peeved, however, at the sudden ending, as if the author ran out of steam and decided to call it quits. He tried to end on a hopeful note but it was
merely the same point Ipsa was at multiple times in the story. A story is supposed to have real progress and resolution, not be a sine curve. Hopefully that sequel comes to fruition.
Her Own Pony: This story is definitely much less professional than the rest and relies too heavily on unrelated references. Its high point was toward the beginning with the heavy descriptions of emotion and panic which endeared the protagonist. As it stretched on, it became a bit predictable, though it threw a couple of curveballs. I particularly disliked how it completely sidestepped
the moral issue of Twilight vaporizing those clones, which was played up to be practical genocide, and then handwaves the protagonist's survival to being "special." Also, the protagonist actually lost personality over the course of the plot, ending up
more timid than Fluttershy and an apparent avatar of the author's insecurities.Biblical Monsters: This is patrician-tier fanfiction. This must-read is precisely as long as it needs to be, though the short length gives away that this isn't a typical "pony explores Earth" story. The plot would still be good with completely original and non-pony characters, yet the inclusion of MLP adds an emotional and intellectual attachment to the story. It's the type of story that hearkens back to Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone", and if Horse Voice can write every story as well as this one, he has a promising future in short stories/science fiction novellas.
The mystery of intent and details lures the reader further in. Interestingly, the protagonist's logic and thought processes operate quite similar to my own and I would likely choose the same course of action
forgive me. This, of course, made that ironic twist at the end all the more
painful.
Poor Twilight, she only wanted to make friends.Terms of Employment: This one didn't jive as much for me, though I appreciate the originality. An intentionally over-the-top secret-agent fic
a la "Austin Powers" is unique and did get a few laughs, but because of its lack of realism I could not suspend disbelief enough to get drawn in. Also, it's not consistent: it's replete with profanity but at some points is satisfied with merely stating "choice expletives" as if it was trying to censor that. Finally, it ends suddenly just as it is getting good with no resolution.
The Diary of an Evil Pony: I liked this one. It is a more mature and concise version of "A Very Happy and Sunny Life," albeit lacking the absolute consistency of being told from the diary's point of view. Fancy Pants' character and history are far better portrayed than in "Her Own Pony" and the protagonist's inner conflict, though completely explicit, is interesting. The ending also has some emotional shock and one can understand the irrational impulses of the protagonist.
Starswirl and the Purple Terror: This fanfic was great for breaking up the serious mood of the other stories. It's hilarious and never takes itself too seriously, being a light-hearted romp through time. The ending gets more and more chaotic but the sexual/romantic tension is endearing without being over-the-top; this is coming from one who would normally balk at shipping Starswirl and
Twilight. Unfortunately, the sequel has been undone since 2014.
Past Sins: When I read the first chapter I thought this was going to be about some edgy OC who turns around due to friendship. Thankfully, I was wrong and I was unprepared for the feels trip. I am about halfway through and it's quite an emotional rollercoaster. A good author can build up tension for
the play and have it unexpectedly and spectacularly go wrong; a great author can make it go
absolutely right and still surprise and regale the reader.
Nyx is a feels-magnet, though this may be because I am a sucker for maternal-Twilight stories. It's quite similar to Anonfilly greentexts in some respects: they are both fillies who are of
magical origins, they accustom themselves to Ponyville life, and Twilight has a strict but caring relationship with them. However, unlike Anonfilly Nyx is a genuine youngster who sees the world through innocent eyes, and therefore the audience feels much stronger emotional ties. This may be overexploited in fanfiction but it works.
>>107170>Expecting Twain- or Dickens-quality writing in a fanfiction about a cartoon for little girls>Fanfiction is not a way of improving writing skills in a low-pressure environmentThank you, oh great critic of fanfiction, for showing us the error of our ways. We should not find any emotional fulfillment in fanfiction that doesn't meet your impeccable standard, just as we shouldn't eat anything that's not a Michelin-star meal. Indeed, were you to write you could produce far superior stories, the best fanfiction of the fandom.