Let Me Show You a Barn

Hope everyone's ready for another guest post!  Today we have the inimitable The Descendant (T.D. if you prefer), one of the most prolific authors in the fandom, and author of three different stories which have been reviewed here (including one of my personal favorite fanfics, A Cup of Joe).  Go on down below the break to read what he has to say about that great bugaboo of amateur authors everywhere: show vs. tell.

6-Star Reviews Part 118: An Old Guardspony's Last Duty

To read the story, click the image or follow this link

It occurred to me when looking at a world map this morning that my baseline for determining whether a map is new or not is still the presence or absence of the USSR.  The USSR collapsed over 20 years ago.  It has literally been decades since I reevaluated the way I date maps.  I suppose looking for South Sudan would be one way, but not immediately checking how upper Asia's labeled just doesn't feel right.

Below the break, my review of BuffaloBrony's An Old Guardspony's Last Duty.

6-Star Reviews Part 117: Naked Singularity

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When it comes to TV shows, I actually don't really mind "Very Special Episodes" in principal.  Sure, there's plenty of bad ones, but there's nothing about tackling a social issue head-on and in a particularly blatant way which precludes quality writing/humor/etc.  What I don't like is being told one thing and then given another.  One Bad Apple was a heavy-handed piece of anti-bullying propaganda, and I resent being promised something else far more than the heavy-handedness itself would have bothered me.  Maybe that's petty of me, but I was irked.

I did dig the ersatz version of The A-Team's theme, though.

Below the break, my review of Cold in Gardez's Naked Singularity

Ignore Any Reports to the Contrary, This Post Always Had a Title. Also, Happy Thanksgiving! Also Also, Guest Post

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving!  Yes, even those of you who don't live in countries where it's celebrated--may your Thursday have rocked hard.

I, of course, was doing a lot more turkey-eating and football-watching than fanfic-reading, so today we have another guest column!  Returning for his second guest post is Pascoite, author and reviewer of note.  Pop down below the break to see what he has to say about understanding and respecting the characters you write about, as well as a bit about the appeal of writing MLP fanfics specifically.

Reading as a Social Activity

If you're visiting a fanfiction review blog, the odds are you're something of a reader already.  So, here's something I've been turning over in my head for the last few days re. reading.  Below the break, as always.

6-Star Review Part 116: Tilt

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A simple suggestion, if I may: I'd like to propose that, henceforth, any author who wants to write a second-person story be required to read this first.  I'd like to think it would result in far fewer trainwrecks cropping up on FIMfiction, but maybe I have too much faith in the ability of those authors to get the joke, or understand how it might apply to their own writing.

After the break, my review of the definitely-not-a-second-person-adventure, Passport-Clean's Tilt.

Making Mountains Out of Molehills

Yes, we have more guest posts today!  The latest installment of commentary is brought to you by Ezn, fanfic author and an occasional reviewer himself.  Also a hipster, I guess?  I was instructed to type that.  Anyway, click below the break to see what he has to say about originality in fanfiction, and extrapolation from canon.

6-Star Reviews Part 115: Reading Rainbow

To read the story, click the image or follow this link

You know, e-ink screens are amazing.  I've had my e-reader for less than a year, but I honestly can't remember how I used to put up with reading so much off a computer screen before I got it.  So much easier on the eyes.

Below the break, my review of Corejo's Reading Rainbow.

Episode Talk: S3E1-2, The Crystal Kingdom

Well, after another long hiatus, new pony episodes are finally here.  Just like last year, I'm going to dedicate a post to commenting on episodes that I found I had a lot to say about, while skipping over those which, for better or worse, stuck out less to me.  I don't think it will surprise anyone to know that I have opinions about the season three premier, in any case.  Click down below the break for my semi-sorted thoughts.

A Hat, a Blog, a Golbat. Aha!

I hope you're all ready for a bit more guest column-ing before the weekend!  Today we have Chicken Vortex at the helm, author of (among other things) the previously-reviewed-on-this-blog Getting Lucky.  Also, in my humble opinion, one of the better writers out there when it comes to using humor and depreciation to make a point.  Also, just for kicks and giggles--I'm not the one who came up with that post title, after all.  Click below to see him exercise those talents while discussing that oft-asked question: "How do I come up with (good) ideas?"

6-Star Reviews Part 114: Postal Blues and Grey Feathers

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Another story with the sad tag!  I seem to be hitting a bunch of these, lately.  Oh well, it never rains but it pours...

Below, my review of The_EE's Postal Blues and Grey Feathers.

Maybe a Ponyfiction Blog is an Odd Place to Make This Appeal, but Here Goes

If you're a US citizen over 18 years of age, please remember to vote today, if you haven't already.  Click here if you need help with registration, or to find your polling place.  Whatever your political leanings, please take the time to express them at the ballot box--call me naive if you must, but I strongly believe that the foundation of a participatory democracy is, well, participation.  So go participate!

Then sigh in relief, knowing it will be at least a few months before the 2014 midterm coverage kicks into high gear.  But today, do your part and vote!

Creativity from Constraints

Once more to the guest posts, dear friends!  Today's commentary features John Perry, author of too many popular works of ponyfiction to list here, including one (Rest Stop) which I've already reviewed on this blog, and another (Trains, Carriages, and Airships) which is upcoming.  Click below the break to read his thoughts on... well, it says it right there in the title, doesn't it?

6-Star Reviews Part 113: Eternal

To read the story, click the image or follow this link

A sign of just how terrible my sense of humor is: I spent most of an afternoon recently idly trying to figure out how to make a workable joke with the punchline that in bizarro-universe England, all the subway signs would read "Lacuna Matata."

Take your time...

Okay, finished groaning?  Sometimes, there's a fine line between brilliance and stupidity when it comes to punnery.  Clearly, this was not one of those times.

Below the break, my review of Device Heretic's Eternal.