Equestria Daily, Fanfiction, and You: A Survey: A Response

I assume most people who visit this blog also visit Equestria Daily on a regular or semi-regular basis.  That being the case, I'm guessing you've all already seen this post, with its survey about the future of fanfiction on EqD.  If you haven't already taken it, you should definitely find a little free time to go do that; I've already done so, but I thought I'd take a little time to lay out my opinions on a few of the broader questions, as summarized by me, in a more public place.  Below the break, as always.

By Order of the Inquisition: Show vs. Tell vs… Respect?

And now, the long-awaited conclusion to that post from two days ago.  Click below for show vs. tell II: the re-redefining-ing.

By Order of the Inquisition: Show vs. Tell vs. Engagement

Hrm... Background Pony is long.  Very long.  And unlike with Fallout: Equestria, I don't have a two-week vacation over which I can devote hours upon hours to reading.  

Luckily, Inquisitor M has stepped up to the plate!  You may have seen him contribute guest columns before, and now he's got his own take on one of the most misunderstood, most discussed, and most debated subjects in ponyfiction: show vs. tell.  Click down below the break for his perspective.

Oh, and a word of advice: even if you're sick to death of talking about show vs. tell, you should give this a gander; I think Mr. M's come up with a unique take on the subject, no small feat given how frequently it's talked about.

And Now, a Fanfic Reader PSA

I was helping a couple of married friends set the table the other day, and the husband of the pair was setting out the utensils incorrectly.  I told him what side the forks, spoons, and knives were supposed to go on, and he shrugged and said he'd probably have forgotten by next time.

I replied, "There's an easy trick to it.  You seek, 'fork' has four letters, just like 'left,' so it goes on the left.  'Knife' and 'spoon' both have five letters, just like 'right,' so they go on the right.  Now then, 'knife' has an 'i,' like 'inside,' so it goes nearest to the plate, while 'spoon' has an 'o' like 'outside,' so it goes on the outside."

At that point, his wife (who had been listening with some amusement) chimed in that all you actually have to remember was that the utensils go in reverse alphabetical order.  Apparently, I've been remembering my table settings the hard way all this time.

No real point to that story; just thought it was funny.  Click down below for a totally unrelated (but hopefully worth reading) bit about commenting on fanfics.

6-Star Reviews Part 140: Antipodes

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

You know those idiot amusements which lurk in the lower-rent sections of your head?  The ones that can't even be called "inside jokes" because they're not so much "jokes" as "things that make you smile for no good reason?"  Well, here's a story about me: When Antipodes first got posted on EqD way back when, I looked at the title, and suddenly thought to myself, "If you put a hyphen in there, it could be Anti-podes."  Then I started wondering what the anti-podes were like, why they hated podes so much, whether they were able to sit at the same Thanksgiving table with pro-podes without getting into family-destroying arguments, and the short version is that every time I see this fic mentioned anywhere I always giggle while thinking to myself, "heh, anti-podes."

Click down below the break for my review of PK's (sadly pode-less) Antipodes.

Mini-Reviews Round 8

Much of my fanfic-reading time is filled with 6-star stories, it's true.  But sometimes, I want to read fanfics while there are distractions in the area (the TV's on, I'm reading out in public, etc.).  Sometimes, I want to read fanfics right before bed, or at some other time when my concentration might be suspect.  And sometimes, I just need a change of pace.

Below are links to a few stories I've recently read, complete with a little bit of commentary and a short review.  As always, feel free to parse my selection process for insights into the way my mind works and/or to make fun of me for the inevitable word derp or two that's bound to creep in.  One thing about writing reviews for an audience with high (linguistic) standards: you'll always hear about it if you use the wrong to(o).