Fanfiction Spotlight #38

Fanfiction Spotlight #38
Published 3/25/16

Happy Friday, my little readers and writers! Welcome to Everfree NW's 38th fanfiction spotlight! Wow! That's... actually kind of a lot of these that folks of done over the past few years! Is everypony ready and excited about new ponies tomorrow because I know I'm excited so excited I could just- *takes a deep breath* well, be excited!

Anyways! This week we have for you a pretty interesting spread of stories. We've got Asylum taking a look at a story that isn't perfect, but shows young authors how create original characters that are full of depth and life.

That's followed up by Silver Flare's recommendation that is... well... just go read it. It's pure, unadulterated fun! (I'm apparently in a Pinkie Pie mood this week)

Finally, we have a really pretty piece by Skreebat. I recommended it because I thought she did well writing pretty, colourful prose. Also, like Asylum's recommendation, Skreebat's story is a good model for aspiring writers on how to show and not tell in a piece.

That's it from us this week! Tune in next week for more stories!

----Asylum----
A Second Chance

by Nimaru
Words: 51,668 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Asylum

I was conflicted about whether I should recommend this fic, for several reasons. But I feel it serves as a fantastic example to new writers, so here we go.

Nimaru is a comic artist (my personal favorite, but that’s neither here nor there), and it shows in his writing. The story itself is decent, though nothing particularly special, and the fic is peppered with formatting and grammatical errors.

The reason I’m recommending it to you? Nimaru’s mastery at developing new and original characters is something most authors can only dream about (this coming from me, a characterization specialist).

A Second Chance was itself written to hash out the backstory to Heartsong, one of the characters in his comic series, which takes place shortly after Luna’s banishment (meaning that only one of the story’s characters is isn’t an OC).

To keep this review from getting too long (or devolving into a mess of fanboyish drivel), I’ll just say this: Nimaru took the time to sit down and develop each and every character, no matter how minor, from their quirks, to their motivations, to the little things that make them tick.

If you need a perfect example of how to create new and interesting characters for an already established world, or are just looking for inspiration for your own characters, start with his eight comic long series Gathering Elements, then dive into this. After that, go read the rest of his comics.

---- Review by Silver Flare ----

Belle of the 7.62x51mm Ball

by Hap
Words: 9,878 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Silver Flare

I have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day citizens of many nations, mostly fictional, would be thrown together into a firefight of epic proportions against horrible chitinous creatures which seek to devour everything in their path. I have a dream in which Chun Li teaches Belle to fire a Walther handgun lifted from James Bond himself. A dream in which the first day of cider season is thrown into absolute anarchy, much to Dash’s chagrin. It seems I have extremely odd and very specific dreams.

This is obviously a crack fic, in case the title and the image didn’t give it away. What is surprising is the love that’s been put into this little gem. From the first few paragraphs, it’s easy to feel immersed in the dark grandeur of Belle’s castle with our heroine. The descriptions are short and beautiful, and the narrative tone is just perfect. Yes, the story is technicolor insanity, but it’s got some real character development! Honest! Although I suppose you’ll have to read it yourself to discover what Belle’s destiny is. Hint: Twilight would be so proud.

Even if you don’t get all of the references sprinkled liberally throughout, you’ll still have a good time. Belle Of The 7.62x51mm Ball is a shameless bit of fun done well, as if a master painter rendered an exquisite watercolor of every Michael Bay movie on the same canvas. After reading this story, my face hurt from smiling so hard.

----Review by Heartshine----
A Crucial Ingredient

by Skreebat
Words: 4,387 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Heartshine

I have a huge soft spot for little stories that involve Fluttershy. Especially if said little stories are filled with sweet, pretty prose, and are a slice of life.

A Crucial Ingredient is just what the doctor Master’s level Clinician (eh, that just doesn’t have the same ring to it) ordered. This is a petite, cute vignette of what it takes for Fluttershy to get out of the house everyday. The author does a wonderful job of showing yellow-quiet’s anxiety while never getting around to overtly stating that Fluttershy is fearful. Skreebat did an excellent job of describing the scene as opposed to telling the reader what they are seeing.

Even though the story is just a short walk in the woods, it manages to be adorably interesting to read. Watching Fluttershy use the voices of her friends to encourage herself and be brave makes for a fun little read. And we get a bit of Angel being… well… Angel.

Comments

[Hap]

Now that's the kind of review I like!