For a long time, our group has been supported by Doomande and his Fallout Equestria fimfiction group. Me and Inky thought it was high time we paid them back. So, without further ado, we went after the perfect reward. The ultimate author interview...

In the end, I tracked her down and asked her for an interview.

So please welcome... The one and the only: Kkat, author of Fallout: Equestria!!!!

So, please start us off by introducing yourself.

Hello. I'm Kkat. Thank you for the interview. I'm honored to be asked for one.

What are the stories you’ve written and/or are writing?

I’m the author of a story called Fallout: Equestria. I worked on the story since April of 2011, and the final part of the story posted on Christmas morning. Currently, I am between writing stories. A beautiful community has built up around Fallout: Equestria, and one of the projects of the community is the creation of a Fallout: Equestria tabletop roleplaying game. I've been helping design and playtest the game.

How were you exposed to the world of Fallout?

I've been a roleplayer and game master for decades. Back when Fallout 2 had first come out, one of the players in a game I was running was a major fan of the series. I learned a bit about the setting and games from him, and I was intrigued. But unfortunately, at the time, I couldn't run them on my computer. By the time Fallout 3 was released, I had a system capable of running good games and I started playing the series, starting with Fallout 3 and working backwards.

I joined a Fallout fan community called "Fallout 3 Underground", and it was there that I started writing Fallout stories (and later roleplaying in the Fallout universe).

What prompted you to combine Fallout with Equestria and were there any problems with the synthesis?

The spark of inception was an art piece called “Fallout: Pony Vegas” by Dan Shive. It was a wonderful piece, playing on my twin loves of Friendship is Magic and the Fallout series of games; but the picture didn't make sense within the context of the show. I started thinking about how the combination could be done in a way that made sense, and the story began to take form. I started writing the story because I wanted to share Friendship is Magic with my friends at "Fallout 3 Underground".

I didn’t want to just dump ponies into the world of Fallout. Instead, the biggest challenge was crafting a post-apocalyptic, Fallout-inspired story which flowed out of the cartoon's setting in a way that felt plausible. I wanted to underscore the morals and themes of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, which I believe is at the core of the show's appeal. Part of what makes the fusion of the worlds work is that those themes have at least some echoes in the games.

I also believe that the extreme dichotomy between the worlds was actually helpful. There was an obvious “which came first”. From the reference of a fan of My Little Pony, the Equestria of the show is the “present” and the Equestrian Wasteland is the “future”. This helped in two ways: it set up the rule that Friendship is Magic would be the dominant reality for crafting the world, and it gave me a lot space (or, more precisely, time) to craft the transition.

I've only glanced over Fallout Equestria and I have to say it has some of the best developed Original Characters I've ever read. Just how did you develop them and keep them well... separate within your head?

If you ever have time, I'd be honored if you'd give the story a try (either reading it, or through one of the audiobooks available through YouTube).

When I design a major character, I create a list of the character’s behavioral and personality attributes, making sure to include several positive and negative qualities.

In the case of Calamity and Velvet Remedy, I wanted to design Littlepip’s first two companions to be evocative of the show. While they needed to be unique, well-rounded characters who were crafted with their plot arcs in mind, I also wanted them to echo back to the show in a way that helped the readers really feel they were reading My Little Pony characters and not just people who happened to be ponies.

To do this, for each completely unique characteristic I gave Calamity, I also gave him a characteristic from Applejack and one from Rainbow Dash. The resulting gestalt gave me a character who was recognizably My Little Pony while making him a character significantly different from any of the characters in the show. Velvet Remedy was created through a similar process.

The most difficult character to write was Applesnack because his character was fashioned without any characteristics designed to echo back to the show. Like Xenith, Applesnack was created to fill a necessary role in the story and to allow me to illuminate aspects of the world and its history that would have otherwise gone neglected.

For each, additional character development happened naturally through the course of the story as more about each character's background was revealed, and their combination of traits interacted with those of other characters to provoke growth. (Much like in the show's first season, the revelation of the cutie mark stories for three of the characters occurs towards the end, giving insight into much of what they have done through the course of the story.)

Keeping on the same topic, what inspired Littlepip, or what was the thought process behind her? If any?

Littlepip wasn’t inspired by any person. Instead, I created the character around a set of requirements I had for the story’s protagonist. For example: I wanted Littlepip to be an accessible character, and I wanted her to start out as an underdog so that the reader could empathize with her and root for her. Part of the way I did this was by making her very average, giving her no special talents and only a modicum of skill. I also started her out as relatively impotent magically, at least compared to any unicorn on the show.

Additionally, I left most of her physical details, such as her coloration, unspecified so that the reader could envision her however came naturally -- her small stature, her cutie mark and the fact that she was a unicorn mare were the only initial physical characteristics I supplied.

I made her naive and sheltered, a Stable Dweller, so that she would be experiencing the Equestrian Wasteland for the first time along with the reader. Likewise, I wanted her to be a unicorn because of the roles that both the pegasi and to the philosophy of the Earth Pony Way would have later in the story.

I gave her several vices and negative qualities that would trip her up throughout the story. This served not only to help make her a more-developed and realistic character, but helped me avoid the pitfall of creating a Mary Sue. (In fact, part of designing Littlepip involved looking at several of the characteristics of a Mary Sue and saying “okay, let’s do the opposite of that”.)

Would you say that Fallout Equestria is the one piece of your own work you are most proud of? Why and if not, why not?

Yes. Fallout: Equestria has had a positive impact on the lives of many of its readers. A majority of those who read it are enriched by the experience. I couldn't want for anything more.

Do you write your stories with a deeper undertone in mind, or are your stories mostly random moments of inspiration beginning with ‘What if…”?

Definitely the former. Take Fallout: Equestria, for example:

Fallout: Equestria was envisioned as two stories in one. First, you have the standard hero’s journey of the protagonist. But this was combined with a sort of “in medias res” story about Equestria itself, from the start of the war to the path it was set to follow after the protagonist’s journey is over.

I wrote the story with a few themes and morals in minds from the start. One of the most significant themes is that we have all made mistakes. We have all done things that we regret. And we all need forgiveness. Another is the classic wisdom that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" -- that by trying to do the right thing in the wrong way, you will likely end up doing more harm to yourself and others.

The most important moral comes from the words of the character Life Bloom near the end: “We have to do better, don’t we? This moral, I believe, echoes back to why many of us love My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The show isn’t happy merely because it is bright and colorful, but because the ponies in the show (for the most part) behave better than we do. There is a reason that the brony motto is “love and tolerance”. The morals of friendship are largely about being better towards each other.

For all of the great writers out there who will be reading this, what advice would you give?

There are seven bits of advice I have to offer for people who wish to write:

First: Start writing. Regularly. The hardest part of writing is actually beginning. Once you've started, I've found, the words come more easily. But putting down that first sentence, or even just the title, can be the most daunting part of a day's work.

Second: Keep writing. Even if you don't like what you have written -- your writing will improve the more you do it. The more you write, the better you will become at it.

Third: Write about something you love. You will find writing a lot more fulfilling, and a lot easier to continue, if you are writing about something you enjoy or care about.

Fourth: If you are writing something complex, such as a fan-fic: before you write (whether you are writing the whole story or just a single chapter), take some time to plot out major themes, events and other important notes you want in that story or chapter.

Fifth: Read. Find authors whose works you enjoy and read them. Occasionally pause to think about what made writing work for you.

Sixth: Be familiar with some of the pitfalls that writers, particularly new ones, fall prey to and make it a point to avoid them. For example: know what a self-insert character is and what a Mary Sue character is and put effort into making sure your characters aren’t either of those.

Seventh: If possible, find friends or other supportive individuals who will critique your work. This can easily be the hardest suggestion to follow, however. Don't be dismayed or dissuaded from writing if you can't find the response you are looking for. Continue to write; continue to improve.

These are by no means the only or even most important advice you can receive. So here are some links to some more great writing advice:

Here
And here

There are a lot of great authors in the brony community. Who would you want to do a collaboration with most?

I'm afraid I can't answer that one right now. For reasons.

What is the most constructive criticism you have gotten to date? How did it affect your writing, and what is some advice you would give to those writers out there about receiving criticism (of any kind)?

The most? I've gotten so much high-quality feedback that I really couldn't choose just one. But the most helpful feedback I have received is the "reading commentaries" that several fans started doing for chapters of Fallout: Equestria about two thirds of the way through the story. Those were absolutely amazing, especially considering the work that my readers put into writing them. They were a joy to read and gave me so much to work with. The commentary from the fans not only helped improve the story every step of the way, but it helped me keep going despite how huge the story was and how much work it took to write it. Without that feedback, Fallout: Equestria would never have been completed.
Regarding advice:

Whether an author, an artist or any other sort of creator, you need to welcome and listen to helpful feedback. Quality feedback and criticism are invaluable tools for helping you improve.
But not all feedback and criticism are quality. Feedback which is just praise may make you feel good, but "I love all of it" is possibly the most useless feedback you can receive. It doesn't tell you what you can improve, and it doesn't even tell you what elements of your writing worked the best. It's nice, but it doesn't give you anything to work with. Likewise, some criticism is actually detrimental and your writing will suffer if you pay attention to it; or worse, it could persuade you to stop writing altogether. Artists crave feedback, but you have a responsibility -- to yourself, your art and your fans -- to try to improve. And that includes both listening to good advice and avoiding bad advice that will do your work harm.

A good critic will be encouraging (even if they think your writing is a hot mess) and interested in helping you improve. If someone is trying to help you, don't allow yourself to ignore them. It can hurt to have someone pointing out what they consider to be flaws in your work, but we are often blind to our own flaws and need someone else to point them out. (This is largely why a writer should try to avoid being his or her own proofreader.) It is alright to choose to disregard their advice, but only after you have given it proper consideration. They might have insight that will make your writing better.

A bad critic is anyone who is to make themselves feel good by trashing your work, who is insulting or attacking you, who is playing to an audience for laughs, or who is primarily interested in promote their own work. Their criticisms are not for any purpose that would be helpful to your improvement, and listening to them is likely to do you more harm than good.

Remember, this is the internet. Everyone has their opinions and they are entitled to them... but they are not entitled to have you pay them any attention. You do not owe anyone an ear, and you are not beholden to consider a bad critic's opinions as if they might hold weight. There is no end to the amateur would-be critics for you to chose from. It is a buyer's market. You're looking to buy useful feedback which will help you improve. Buy the best. Do not settle for the stuff that isn't going to help from people who don't want to help you.

Okay, we’ve been serious for a while now. Time to break out the fun stuff.
What is your favorite episode?

Green Isn’t Your Color. The story spotlights my two favorite ponies, plus it has all manner of Pinkie Pie goodness. And I love the fact that the central problem is created by the characters hiding their feelings because they care and they would rather sacrifice their own happiness than hurt their friends.

Favorite Pony?

Rarity.

Bronies are a highly creative group, filled with artists, writers, musical composers and more. A great many of us want to give back to this wonderful community of friends that we find ourselves part of. Likewise, Rarity is an artist. And in Suited for Success, we see her desire to create something beautiful for her friends. We see the effort that went into this labor of love. And we can relate.

Likewise, we can empathize with the hurt of pouring ourselves into a project only to receive a lukewarm reaction. We know the frustration of trying to get proper feedback. (Virtually every artist understands the need and emotion behind “Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!”)

The reason Suited for Success was such a marvelous episode was because it wasn’t really about making dresses... it was about generosity and giving back.

And then, Rarity went a step beyond that, sacrificing her career, her livelihood and one could even say childhood dream in order to give her friends what they wanted. And when everything came crashing down, she still walked out onto that runway and took the blame.

Rarity may be occasionally greedy and a drama queen, but where it really counts, she is the soul of generosity, and a character who I can not only empathize with but admire.

Favorite Background Pony? (no AJ is not eligible)

Hard to say. Is Celestia eligible?

Favorite Villian?

I'm tempted to say Nightmare Moon. But of the villains we have seen, I think the changlings have the most continuing potential.

Favorite Fanfic(s)?

I have not read nearly as many stories as I would like to, particularly when it comes to MLP: FiM fan-fiction. Many of those that I have read, or at least partially read, have been very good. However, I don't feel right putting any on a pedestal until I have read more.

Favorite Ship (if any)?

While I occasionally enjoy Appledash, Applejack/Rarity and Octavia/Vinyl Scratch, I must admit my favorite ship is Fluttershy and Rarity. I find that relationship can be beautiful and intriguing if a story delves beyond the surface aspects of their characters.

If you were to be inserted into an episode (not your favorite), what you do during those events?

Sit back and watch. (I'm not really a fan of self-inserts, and I wouldn't want to derail an episode by turning it into a Human In Equestria story.)

What is your favorite fanon interpretation of a character?

I particularly love some of the early interpretations of Ditzy Doo (better known now as Derpy).

And finally, should Lyra ever get those hands she wants so badly?

While not one of my favorite fanon concepts, the idea that Lyra is fascinated with humans has made for very well-done stories with intriguing depth. But "Lyra wants hands" takes all the potential of that and discards it for a silly and shallow joke. Honestly, the "Lyra wants hands" is probably one of my least favorite fanon interpretations of a character.

Thank you so much for the interview!

Your welcome.

Dayum I'm fast.

Insightful, Kkat's Fallout: Equestria was one of the first MLP fics I read, and I must say that it's stayed pretty up there in my ranking. What I really like about the story though, was the potential for an entire world to be build, endless opportunity to create something for the more darker minded of us. That's not to say that the world couldn't be used for comedic purposes, I've seen that a few times too. Out of all of its spin-offs, I would have to say Pink Eyes appealed to me the most (not least because it was also done in the Sweetie Chronicles: Fragments) as children having to survive where they should not be is something that, if done well, can be extremely endearing and immersive.

Anyway, great interview, it was very interesting to see the though process behind the creation of one of the most well-known fics of our time.

728263 You can't have read it though!

I have this on my computer. Not very far through it, only just had Littlepip, Velvet and Calamity walking through the desert after the fight on the train. It's bloody good, just a bit daunting with how big it is!

Favorite Background Pony? (no AJ is not eligible)

Hard to say. Is Celestia eligible?

Oh lawd, mah sides!

There are seven bits of advice I have to offer for people who wish to write:

I am going to take those points and put them on the wall above my laptop!

Thanks Vren55 for persevering and find Kkat. And thank you Kkat for writing one of [IMO] one of the best stories ever written!

While I normally would say that the feedback that this group have brought the Fo.E sun-fandom is this also an really nice gesture.

That I got mentioned really warmed must I say. I get surprised each time someone mention me in so high regards, because I am not doing anything special, I am just standing in the shadows helping, no it is all those fantactic writers that should be mentioned like this, it is after all those that motivated me to help back.

And I must say that it is some good advices that we got, something that I know that I will take to me

728389
That's the thing. I DID read it.

728669 Well, then you, uh... your avatar fits very well with what you just said and is distracting me from thinking up anything better to say.

728580 No problem. She does have a fimfiction account, I suggest you can thank here there