RCL Turns 1: Ask Us Anything!

10 Friday Oct 2014

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Today’s feature is a little different — in celebration of a full year of author spotlights, we’re turning the lens onto the RCL itself!  When we announced the Ask Us Anything last week, dozens of questions flooded in from community members, ranging from the serious (how do we choose our features?) to the silly (fight a duck-sized horse or a horse-sized duck?) to the literary (how many prereaders should look at a story?).  After subjecting over 50 authors to our interviews, fair’s fair — we rolled up our sleeves and answered them all.

Read on for our responses, in which we discuss guilty pleasures, salivating zebras, and Sturgeon’s Law. (As well as milking a question or two for puns.)
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Lucky Dreams’ “In The Place The Wild Horses Sleep”

03 Friday Oct 2014

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Settle down, children, and we’ll tell you tonight’s story, of a mystical adventure to a faraway land.  Did you brush your teeth before we tucked you in?

place-sleepIn The Place The Wild Horses Sleep
[Adventure] [Human] • 2,814 words

Young Mia is determined to run with wild horses and nothing is going to stop her. Not her mother. Not even a pony with stars in her mane, come to take her away on an adventure …

FROM THE CURATORS: You might have heard of this story a few months ago when it scored third place in Obselescence’s “Most Dangerous Game” contest, turning in strong showings with both the judges and the voters.  It easily won over our hearts, too. “Any story that can overcome my initial distrust of the ‘once there was a little girl who wanted to be a pony, and then suddenly Equestria!’ premise deserves to be featured,” Chris said, and Present Perfect was even more effusive: “It’s gorgeous and uplifting.  I cannot praise this highly enough.”

One of the factors making it exemplary was its unique bedtime-story narrative voice. “Its language play really works,” Horizon said.  “At its best I couldn’t see it on the screen without hearing it read aloud in my head.”  For similar reasons, JohnPerry described it as “an utterly fantastic children’s story that has a great Maurice Sendak (may he rest in peace) vibe to it. … The pacing is perfect, the tone and language is very fitting to a children’s tale, and there’s a depth to it that is intriguing.”  Chris agreed: “This is a great example of what a children’s story should be — enjoyable to a young listener, but with something to offer the adult reader, and pleasant to read aloud to boot.”

Ultimately, it was the story’s success at that adult-child balancing act that made it so magical — and inspired some curator introspection. “I was recently contemplating what makes children’s stories work, how magic and mysticism simply exist, and how the things that are important to us as children are not the same things that are important to us as adults,” Present Perfect said.  “This story embodies all of those things. It’s about appreciating what you have and learning that dreams are only that. In other words, it’s about growing up.”

Read on for our (illustrated!) author interview, in which Lucky Dreams discusses the Ghost of Fanfic Past, having faith in your audience, and a literal embarrassment singularity.
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Upcoming AMA — Now accepting questions!

03 Friday Oct 2014

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Before we begin with our feature today, we have some news to announce: next week will be the first anniversary of the Royal Canterlot Library’s first interview.  That’s right — 52 weeks’ worth of interviews with some of the fandom’s best writers.

We thought we’d do something fun to mark the occasion.  So, to celebrate one year of asking brony authors questions about horsewords, we’re giving you the opportunity to turn the tables on us!

For the next week, we invite all of you to ask us anything (individually or as a group). We’ll compile your questions and answer them in a special post on our website on Friday, Oct. 10, which will take the place of our usual feature next week. And yes, you may ask us anything.* Who’s best pony? Which was our favorite interview? Which one of us is the cute one? Anything you like!

(* Do note that, in order to keep a positive tone and keep our focus on the fandom’s top stories, our answers won’t discuss details of failed nominations — but we’ll do our best to balance our mission with the full honesty of an AMA.)

Just post your question in this thread on our FIMFiction group within the next week, or post a comment down below. We look forward to answering your questions!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled interview …

Cynewulf’s “When The Levee Breaks”

26 Friday Sep 2014

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They say you can’t go home again — but in today’s story, making that effort might be Daring Do’s most important adventure yet.

levee-breaksWhen The Levee Breaks
[Sad] • 6,581 words

Daring Do returns to the Riverlands, the home she left behind years ago. On the road to the farm where she was born, she wonders if you can ever truly escape the past. Sometimes, the river comes up, the levee breaks, and you have no place to stay. No amount of crying can stop its inevitable progress.

FROM THE CURATORS: Many Sad fics tug at the heartstrings, but there’s something special about this tale of a wandering archaeologist returning to her roots. “I literally broke down crying,” Horizon said. “It is rare literature that gets me that invested, but Levee’s sense of place, its rural despair and displacement, just sucked me right in.”  We all agreed on its exemplary approach to that homecoming.  “It’s a very emotional story,” JohnPerry said. “It’s full of regret and loss amid the core theme of ‘you can never go home,’ but it always feels right in its tone. Never overwrought or sappy, but with a distinct maturity that makes one feel that Cynewulf knows what he’s talking about.”

That power alone would have earned it a feature, but there was even more to appreciate here — such as the story’s tightly-woven presentation.  “Everywhere in the story the themes layer on top of each other like fertile flood-plain soil,” Horizon said.  “The ambiguity and pain of outgrowing your roots, and confronting it all at once like lancing a boil. How Daring’s childhood made her what she is, and the inexplicable difficulty of leaving that behind. The river that claims ponies, and the cycle of life it creates.”

The author’s “magnificent writing,” as Present Perfect put it, illuminated both the landscape and its characters.  “One thing Cynewulf does consistently well is use the smallest hints — a raised hoof, a distant gaze, a wordless glance — to advance characterization,” Chris said. “I was surprised by how well I got to know Daring, and not just through the flashbacks.”  JohnPerry agreed: “There’s a nice bit of worldbuilding, and the characterization of Daring in this one is very solid.”  Horizon went even further: “This story is Cynewulf at his finest.  It reads like something out of Steinbeck.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Cynewulf discusses philosophical waifus, roiling mental seas, and the Hedgehog’s Dilemma.
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Maphysto’s “In Which Twilight Sparkle Attempts to Eat a Sandwich”

19 Friday Sep 2014

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Grab today’s story, and take a bite of Equestrian folk mythology, with a side order of mystery and comedy.

sandwichIn Which Twilight Sparkle Attempts to Eat a Sandwich
[Slice of Life] • 8,379 words

Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic and student of Princess Celestia, has braved many dangers and defeated powerful foes. But on a peaceful afternoon, she will face her greatest challenge: eating some lunch.

FROM THE CURATORS: When you see a fic with a “Pony Verbs Noun” title, you’re most likely going to expect a forgettable featurebox-bait comedy — but this is a story that transcends its roots. “The whimsicality of the ‘Pony Does X’ format belies a deep look into the power of folklore,” Present Perfect said.  Of course, that doesn’t stop it from being funny.  “It’s the kind of silly that’s easy to enjoy,” Chris said, “but it doesn’t collapse in on itself when subjected to more than a modicum of thought.”

For such light reading, in fact, it withstands thought amazingly well. “The characterizations of the Mane Six feel spot-on, the stories are great, and Twilight’s investigative approach not only feels fitting to her character but also lends the story a very pleasant ending,” JohnPerry said.  Horizon also appreciated that “great tale of rational investigation,” but our consensus was that this story was most exemplary in how crisply it evoked the show.  As JohnPerry put it, “it’s not often that I utter the words ‘could be an episode,’ but this one earns them.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Maphysto discusses local flavor, poison ghosts, and the other Faust.

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Bad_Seed_72’s “Anxiety”

12 Friday Sep 2014

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Today’s story takes us on a journey beyond Sombra’s door to remind us that the scariest villains are often the ones inside our heads.

anxietyAnxiety
[Sad] [Dark] [Slice of Life] • 10,788 words

What Spike saw in the doorway of King Sombra’s crystal palace hasn’t left his mind. The fear of Twilight abandoning him haunts him through recurrent nightmares. Anxiety taunts him when he’s at his most vulnerable, reminding him of all his failures, all his inadequacies, all his wounds.

One night, this fear and anxiety manifests itself in a full-blown nightmare, dragging Spike face-to-face with his greatest fear: What if Twilight never needed Spike in the first place?

FROM THE CURATORS: One of the core strengths of Friendship Is Magic is its unapologetic sincerity — taking a premise designed to pitch moral lessons (and sell toys) to young girls, and imbuing it with a depth and richness that holds adults’ attention too, without ever forgetting its roots.  The notion that friendship literally is magic, and that it holds a power relevant to our own lives, is fundamental both to the show and the fandom surrounding it.

Anxiety examines that core premise through the lens of its adult audience — Spike is suffering from problems that will be all too familiar to some of us.  “It’s a great look at anxiety attacks, low self-esteem, and the mental blocks that can come with those to keep sufferers from seeking help,” Present Perfect said, and Bradel agreed: “This tallies really well with my experience of depression.”  The beauty of the story is that it still holds true to FiM’s core message in a relevant and honest way: Spike is in over his head, as it can often seem to those who live with mental illness, and it’s togetherness and understanding that will save both him and us.

What impressed us was not only the authenticity of the topics and emotions, but also of Anxiety’s characterization.  Chris found Spike well-done: “Too many authors turn Spike into a grown up. … Spike’s reactions feel real precisely because he acts like a frightened kid.”  Bradel agreed, also pointing out that “Spike characterization is always hard, since he resides in this weird, nebulous middle ground between child and adult.”

Finally, the strength of Anxiety’s closing message was singled out for praise. “The talk by Twilight at the end of the piece just knocks it out of the park for me,” Bradel said.  “It really sticks the landing.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Bad_Seed_72 discusses forgetting, Best Pony surprises, not being alone, and forgetting.
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Bachiavellian’s “Shoots and Roots”

05 Friday Sep 2014

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After love, loss.  After loss, picking up the pieces.  After picking up the pieces, what then?  Today’s story digs beneath Carrot Top’s surface for an answer.

shoots-and-rootsShoots and Roots
[Drama] [Sad] [Slice of Life] • 6,366 words

Time alone can’t heal all wounds for Carrot Top. Sometimes life simply goes on in the worst and best possible ways.

FROM THE CURATORS: The Royal Canterlot Library’s job is to spotlight the fandom’s best, which leads to a lot of reading from established, well-known authors — so it’s always a great feeling when we get to play hipsters and feature a little-known writer with obvious talent.  When Present Perfect noticed in the story’s author’s note that Shoots and Roots was Bachiavellian’s “first real attempt at writing fiction,” the discovery was accompanied by a cheerful expletive. “It’s been ages since I read a story this good and saw that at the end,” he said.  “I haven’t been this excited about a story suggestion since That’s All.”

We found Shoots and Roots exemplary in its “unusually mature take on its core tragedy,” as Horizon put it.  Chris, in his nomination of the story, explained: “It hits the sweet spot between sad and hopeful.  This could easily have been yet another ‘ooh, look at this pony, her life sucks, now feel bad for her,’ but despite Carrot Top getting dealt a tragic hand by life, the story is ultimately about acceptance, growth, and how we can move on without forgetting.”  It’s also about the relationships that strengthen her, as Present Perfect pointed out: “It’s nice to see a story not leave all the emotional bang for the end.  I was left reeling by Derpy’s generous understanding — I get really emotional when ponies are good goddamn friends to each other.”

Ultimately, those friendships make Shoots and Roots’ Slice-of-Life take on MLP a joy to read despite the tragedy. “This is one of those stories that takes something the fandom enjoys doing and makes it real,” Present Perfect said. “What [the Pony Fiction Vault-featured] The Archer and the Smith did for Lyra and hands, this does for Carrot Top, Derpy and Dinky.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Bachiavellian discusses Portal music, helpful mistakes, and recipe-swapping.

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Soundslikeponies’ “Equestria From Dust”

29 Friday Aug 2014

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What would Equestria be without the rule of its solar princess?  Today’s story speculates that the answer might be “nothing” in a more literal way than anyone suspects.

equestria-from-dustEquestria From Dust
[Adventure] [Alternate Universe] • 69,579 words

Celestia awakens to see an empty world, white sandstone stretching the horizon. She wanders the world as she builds it from her imagination, filling it with life, but as time passes, the world that she created begins to seem like little more than a lucid dream, conjured from the dust.

FROM THE CURATORS: “Mythology fics are always going to be divisive,” Chris warned us when he nominated this one, but he had nothing to worry about — this one solidly won over its critics.  “Even though I generally don’t care for premises that hinge on Celestia and Luna being gods, this story does too many things too well for me not to support it,” JohnPerry said.  Similarly, Horizon got hooked: “We’ve seen so much great Equestria mythology come through here that the merely good is getting underwhelming … but once the world had fully come together, Equestria From Dust grabbed me enough that I read all 70,000 words in a single sitting.”

What made the story so compelling?  “Celestia,” Chris said. “It paints a vivid picture of who Celestia is in relation to Equestria, and does so while crafting a suitably grand parallel for her budding awareness in her shaping of the world.  I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a great example of how to paint a character in a memorable, expansive manner.”  JohnPerry found other elements to like: “The characterizations, in particular, felt right (which is high praise from me whenever Discord is involved).  Going through it, I kept fearing that moment when it would slip up as we moved from ‘creation’ to ‘ruling’ to ‘fighting evil,’ but it never did, thanks in large part to the clever stylistic choices the author employs.”  And Horizon found its use of narrative tension exemplary: “Not only is there a compelling mystery in the darkness that Celestia fights, but the relationships we know from canon are also kept dangling over the characters like the sword of Damocles.  It won’t end how you expect, but it will tie everything up beautifully.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Soundslikeponies discusses Lovecraft’s reality, redeeming artistic flops, and trial by bear.
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Rune Soldier Dan’s “Glory”

22 Friday Aug 2014

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While a number of fanfics focus on Prince Blueblood doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, today’s story takes the unique step of following that process through a battle with depression.

gloryGlory
[Sad] • 8,782 words

No one’s important. No one’s special. Except for the princesses.

Blueblood’s always known this. He’s always accepted this. He’ll never be special. He’ll never do anything important.

But now he has to. There’s too much at stake.

He knows he’ll fail, but he has to try. Because…

FROM THE CURATORS: Blueblood as indifferent nihilist: certainly a unique take on his character, and one that won us over despite our initial doubts.  “It doesn’t quite match what’s in the show,” JohnPerry said, “but it’s intriguing enough for me to give it a pass on that angle.  The tone of this piece and the themes of depression are deeply compelling and maturely handled.”  In our discussions, Chris summed up why: “Glory offered a very interesting take on the kinds of circles depression can lead one into; the idea that ‘if I invent something, it doesn’t matter because someone else would have done it later anyway’ seems a classic example of something that might be obviously fallacious, but can sound true in your more vulnerable moments.”

The story offered rewards beyond the depth of that theme — such depths that we all found different things to appreciate.  “It’s got a really original villain, something that’s hard to come by,” PresentPerfect said.  “Add to that a light but succulent dose of worldbuilding and a strong meshing of internal drama and setting, and there’s a whole lot to like here,” Chris said.  And JohnPerry added: “I appreciate the fact that the author gives a choice between two superbly written endings.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Rune Soldier Dan discusses pragmatic ponies, robots vs. monkeys, and in vino veritas.

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Golden Vision’s “Desert Rose”

15 Friday Aug 2014

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The sands of today’s story hold a magical and timeless mystery.

desert-roseDesert Rose
[Romance] • 17,452 words

As the prince of Saddle Arabia, Altair wants for nothing, but a chance encounter shows him the one thing that he lacks: love. Desert Rose intrigues and excites him with the mystery of her past and the beauty of her form. Only she can teach him the secrets of the desert: open his eyes to a world with riches beyond gold, and power beyond a scepter.

The sands cannot be caged, but the desert winds will set Altair free.

FROM THE CURATORS: Although this is tagged Romance, the first thing that impressed us about it was how much narrative depth there was beyond the love story.  “(The protagonist) Altair is going on a classic hero’s journey,” Chris said, “but the particular angle is interesting, and the setting is well realized.”  Present Perfect agreed: “It’s got a lovely fairy-tale feel and a very memorable character arc.  I can remember it right now despite having read this months ago.”

Like the previously featured A Faded Touch Of Blue, this “is a great look at Saddle Arabia,” as PresentPerfect put it, with loving attention to worldbuilding that brings the desert nation to life. “The prose is delightful, and the setting is brilliantly realized,” JohnPerry added, “exotic yet conveyed with a certain familiarity at the same time.”

But Desert Rose is exemplary in an entirely different way. “It’s much less nuanced than Faded Touch,” Chris said, “but it’s got evocative writing, fun characters, and a timeless moral.”  That’s because Desert Rose, at heart, is about the mystery of its titular character, and her mystery is a compelling one.  “She’s as intriguing to the reader as she is supposed to be to the protagonist,” JohnPerry said.  “A hearty recommendation from me.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Golden Vision discusses lyrical inspiration, Whooves polarization, and punching evolution in the junk.
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