Ask not what sort of reading today’s story offers; ask why you’re not yet reading today’s story.

A Taxing Evening
[Slice of Life] • 2,735 words

Most of the year, Written Script enjoys his job as town treasurer–but not when tax time rolls around, and everypony thinks they’re paying too much.  Then he becomes the most disliked stallion in all of Ponyville.

FROM THE CURATORS: By the numbers, this easily sailed past our featuring threshold — the major debate we had during voting wasn’t about its quality, but whether it worked specifically as MLP fanfiction. “My first reaction was: ‘This isn’t pony enough,'” AugieDog said. “But after letting it stew in my brain all morning, I’ve decided that it’s absolutely pony enough.  As Cold in Gardez is fond of saying, ‘Stories about ponies are stories about people,’ and people are never more peopley than when taxes are involved.”  Horizon found himself won over after similar initial doubts. “I want to recommend this just for the thoughtfulness of its argument in favor of taxes, which seem to be a favorite whipping boy of anyone with political opinions … but I don’t think that’s enough for the RCL threshold,” he said.  “That’s where the writing comes in. The characterization here is compelling and authentic.”

The “crisply-drawn” characterization, as AugieDog put it, topped our list of exemplary features, getting us emotionally invested in the story and its put-upon protagonist.  “You can feel the resignation wafting off Written, and it’s hard not to empathize,” Chris said, and Horizon agreed: “It’s hard not to cheer for the heartwarming ending Written Script earns.”  While the characterization was top-notch, we found its writing compelling as well.  “I found this story immensely charming,” JohnPerry said.  “It’s simple, it’s very relatable, and yet it’s also profound.”

Ultimately, it was that sympathetic look at an often-vilified occupation that captured our hearts.  “What it is above all is relatable,” Chris said.  “For example, I’ve had the ‘schools’ conversation from this fic in real life almost verbatim, and where Admiral Biscuit really shines is when he’s showing us these common, everyday bits of idiocy, ponified and localized to the story.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Admiral Biscuit discusses soothing quadrupeds and and and nonexistent deer.
Continue reading →