Today’s story will grow on you.
How To Dominate Your Neighbor’s Lawn
[Comedy] [Random] • 2,241 words
Even when faced with the rise of Tirek and the loss of her own cutie mark, Roseluck never fails to tend her lawn.
FROM THE CURATORS: The wordplay flew like grass clippings as we discussed this tale. (For example, AugieDog quipped, “Monomania is often a rich and fragrant source of humor, and this one’s got that in spades.”) But even though the fic started out as an entry to the Comedy (Is Serious Business) contest, it turned our head with some serious writing skills. “What strikes me about the excellent writing is the strong character voicing,” Present Perfect said in his nomination. “Roseluck is not exactly a normal pony, but she’s very sure about what it is she wants in life.” RBDash47 agreed: “I think it’s a great example of how someone can take a background character with no real established characterization and run with it. It was a short fic but I feel like I have a perfect understanding of who Roseluck is and what she stands for.”
We found that drawing us into the story. “I love that this is told in the first person,” AugieDog said. “My favorite sort of craziness is the kind that’s presented as not just an everyday occurrence but as an integral part of a narrator’s life. By throwing us into it headfirst, the author just envelops us in the crunchy green madness.” And that led to a satisfying payoff. “This was definitely a lot of fun, especially Roseluck’s comeuppance, which is either a fantastic coincidence or laser-guided karma,” FanOfMostEverything said. “The fact that life goes on Ponyville in the midst of Tirek’s rampage says a lot about the town and its citizens, and the interplay between Roseluck and Lyra establishes the characters both thoroughly and efficiently.”
Some of the story’s technology provoked conversation, too. “I was impressed at how gas-powered lawnmowers are eased into Equestria by virtue of them being eldritch sources of dark power,” Present Perfect said, while RBDash47 countered: “I don’t know that I love gas-powered lawnmowers existing in Equestria, but otherwise I am pleasantly surprised.” That caused FanOfMostEverything to note: “You feed it the rendered blood of monstrosities long past and it then eviscerates anything that crosses its path. I’m pretty sure a gas-powered lawnmower qualifies as an eldritch artifact in our universe.”
Read on for our author interview, in which Wallflower Blush discusses eating candy, inflated guts, and satiated hunger.
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