Ponyfic Roundup 232: God Save Donald Duck, Vaudeville and Variety

In case anyone's reading who submitted a story for it, I haven't forgotten about the "Newcomers' Edition" Ponyfic Roundup that I mentioned in the autumn I was planning. I said then that early 2019 was the most likely date, and so it remains. Right now I'd expect it to come along some time in February, as I have (from memory) seven or eight fics to get through for it.

Read it Later story count: 284 (-1)

A second successive five-fic week! Yay! Shall we get started? Yes, let's get started.

Deep Cover by GaPJaxie
A Sparkle of Hope by TheSillyDuck
Numbers by Pastel Pony
Taco Sonata to the moon, baby. by Moosetasm
Giant Enemy Carb by Ponydora Prancypants

★: 1 | ★★: 2 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 0 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I find average scores two stars.

Sounds of 2011: Nos. 48 to 45

It's 2019 now, so here's some more music from eight years ago. Well, actually seven-and-a-bit years ago, since none of these tracks were released in January 2011 (little enduring was), but who's counting? We're well into the forties now, yet I'm still discovering songs I knew literally nothing about until I embarked on this series. Only one of those this week, though, and that's the final track. Today's four are:

48: Eurobeat Brony – You Gotta Share [Spaghetti Western Mix]

It's yet another track from Odyssey Eurobeat now. This one is based on Pinkie Pie's iffy song, "You Gotta Share" from the S1 episode "Over a Barrel", and so unsurprisingly it features honky-tonk piano sounds, twangy banjo and a little bit of hollerin' for good measure. I'm not a great fan of the spoken bits that bookend the song, and it's probably not my favourite Eurobeat Brony track, but if you want in HQ then you can have it – on a name-your-price basis from the artist's Bandcamp.

47: d.notive – Let Your Mane Down

Another song based on a show episode, in this case S2's "Sisterhooves Social", this d.notive track features on his popular The Fantasy album. I'm considerably more familar with the 2012 remix by Replacer, and this original is considerably harder-edged and clubbier. It took quite some while to grow on me as a result, but if you're looking for a Sweetie Belle song to dance to, this may be it. And if you'd like to hear it in HQ, you're in luck, as it – and the whole album – are name-your-price downloads on d.notive's Bandcamp.

46: Robbiedez – Allegretto (feat. Octavia and Vinyl Scratch)

Now here's a song written, albeit unofficially, to go with a ponyfic! According to Robbiedez (now known as LaRaikaa), this piece was inspired by Avensis Astari's story Allegrezza, which I'm afraid I've not (yet!) read so can't comment on now. It's an electronic cello piece which in some ways seems to anticipate Octavia's canon duet with Vinyl Scratch in "Slice of Life" four years later. For such an early song, it does this rather well. You can pick up an HQ copy for $1 on the artist's Bandcamp.

45: Michael Arrelano – Twilight's Madness

One for lovers of "hard/uplifting trance" now. As the track name implies, Michael Arrelano's song is inspired by "Lesson Zero", complete with several of the show samples that were very common in those early days. Twilight goes through several different emotions during the course of the song, which prevents it from getting stuck in a rut as some trance tracks can. There's a link to a 320k MP3 in the video description. The artist links in his "About" section to his new account, where he was once known as MichaelAEDM but now produces occasional releases under the name Kal.

Next time: another of my all-time favourites – and it's one I've heard played live!

Random Pony Watching

By this I don't mean that sometimes I keep an eye on Twilight, sometimes Granny Smith and sometimes Celestia. No: what I've been doing once or twice a week for a little while now is to let Random.org pick a number for me between 1 and 196 (the 195 FiM series episodes plus "Best Gift Ever") and watch whatever the Great God RNG commands. With one exception mentioned below, I don't get a second go. If it's an episode I don't remember very fondly, tough. That's kind of the point.

I do have one or two provisos. If the chosen episode is the second half of a two-parter, I'll watch both halves. And if it's one I've watched recently, I can roll again. But that's pretty much it. I've found this an interesting way of making myself question my initial assessments of Pony episodes, and sometimes I end up feeling better disposed towards ones I used to have little time for – that happened to me just yesterday when I was allotted "Boast Busters".

I recommend this as a fun approach to Pony watching. You can easily expand it to include Equestria Girls content or movies if you like, as long as you get numbering worked out before you start rolling the RNG dice. Mind you, it really only works if you're strict with yourself and stick to what you're given come what may. Otherwise you might as well just choose episodes you know you like anyway!

So, what about 2019 in Pony, Logan?

If you read my "2018 in Pony" post a few days ago, you may have been wondering whether I was going to look ahead to 2019. Well... not in quite the same way. After all, I covered a fair bit of it (if tangentially) in the 2018 post, and things like "Will you be going to any conventions?" can't be answered beyond "I hope so" at this point in the year. However, here's one of my New Year's Resolutions that is relevant. I repeat it here in the hope that I'll actually meet it:

In 2019, I will actually write some damn ponyfic!

My 2018 ponyfic output was feeble. My one and only completed fic was Custard Repeatedly Teleports into Starlight, a very short sequel that is generally felt (including by me) to be inferior to the story it follows. Then there's the embarrassment of The Danger Within, which has languished on hiatus since the end of February. Not good enough, especially for a fic whose writing was primarily intended to stop me doing this.

The last time I wrote what I consider a good story was The Book of Ended Lives in February 2017. Now, I'm glad that's up there of course, but... February 2017! I may not write another good story if I do write more ponyfic, but I certainly won't write another good story if my output is zero. So, here I am putting this on record: during 2019, barring personal emergencies, I will write the fic I've been mulling over since S7. It's going to happen. (2020 update: It didn't happen.)

Pony Music Library 58: "The Pony I Want To Be (Sim Gretina Remix)"

( Text link )

Well, I've managed – just about! – to fulfil my hope of getting a PML entry posted by the end of the Christmas season. This one is a little newer than some, but it's one I've listened to a lot recently. Even more than the song it's based on, actually...

What? "The Pony I Want To Be (Sim Gretina Remix)"

Who? Sim Gretina, based on the original by Daniel Ingram

Which? Show song remix

When? October 2015

Why? Sim Gretina is a musician that many people still badly miss since he stopped making MLP remixes, even though that was more than three years ago now. As far as I'm aware, this track from autumn 2015 marked the end as far as this particular fandom was concerned. It's a relatively light-touch remix, which for me places it squarely in the "simple things done really well" category. It pulls off the difficult trick of giving Diamond Tiara's lament an infectious beat while still maintaining the original's emotional pull. Not a bad Pony swan song for such a deservedly popular remixer.

Ponyfic Roundup 231: Swords of a Thousand Men

I'm still easing into 2019, but I'm pleased to say that Ponyfic Roundup is present and correct for the first Wednesday of the month. I had a pretty decent festive period on the whole, which included lots of food and some pleasant company. What the new year may hold for Louder Yay I don't know, but it's certainly going to hold something!

Read it Later story count: 285 (-7)

L@@K! R@R3! Genuine Five-story week! Yes, everypony, the impossible dream has come true. For the first time in almost four months, I have five fics to talk to you about today. I am actually unreasonably pleased with myself on that score. Not counting any chickens just yet, but I hope this will return to being the norm here on PR. Here's this week's collection:

My Father Used to Say by nightwalker
Sex and Porch Beer by Vivid Syntax
Dash - like the punctuation? by EverfreePony
The Great and Powerful Fluttershy by Bookish Delight
Dim Sun by RainbowBob

★: 0 | ★★: 2 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I find average scores two stars.

2018 in Pony: My Highs and Lows

Happy New Year! I thought I'd begin it by looking back at the one just gone. Here is an unashamedly personal view of the ups and downs in the show and the fandom alike over the past 12 months. If you can think of any other categories I could have included, feel free to suggest them in the comments section!

Best show event: "Best Gift Ever". This was the first ever proper FiM special, and the show team did an excellent job. It doesn't quite match "A Hearth's Warming Tail" for me, but it's not far off, with a warm-hearted feel that's entirely appropriate for the time of year it represents.

Biggest show disappointment: "Non-Compete Clause". No further explanation needed.

Biggest show surprise: The Student Six. It's a long time since characters have gone from nothing to firm favourites so quickly. I'd happily watch a spin-off.

Happiest moment: Being there as EileMonty sang "I am Octavia" at UK PonyCon, more than five years after missing her doing the same at BUCK 2013 and long after imagining I'd lost my chance for all time.

Saddest moment: Discovering just a couple of weeks ago that Ceffyl Dwr had nuked his Fimfiction account. I didn't get to read anything like as many of your fics as I'd have liked, but the ones I did read gave me a lot of enjoyment. Wherever you are now, I wish you the best and hope you're doing all right.

"I'll Never Get to Do This Again": Buying a VIP ticket for UK PonyCon. Given they sold out in 26 minutes (!) I don't think I'm going to push myself in future. It was a fun experience, though.

Personal success: Helping to keep the Worcester meetups on the road, and seeing them attract new members and some old friends return after longish absences.

Personal failure: Writing so little ponyfic. In particular, starting The Danger Within specifically as a fic I could write quickly and have fun with, and ending up sticking it on hiatus after many months un-updated.

Best YouTube discovery: The Feral Brony's G1 reactions. They're great. Give them a try! (No, I wasn't paid a vast sum, or indeed any sum, for saying this. Curses!)

Most irritating part of 2018: The interminable arguments about whether S9 of FiM will be the last. Even if (as I assume) it is, I'll be relieved when Hasbro finally makes it public and lays that silly argument to rest.

Funnest new blog feature to write: Now I've got my guidelines sorted out, "Sounds of 2011" has fascinated me and introduced me to people like Chain Algorithm I'd barely heard of before.