gdp's Comments

Equestria Daily : NaNoWriMo Pony Style List

Sat, 1 Nov 2014 20:19:38 +0000

That pic. Twi Flash. What. I do not approve. This is an outrage. etc. Though I am amused by how the framing makes it look like Soarin's partner is the pie. But yay Nano! Or... Napo or whatever. I don't even know how much progress on ponyfics I will make (I'm working on several things this year), but it should be fun in any case! I started right at the stroke of midnight last night myself, and am off to a good start. Hope things are going well for all my fellow writers! Forward, Nano'ers!

Equestria Daily : NaNoWriMo Pony Style List

Sat, 1 Nov 2014 20:10:10 +0000

While this still doesn't make it easy, it's not quite as daunting as you're making it out to be. Nano is all about "just write" - you don't worry about editing, proof-reading, or rewrites. Some people forbid themselves from using the delete and backspace keys during November! The point is, you just write the 50k words, you don't worry about editing or even if what you're writing is that good. Maybe you'll rewrite the whole thing later. But you get the story ideas you have in your head down on paper, which for many people is the hardest part: finding the time to actually sit down and write the damn thing. That's what Nano is all about.

Equestria Daily : NaNoWriMo Pony Style List

Sat, 1 Nov 2014 20:05:25 +0000

Yeah, bit early for Nano blues isn't it? Hang in there Synthonic; lots of time still to write! "Hold your talking technicolor horses!" Nice XD Since I started watching MLP I've become fond of saying "Hold your people!"

Equestria Daily : Last day for EQD NaNo List

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 02:59:53 +0000

Hmm... I'm not sure if I submitted in time or not, the original email said "midnight on the 30th" but then this post says this is our last day. I sent the email anyway, so we'll see. In any case, Nano is always exciting! This will be my 7th time attempting it. But since I've started a new story and made it to 50k words several times now (out of 6 previous Nano's, I've only failed to win twice), what I really need to do is follow-through on stories I already have! So this year, I'm going to focus on making progress on existing works, including a ponyfic or two. Happy Halloween and happy Nano'ing everypony!

Equestria Daily : Friend Off Revival - Rules and Guidelines

Tue, 21 Oct 2014 08:53:23 +0000

Intrigued I am! Question - any minimum/maximum lengths to the stories written for this event? Didn't see anything in the rules so I assume not, but I figured I'd ask while mulling over what I want to do. I've amassed a folder with several images that all make me want to figure out the story behind them - now to just pick one and write something, which is of course the hard part!

Equestria Daily : TONIGHT, We Celebrate THE MOON

Tue, 15 Apr 2014 08:02:41 +0000

Come on clouds, move over! Best Princess is displeased! ...ah well. Apparently, this is going to happen again in October, and then a couple more times in 2015 too, so hopefully those of us who were unable to see it due to that whether schedule mix-up will be able to see one of those! Night everyone! ALL HAIL MOONBUTT

Equestria Daily : Writer\'s Training Grounds #014: \"Leap of Faith\"

Mon, 31 Mar 2014 00:33:11 +0000

Hmm... the last prompt inspired me to finish my first ever ponyfic, but this week, I dunno... I'm not sure if any of these are activating my inner writer to that same degree. Might sit this one out and focus on other ponyfic ideas and catching up with the episode reviews on my blog unless something comes to me in the next couple of days. Not that the prompts are bad! Don't want to give off that impression. XD Just that they aren't jumping out at me, personally.

Equestria Daily : Writer\'s Training Ground #013: \"For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils\" - Entry Post

Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:10:12 +0000

And now my turn - I will also C/P what I wrote in the comments at FimFic: There are minor spoilers in the following comment, for anyone who hasn't read the story itself yet. Ye be warned! Very interesting. Like FanOfMostEverything, my initial reaction to the idea of Luna using external aids to access the dream world was to want to reject it. It seemed to not fit somehow. But then, as I read further and realized that "it's not easy" is basically a central theme of this story, it began to make more sense to me. It's an intriguing take on the powers of an alicorn princess, this idea that some of what they can do would have to be learned or fought for, and would not simply be bestowed upon them by their nature. I admit I wondered for several paragraphs who the voice was, and then felt silly for not making the connection immediately, heh. I loved the moment when Luna admits to herself that she'd already forgotten about the bit of stolen metal, followed by a casual reference to the sundial showing time ticking away, as if to remind us of the contradiction of an immortal being complaining of time being stolen from her. The delivery on this was fantastic, because it conveys so much about what Luna is going through, but in a very subtle way, without giving Luna direct dialog or character thoughts. Also, this interpretation of the nature of the Rabbit and Thunderbird may be way off (perhaps they are not supposed to be "real" as such, even within the context of the dream world, and are supposed to only be part of Luna's subconscious), but I actually really like the idea that there are other beings of power that aren't known to most of ponykind that Luna can encounter while exploring the dream world. The only other thing I wonder is if I "get it." I saw a bit of back and forth in the comments about understand it vs. not, and I feel like I basically do, but I can't help but wonder if there is another layer to this that I completely missed, haha. In any case, this was a well-written and unique take on the subject of Luna's dream walking. It's a short piece that manages to make the reader think in much larger terms about the implications of what happens within it.

Equestria Daily : Writer\'s Training Ground #013: \"For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils\" - Entry Post

Sat, 29 Mar 2014 11:50:12 +0000

Sure! I'll take a look at your story... after I get some sleep, haha. It's well after 4AM here (why am I still up?!). Oh, and I wrote "Luna's Apprentice."

Equestria Daily : Writer\'s Training Ground #013: \"For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils\" - Entry Post

Sat, 29 Mar 2014 06:46:29 +0000

Bah, I just saw this, 45 minutes too late. lol Oh well. It is a good idea tho. Maybe next time I can participate if I'm paying more attention.

Equestria Daily : Writer\'s Training Ground #013: \"For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils\"

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 06:15:48 +0000

I finally finished a ponyfic thanks to this prompt! XD That second one just dropped an idea into my head that wouldn't leave me alone until it was written.

Equestria Daily : Short Animation: Maud and Boulder

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 06:49:48 +0000

Truly, there is no containing the greatness that is Maud.

Equestria Daily : Poll Results: Who is the Best New Supporting Character?

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 02:24:06 +0000

Maud at #1? I am TOTALLY way more than okay with this. Cheese beating out Coco? I am TOTALLY not at all okay with this. >=/ As for the theme song: I sometimes watch it, often because fiddling with the controls to skip it when watching on Youtube is more trouble than its worth. But I'll sometimes skip it, as well. It's catchy, but I don't really feel the need to see it EVERY time there's a new episode.

Equestria Daily : Equestria Daily, Fanfiction, and You: Changing the Pre-reader Process

Wed, 12 Mar 2014 21:25:35 +0000

Well, I've never been too concerned about EQD for my OWN fics (assuming I ever finish any of them!), so this doesn't affect me directly. But I can see two sides to it. I understand the reasons why you'd do this, as detailed in this blog post, but Isseus raises a valid point a few comments above mine. People will simply get rejected and have no idea why, which will in some cases lead to the story not changing in a way that would make the pre-reader change their mind. I remember once a friend told me about the results of his attempt to submit his story to EQD - some ot the reasons given for a rejection were truly bizarre, including a criticism that he'd "misused" Luna, in that the fanfic depicted her with a fun-loving, slightly mischievous side which the pre-reader criticized as non-canon (guess he never saw the Nightmare Night episode?), and for using "fanon ideas of other characters", without specifying what those ideas were, or which characters, or even why this was a problem. My friend had no clue what he was talking about with that one. The above illustrates why, in a way, the fact that each pre-reader might have wildly different criteria for what is "good enough" is an argument both for and against this change. It could simplify things in a good way, but it could also lead to the above mentioned problem of people having no idea why they were rejected - perhaps a very simple change would get their fic accepted, but they'll never know. I do understand not wanting EQD to be viewed as a sort of writer feedback station, though. All of that said, the balance of supposed requirements vs. what stories end up making the cut can be quite baffling sometimes. The recently featured "Colorless" is a nicely crafted story with an interesting premise, but has a number of typos and errors. Before that, there was a story (can't remember what it was called, it was about Scootaloo unexpectedly developing a magical talent and being sent to Celestia's school to hone it) that had boatloads of plot, logic, pacing, and basic believability problems. It really feels inconsistent sometimes.

Equestria Daily : 2014 Brony Herd Census Launches

Wed, 1 Jan 2014 05:15:43 +0000

Done! I got the message that it "may" experience problems due to high demand, but when I actually went through the survey, it went fine with no hiccups. So maybe things have lightened up a bit?

Equestria Daily : Rainbow Dash Feels on the Way

Sat, 7 Sep 2013 06:17:13 +0000

I can now see that this issue has become one of extremes. I had no idea the pro-SS marriage camp had become one which labeled as bigots those who disagree with its views. The "pro-SS marriage camp" views, in a nutshell: -being gay is fine -being gay is natural -being gay isn't cause to speak down to someone, hurt them, or deny them any rights that those who aren't gay enjoy - such as... wait for it... marriage. Being OPPOSED to the above... somehow isn't bigotry? In what universe? And somehow, we're the extremeists? lol I thought Tex was one of the extremists who held that viewpoint. Now I can see that this view of hating those whose opinions differ has become quite possibly the default. I'm shaking right now, being filled with a strange sort of terror and disturbance that such could be the case. Oh please. Save the histrionics. Is the sky falling, too? You displayed your anti-homosexual bigotry and got called out on it. Nothing else happened. It's not just about you "expressing an opinion", as much as you keep trying to steer things back around to that. Bigotry is bigotry. That you believe homosexuality is wrong is ALSO your opinion, yes. That doesn't shield you from any criticism of holding that position. If someone says: "My opinion is that white people are better than black people, and for that reason, the two races shouldn't intermarry", and someone calls that person racist and bigoted, would you truly have a problem with that? You'd declare the person who said "that's racist" to be the hateful and intolerant one? You'd declare that it's "just an opinion", and shouldn't be challenged? There was another group just as willing to adhere to a generally accepted contemporary norm: the Hitler youth. Blah blah blah... Seriously? You did not just Godwin this discussion! Honestly man, that cracked me up. Thanks for that. I do not know you personally, I'm no longer sure if I'd want to -- neither you, nor Tex. I'm sure you think anthropogenic global warming is real as well as a whole slough of other humans-are-bad pseudoscience nonsense. I certainly have no interest in knowing you after all this, for whatever that's worth. You actually declared - as IMMUTABLE FACT, apparently - that I "hate" you, before I ever said anything to that effect. In fact, I still haven't. Though I will say now, I find you reprehensible and full of seven kinds of crap. "Humans-are-bad psudeoscience" has absolutely nothing to do with A) gay marriage, B) global warming, or C) me. Humans aren't bad, I never said I believe that they are. Well, not ALL humans are bad, anyway. Global warming is actually a thing, by the way. Have fun drinking the fluoride and living in a 250 square-foot apartment. This nation, and indeed, humanity cannot survive your fake notions of tolerance. You will see terrors the likes of which you could never imagine. That's right, get all the talking points out of the way. You sure you haven't missed any? I am finished here. I had the most wonderful experience at Everfree Northwest. I even befriended a gay brony. But now I see that many of this fandom's adherents cannot "love and tolerate" those whose opinions differ from their own. I had no intention of blowing my fuse, but now I cannot help it. One last time, this isn't about opinions. And no, I cannot "love and tolerate" your "opinions" on this matter. We should not, and need not, love and tolerate bigotry and intolerance. Being intolerant OF intolerance is not being "hateful", nor is it something to be condemned. Until you understand that, you will not understand this issue in totality. Also, it's hard to befriend someone while believing that they shouldn't be afforded all the same rights as yourself. I will pray for you and Tex. I will pray that a spirit of love and harmony can exist between us. Don't bother on my account. I have no use, nor desire, for your prayers. You must learn how to not label as haters those whose opinions differ from your own! I have not once done so here. Good night! Good night indeed. I've said my piece, and am finished with this debacle.

Equestria Daily : Rainbow Dash Feels on the Way

Sat, 7 Sep 2013 05:54:36 +0000

"Sleepless in Ponyville" is a serious contender for my fave episode of the show, so naturally, I agree! I'm really hoping that the "feels" to which Meghan refer come from Dash featuring heavily in the episode about Scoots inability to fly.

Equestria Daily : Rainbow Dash Feels on the Way

Sat, 7 Sep 2013 04:58:46 +0000

I was going to reply to your reply to me - way back up there somehwere - but I don't see the point anymore for the most part, so I'm not going to hit every point in it. You have no business whatsoever trying to tell someone else about debating skills and logical fallacies, nor calling TexasUberAlles a "stupid kid." You apparently thought the tone of my last post toward you was hostile. If you thought THAT was hostile, I have to ask: is this your first day on the internet? Regardless, it wasn't; I was quite polite and went out of my way to clarify that I WASN'T calling you a homophobe. Then you asked me if my intention was to call you a homophobe. You also refuted the assertion (that I never made) that marriage itself implies a man solving a woman's problems, demonstrating that most of what I said in that post zoomed clear over your head, like a pegasus who's late for an appointment. You are not a "brave person" for "speaking your mind." You're not some poor oppressed underclass; you're just a dude who doesn't like the idea of gay people getting married. You believe (at least as far as I can tell; you equivocated and tap-danced by saying you "disagree with some notions of modernity in terms of same-sex marriage", rather than just plainly stating your stance on same-sex marriage. Real brave, by the way) that gay people *shouldn't be allowed* to get married. You can't hide behind "it's just an opinion, man!" Doesn't work like that. Yes, it's an opinion. It's also a bigoted stance. The two are not mutually exclusive. In case it's unclear: NOW I'm being hostile. Here's a question: If I said that I disagreed with same-sex marriage, does that stance by default make me 100% bigoted? Because if so, I guess I have suddenly become 100% bigoted. You don't really believe that... It's not a question of "belief"; it IS. Believing that same-sex marriage is wrong or should not be allowed is, all by itself, a bigoted position. Sorry. Holding that position doesn't mean you are a bigot across the board. You might not be, for example, racist. I really don't know. But if you believe that homosexuality is wrong or that gay marriage shouldn't be allowed, then you are a bigot. It's quite simple. I could get into the nonsense about statistics, marriage, and broken homes (especially as that relates to same-sex marriage; just how many modern myths can you stack up in one post before it all comes tumbling down!), but I don't see the point based on your interactions with Texas. Have fun being a fan of a show that promotes exactly the kind of tolerance and acceptance that you don't seem to have any grasp of.

Equestria Daily : Rainbow Dash Feels on the Way

Fri, 6 Sep 2013 23:38:37 +0000

No one in this discussion thread has attacked anyone's "favorite ship." No one has responded as if their "favorite ship" HAD been attacked. The discussion is quite obviously about something far larger in scope than "my favorite ships". No one has cried "homophobe", except ONE poster - below this comment - who made a flippant comment in response to someone saying outright that if Dash were a lesbian, he/she would like the character less simply for that reason (though the comment in question has since been deleted). Everyone is calm. Who is this "you" that "ALWAYS" cries homophobe? You've really contributed something insightful and thought-provoking to this discussion. Good job.

Equestria Daily : Rainbow Dash Feels on the Way

Fri, 6 Sep 2013 23:12:16 +0000

At the risk of getting drawn into a huge, tangential debate... "The fanon" says no such thing. Yes, a large number of fanfic authors ship her with other female characters (though she's HARDLY the only one; it's an F/F heavy fandom), but there's not some kind of official consensus that she is a lesbian. Besides which, the canon doesn't say one way or the other (and likely never will). So the only declaration that can be made is an individual's personal opinion. I agree that it's unlikely in the extreme that Hasbro would approve of making ANY character gay on this show, under any circumstances. Which is a huge shame, since it means an opportunity to add in another very positive message to the little girls that are the show's target demographic is missed, and underscores that the execs at Hasbro, like many people, are still mired in old-fashioned, exclusionary thinking when it comes to this kind of thing. I'm certainly not against the idea of hetero ships in fanon; that'd be silly for me to be opposed to, even though my own fanfic ideas tend toward F/F shipping. But I'm strongly against the idea of the canon ending up pairing all of the mane six off with a male romantic partner before the show concludes. That would completely undercut one of the strongest and most important underlying messages of this show: that a romantic relationship with a man (marriage or no) does not need to be any kind of default goal for a woman, and that women don't need to rely on men to solve their problems or make their lives complete. And I'm not going to go out and declare that you ARE in fact a homophobe, based only on this little conversation; that would be extremely unfair. But why must they ALL be hetero? If marriage *were* to be viewed as a sort of "end goal" for some or even all of the main characters, why couldn't one of them be a same-sex couple? Why would that be bad?