Author: SPark
Description: Rarity has had many frustrations in her sewing career, but whenLonger than Diamonds
her finest hour seems to have come, she finds it brings with it all
new troubles and worries.
Additional Tags: Depression, frustration, friendship, memories, sewing
33 comments:
Ninth
ReplyDelete"Depression"
ReplyDelete"THAT WAS VERY..... cute"
Wat.
Mandatory Dat Plot comment
ReplyDeleteRarity fic? Do want.
ReplyDeleteA nice insight into the woes of the short lived whims of the fashion industry, from an author who knows a bit about it.
ReplyDeleteAnd a nice portrayal of Spike as well.
Yup, cute.
ReplyDeletethe expression below was the reaction i had:
ReplyDeleteDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
THAT WAS SO SWEET AND SAPPY
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteSecond.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteFirst
I liked the setting of the characters being a little aged and the author worked with it well. I normally think of Spike (and all dragons) ageing very slowly, considering their lifespan. Grammar was pretty solid apart from a single error in tense that I'd drum up to a typo.
ReplyDelete5-star
Mmmm D'AWWWWWWWWW
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet little story. Rarity fics are the bests. 5-star!
ReplyDeleteDiamonds are crunchy and go well with ketchup.
ReplyDeleteHeh. I guess I can see why this sometimes would become a bit of a downer. I wonder how many people in the fashion business share the sentiment, if only occasionally.
ReplyDeleteGood fic.
Hmm...very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt does give insight about how fashion is fleeting, and how quickly what's "in" changes.
(I don't follow fashion at all, so that doesn't bother me, but I'm just saying...)
Let me start by saying: I like this. I like it a lot.
ReplyDeleteBut honestly, I don't get Rarity, at least not the way I get most of the others. And a large part of that is that I don't get clothes. A suit is a suit; a shoe is a shoe; a dress should be a dress, I'd think. And yes, there are times I choose to wear a white shirt rather than a blue one, but I don't see why the idea of 'wear once and discard' should extend beyond hospital gowns.
And so I have a very hard time sympathizing with Rarity's second issue. I can see that it is a thing, and that it troubles her, but I can't for the life of me see why it should be.
The closest I can come, curiously, is fanfic itself. And, to a lesser degree, literature in general. Growing up in this time, I take it for granted that while a story may have its day in the limelight, unless it's absolutely stellar (and often even then) it's unlikely to be remembered a few years down the road. Which is, I think, not really the same thing, but it sort of feels like it might be similar.
So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm really not the target audience for this. And it has nothing to do with sewing or designing. But what I get of it, I like anyway.
Well this certainly was delightful!
ReplyDeleteI feel as though a similar moral can be implemented in a future episode, which I can say I imagined as I read.
I also liked your portrayal of Rarity. Most 'fics I've read seem to overemphasize her character, but I think it's safe to say you totally nailed it.
To the Author,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this. As a reader, and aspiring writer, I always appreciate the stories that give me pause to reflect on my own actions.
I think Jonathan above me has the right idea. Many things, not just fashion, are fleeting. For us bronies, it is both fanfic and art. I connected with this story because of my own feelings of despair over writing. Recgonized one moment, forgotten the next.
But if there is one thing we can take from this story is that we should keep going no matter what, and do our best to continue the work we love. Whether it be dressmaking, writing, or otherwise.
Or perhaps I am reading too much into it. I just know I was impressed by this work, and reflected thanks to it.
Thank you again.
This is a great story. Any Rarity fan should definitely give it a read. If I knew any, I would totally let them know about it (not a slant, just a fact).
ReplyDeleteRarity is hard to write for because she's far more subtly neurotic than the rest of the mane six. That said, you captured her easy slide into despondency quite well, and gave voice to the fear we all have of never being noticed.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up; I hope to see more from you.
This is SPark here. :) Thank you all for your comments. I'm very glad people liked my first foray into ponyfic. I do have a second piece in mind, though it's longer so it'll be a while.
ReplyDeleteRarity + sad= =D=(
ReplyDeleteI can somewhat relate to Rarity, as I appreciate craftsmanship myself (probably because my mother is somewhat in fashion and she often buy seriously expensive custom-made brooches or rings/earrings before important occasions. And I often ask if I can see it to appreciate it, so I guess it rubs on me.).
ReplyDeleteAnother pain (that's a bit opposite of Rarity's predicament here) I can relate quite closely is when others want you to do something that you'd rather not, but you know that if you do, you'll become popular. "Selling out" is the word, I think. I used to be in another fandom, and my most popular comics is the shipping-based comic that I disliked writing about. I stopped that one because I can't do it anymore, and my "popularity" in the fandom waned as a result as I was working on another more philosophy-based comic in the same fandom (which obviously was not popular). I guess it's the "craftsman's pride" that I relate to well with Rarity.
Fantastic. beautiful, sweet, sad and stunning. I look forward to reading more by this author. :)
ReplyDelete@bladespark
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to it.
I really liked this piece, it's a nice insight into Rarity's ambitions and mindset, and what I believe she ponders on everytime she makes that stunning new dress. The characterization is spot-on, and it was nice short read. And I'm not just saying that because I love Rarity fics.
"OMG that was so beautiful"
ReplyDelete-What I shouted aloud after reading Spikes comment to rarity near the end
Omg! write more please! you got the characters perfect! while the whole mane6 all kick butt, rarity is lower on my love list then others (...twilight), but you nailed her and her story was generaly very realistic and captivating, and Spike was the best EVER! I love the approach you took to spikes whole being a dragon thing and how he's gunna live for a few thousand years longer then the ponies (sadness), and their whole conversation was just adorable! great stuff, 5/5
ReplyDeleteThat was just beautiful you have a Great talent for writing a pray to her more from you i just can tell God has give you a talent for making beautiful stories and at the end of the story i suggest to the reader to listen to Five For Fighting - 100 Years The first story i have ever cried about Thank you and God bless R.M.
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with the others who've said this applies to any crafting field. It's relatable in so many ways, from fashion to art, and even web programming and design.
ReplyDeleteYou've outlined perfectly what a lot of creators feel here, and even how many would–be creators feel; I almost didn't get into drawing specifically because I knew exposure and recognition would be so fleeting.
I really want to comment more on this fic, but I'm not sure what to say. You just did such a great job making a self–contained story like this that there isn't much I can add without it being superfluous. D=
Also, Spike's “longer than diamonds” comment: I squealed out loud from how beautiful that was. Definitely a line to remember.
Strangely enough, while reading this I saw lots of parallels with the world of computing. You have the customers who don't know much and just want something which works (the pony who just took one of Rarity's standard designs). Then you have the more knowledgeable customers who will ask for extra hardware, like a dedicated sound card, or a faster graphics card (the ponies who would ask for customisation of a standard design). Then there are the guys who had a friend work out a good set of hardware for them and don't want to deviate much from their friend's list (Diamond Tiara). Then you have the geeks who know exactly what they want and how to put it together (Rarity herself).
ReplyDeleteRarity's worries also reflect how rapidly technology changes. What served you well three years ago is too slow to be useful for all but the most basic tasks today. Like Rarity and Equestria's fashion trends, the folks at companies like AMD start designing the successor to what they just shipped the moment it's out the door.
In fact, it's not just fashion and computers which behave like this. It's anything which depends on the evolution of ideas. If you look at things on a geological time-scale, this could be said to hold true for life itself.
Spike is right about diamonds not being forever. Even if they don't get eaten by a dragon, they'll still wear away like any other rock, if given enough time.
Seems that the document is under restricted access now. Anypony know why?
ReplyDeleteSeems that the document is under restricted access now. Anypony know why?
ReplyDeleteYou can always tell when a fic is good if it *sniff* makes you cry.
ReplyDelete