Issue 999 Discussion Thread

[RielCZ]

Issue 999

Before long they were at Gilbert's front door; the accumulated snow was already at knee depth. The door opened soon after Charlie gave it a heavy, but not aggressive, knock. Gilbert greeted them with a smile, inviting them in from the weather.

—greencheese79

Articles
Advanced Guide to Grundo Snowthrow by vanillastar12
How to Host a Neoquest Session by hutaride
How to Take Grooming from Glum to Glorious by juli_puff
Your Guide to Terror Mountain by tamimarieb
10 Budget-Friendly Petpets to Avoid and 10 Alternatives by missbeasty

Short Stories
In the Wake of Wreckage by Serene
The Missing Wheel: A Mystery Whodunnit by rachu816
Ramona and The Snowager by peppermintandrea
A Walk in Each Other’s Step Out Shoes by hybatsu
Off-Season's Greetings by azurryn

Comics
Snown't Worry About It by icecreamkatana
17 Years by x_blood_scale_x
The Borovan Dilemma by cardboardfish
A Hungry Skeith by happydoodle09
Love Spreads by saviorsephirot
Return to Form by _quartervirus_
Faellie Tales 18: Lonely Plushie by coco6468
Fishing with Friends by valokki
Finding a new hob-pea! by devotedly, morphousss, and rescur
Comedy Isn't My Strong Suit by serein
Ashkary's Café - Mail Fraud Pt. 3 by saintsalmon
A Glowing New Year! by neoanimalz12
The Truth Behind Gourmet Prices by xoxcharm and hottie_2004_67_888
Drink Debacle by leighlizzzie
Adventures of Hannah and Kanrik by katiekazoo

New Series
Samrin's Inspiration by greencheese79

Continued Series
The Sleepers of Saint Garfir by josephinefarine
The Box from 10,000 Years Ago by Chanty
Moonrise: The Origins of Team Kreludor by pikapi20
The Price of Ambition by golden1188
Knight & Squire: Preface by terpsichorean_writer
The Twelve Days of Giving by cosmicfire918

And don't forget The Editorial.

[darkelfa]

Return to Form by _quartervirus_
is SO beautiful!

[Serene]

I wrote a lot of this on the NeoBoards, but wanted to put it here so that it would be saved:


Samrin's Inspiration by greencheese79[/u]
I really enjoyed the first part of this two part series. The characters were given a lot of personality that shined through via their actions and the story was really well paced.

The Missing Wheel: A Mystery Whodunnit by rachu816
Loved the concept here. It read like an Article of a crime being solved. Really cool. I loved the input from Greg the detective throughout. His character was the highlight of the narrative.

Snown't Worry About It by icecreamkatana
Artwork was great, line art was clean, and the joke was fantastic. I loved Granger's reactions.

17 Years by x_blood_scale_x
A lot of detail in the art, and a really funny concept. True to the real Neopian experience too.

The Borovan Dilemma by cardboardfish
I loved the artwork on this one and the Lutari just blissfully ignoring the Lupe's frustrations. I often forget exactly what Borovan is in the Neopian world. This comic prompted me to look it up again.

A Hungry Skeith by happydoodle09
I thought this comic was great, and despite the authors worries, thought the handwritten text was really well done. I agree that the Pea was a little hard to see in the last panel.

Love Spreads by saviorsephirot
I really enjoyed the sentiment of this comic. Watching the family grow up was so sweet. Never thought I would see the Snowager cry.

Return to Form by _quartervirus_
Absolutely loved the artwork on this one! I am sure how the author feels is also a sentiment I am sure a lot of people share.

Faellie Tales 18: Lonely Plushie by coco6468
I really enjoyed the art choices for this comic. Especially the soft colors that were used.

Fishing with Friends by valokki
This comic made me think of Finding Nemo. I read it again with the Australian accent. I really enjoyed the water effects in the first panel too.

Finding a new hob-pea! by devotedly, morphousss, and rescur
The Esophagor in this comic looked so stunningly menacing. I loved it!

Comedy Isn't My Strong Suit by serein
I thought it was funny. I love a good "dad joke". The artwork was so warm too!

Ashkary's Café - Mail Fraud Pt. 3 by saintsalmon
I loved the art on this comic, but I haven't had a chance to go back and catch up on all the series it's a part of. Definitely planning to do so.

A Glowing New Year! by neoanimalz12
This comic was so cute. I love the idea that the Wraiths weren't trying to scare him the whole time.

The Truth Behind Gourmet Prices by xoxcharm and hottie_2004_67_888
The joke was really funny.

Drink Debacle by leighlizzzie
The joke was really funny and well thought out. I loved the Aisha's melodramatic facial expressions!

Adventures of Hannah and Kanrik by katiekazoo
Having recently re-read HatIC, for nostalgia, I absolutely adored this comic!

[Twillie]

In the Wake of Wreckage by Serene

SPOILER: Click to show

Ooo I was not expecting such a twist at the end of this! I did have a number of questions in my mind as I read, especially regarding the backstory of the Shoyru, how he got there and where he'd be going next, and just why he was so let down by Captain Callistra's mockery of Laonis, but by the end it all circled back and made complete sense. Originally I just kind of figured it was set up for future stories with these characters, but as is this also serves as a great standalone that leaves you intrigued about what would come next! Whether you do plan to expand the story or leave it as is here, I say great work all around!

I also like your descriptive prose, it helps paint a good picture without going on too long where it isn't necessary. One passage that stuck out to me: "Only the sounds of the creaking ship and crashing waves filled her quarters as the light of her lantern glistened menacingly off the blade." I noticed there was a lot of emphasis put on Callistra's dubloons, although I was expecting a bit more follow through on those by the end, like if the Shoyru would've attempted to steal them or if they'd reveal more about Callistra and her ship. It did tie back to the Shoyru's motivations and plans for the future by the end, though, so I can't say it didn't have a purpose.

But yeah, great short story with a slow burn twist to it! =D

[Serene]

Thank you so much for taking the time time to read and review my story, Twillie!

SPOILER: Click to show

I wanted to use this piece to experiment with unreliable narration. I realized it was something I'd never really done in any of my writing.

I'm glad that the emphasis on the Dubloons in Callistra's office accomplished what I wanted: indicating motivations of the Shoyru and helping provide a hint towards the twist.

Truthfully, I wrote it as a standalone piece, originally for the Sea Great Collab, but was on a mini hiatus when the time came to submit it. But I wanted to leave the ending with the feeling of promise and future adventure. Just in case.

Admittedly, I wish I had taken a little more time to pace the ending a bit better.