Things I'm not writing -- yet... · 1:48am Mar 4th, 2014
"Triptych," approximately 0.0001 people say with well-earned sarcasm. I know. Believe me, it doesn't need to be brought to my attention. My attention has an apartment there and has to shovel snow off the driveway. That particular train will be gearing up to move. Soon.
These are just a few story ideas which have been drifting around the boiler room without ever quite sending up that final 'full steam ahead!' signal. Three of them might try to make a break for it soon. They have undoubtedly been written a hundred times (or more) already, and those without my annoying word and punctuation tricks. They might be better off on The Great Scrap Heap Of Neverseen. And at least one is probably going to wind up as a sneak preview, even if it should never go up at all.
Ultimately, it's taking the things out for closer examination, backing away slightly to get the details. Searching for flaws while hoping anything flashes facets.
Also, I really just wanted to make a pony-related blog post today.
Feel free to talk about which ones sound completely unworkable. Gawds know someone should tell me before it's too late...
(Commencing ramble. And 'mainline' just indicates a story which would be set in the -- ug -- 'verse...)
The three which feel like they're getting close to emergence are:
Mahteor (Comedy, Slice Of Life) (mainline)
This is the oldest of the concepts here, and possibly just about the simplest: a meteor crashes down on Sweet Apple Acres and Applejack has to deal with all the results. Scientists trying to zone off the area as a research site and making the impact zone twenty times larger on the form than it is in reality, cutting off a good part of the crop. Pony nutcases thinking it's a message from the stars. Twilight. Repeatedly, Twilight. Whatever the Crusaders might decide to make of this is a subject possibly best reserved for horror stories. And Luna protect us all, the return of Professor Skywise. Hijinks possibly ensure. And with AJ trying to deal with it all, headaches definitely ensue.
Why it hasn't started: Other than the annoyance of constantly making sure I've typed her accent correctly in a story where she's getting most of the dialogue...
For my work, Applejack is the last of the pony Mane Cast without a story of her own (if you consider 500LM as a Fluttershy story of sorts). And the barrier is, in part, formed by Triptych. It's not her characterization there: it's the way earth ponies as a whole are used in the *wince* verse. The vision which launched this idea -- the first storyboarded moment -- would make perfect sense to everyone who had reached a certain point in Tr and probably just turn into a giant story-derailing '...huh?' for everyone else. I've had out-of-main-story references to some of the other MLP interpretations which have become local this-word-sickens-me canon and I've gotten away with it... but this one? I'm not sure it's possible. And for that reason, it might have to wait.
(Don't highlight the section below unless you've reached that point in Triptych.)
(Seriously. Don't.)
Because this Applejack, in a moment of perfect privacy, alone with a piece of earth which had come from Out There, even knowing she lacks the specific tool in her kit to make it work -- would still make one real attempt at talking to it.
Third Persons (Slice Of Life) (mainline)
This one came from a post in one of the Comments sections, which casually mentioned the idea of Trixie and Iron Will having a talk. One during which the very concept of 'I' would probably die a painful death: gored or trampled, your choice. It was such a charming idea that it set up camp in the boiler room and hasn't left since. (And if it ever gets out, that poster will be given full credit.)
So what puts them together? Well... let's face it: to date, Trixie's self-esteem has taken a few major hits. Projecting that illusion of being the best to everypony... we all saw where that got her. So I can see her trotting into one of those confidence-builder seminars while shading her face and trying to hide somewhere towards the back -- which is what gets you pushed on stage in the first place. After that, let the sparks fly.
Why it hasn't started: It's a pure character piece for Trixie, based on the way I see her personality trying to put itself back together post-Amulet. As such, I'm not sure how it would go over. I also truly don't know what she would come away from the meeting with in terms of a workable lesson. Not yet.
(Plus I'm not sure just how to write Iron Will's dialogue. I'm guessing a lot of capital letters are involved.)
Tales Of The Canterlot Deportation Agency: Bree (Crossover, Dark, Adventure, Human)
Anyone remember the redhead?
This is intended as the first direct view for one of the CDA's human agents at work on her side of the barrier, along with revealing another of the worlds involved in this multi-reality mess. I am now pseudo-confident that if I write it correctly, some people will recognize that world. (I'm still amazed by how many people got the last one.) The rest will hopefully get the general idea of the environment -- and start wondering about the qualities which the CDA's version of the Princesses are looking for in their biped fifth column. Or if they even know about some of those qualities at all...
Why it hasn't started: mostly just a matter of getting the environment right and settling on just a few of the many reasons why some of those in her world would be trying to reach Equestria. I also want to bring New Cynosure in for the final scene, and there are two major ways that could go: the coin hasn't landed yet.
-- come to think of it, there's another concern: the pony presence in this one is very light, as most of the story would take place outside Equestria. They're almost more background concept than anything else. along with a touch of Mission Control (and with that last, not for long). So that can be awkward.
Oh, and people hate the CDA. I mean, really hate it. This would not make them hate it any less.
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And three which are just starting to manifest their basic concept.
Five And Out (Slice Of Life) (mainline)
So far, this is an idea with very little behind it. For the that-word, I've said Rarity is a fifth-year dropout from her magic studies. I have a vague curiosity about what that decision to leave might have looked like. Plus there's the fact that by the time Twilight reaches Ponyville, Rarity has the Boutique up and running. What was the path from student to small business owner?
It feels like one of those things which could work as a short group of glimpses. It could also explode into a full-scale prequel. A little more potential danger than I want to handle right now.
Permanent Record (Comedy, Random)
Ever wonder what the CMC's collective juvee incident file would look like? Well, no one has the strength to replicate all sixty thousand pages of it, so a small group of sample excerpts would have to do.
This feels one of those short pieces which could be knocked off in an afternoon just to see what kind of insanity resulted. Pure playing around for the sake of doing just that. No real plot, no arc themes -- just police report vignettes recorded by a very frustrated officer, possibly with personal notations included. Angry personal notations.
(Among the bare concepts, this one probably has the strongest chance of being written.)
Princesses High (Comedy, Slice Of Life) (mainline)
I've mentioned a seasonal card game held between the Bearers -- one Luna attends when she can. Taking a direct look at one of the sessions feels like a workable idea, but I don't know if there's enough to it for a real story.
Also, the title sounds like a really bad E! documentary.
Which is redundant.
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...no, I'm not really worried about any of these being stolen.
Realistically, the spybots got them already.
Firstly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having created a fanfiction universe, so long as you didn't proudly declare it after setting two 20% complete stories therein. You have created a fleshed-out Equestria distinct from the canon and rich in its own detail and history, and that is nothing to be ashamed of.
Secondly, I like CDA, though I realize that isn't saying much, given my username.
Thirdly, these all sound very good, and I hope to see all of them emerge at some point. Or, at the very least, the ones you feel deserve to see the light of day.
> Permanent Record (Comedy, Random)
> Ever wonder what the CMC's collective juvee incident file would look like?
This premise? Gold, right there. If you write this, brace for featureboxing.
I'd love to see it my own self.
I would read all of those stories.
My vote goes to Permanent Record, with Princesses High as a close second.
I also liked the CDA. It was a more cynical take on an old idea, and I tend to be a very cynical person.
I really want to read Permanent Record, now. Especially if it is anything like Jury Duty.
Triptych. Yes, please do.
Mahteor. I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of Applejack as such - she doesn't lend herself well to being a proactive pony when it comes to anything outside her Apple world, in my shaky opinion - but this idea really does sound like fun. I can see a lot of potential in the idea for her reacting to the trauma of losing access to her farm this way. Poor AJ!
Third Persons. The idea of 'I' would be both gored and trampled. Trixie and Will both have hooves and horns, after all. literally and metaphorically. Wow, and blue coats, too... :P
Thinking this through the way you state it, it seems like it would be a challenge (for me at least) to express Trixie's learning something of value about herself from Iron Will. I honestly see both of them as learning something valuable from each other. Trixie has some serious lessons to think on from her exploits in Ponyville, despite her very Iron Will-like approach to self-expression, but maybe they could both push each other into some revelations? Iron Will certainly seemed to learn a few new things from Fluttershy. Sorry, not terribly well-formed thoughts, but the kernel is there... I see this as having a lot of potential, with both humor and life lessons learned.
Iron Will would be simple enough on the surface: There are plenty of motivational speakers out there who sound just like him. And I can totally see Trixie getting sarcastic in response (in 3rd pony, of course) by using Demotivational poster-like quips in battle with him. It would be hilarious until somepony got hurt and decided their technique was failing.
That's all I'll say for now, probably for the best, huh? Although Permanent Record looks like a lot of fun.
1894061 is definitely right: that's insta-featurebox right there. I'd vote for that and Third Persons, but I'd eagerly await any of these.
Having read that moment in Triptych, I would love to see Mahteor. Just out of curiosity, how much responsibility would Luna have to bear? Being in charge of all the heavenly bodies that aren't the sun...
I quite like the rest of those ideas you've listed as well. I look forward to seeing any/all of them.
1895046
If I write Luna as having the ability to make meteors rain down on the planet, I would then be fighting the urge to say "The Moon has a harsh mistress." And at the moment I gave in, someone would try to hurt me. A lot. So... no.
(I can see the local version using the idea for a desperation bluff. But if anypony ever calls her on it...)
And I know there's a story in her being able to do it -- probably a dark one -- but someone else can have the honor of chasing it. Besides, it's arguably been written. In a way.
Not quite up to chasing down masters this morning. Anyone else want to take that moon shot?
1895096 Fair point. Although it could be negligence ("Oops, I didn't see that one."), or a redirect from hitting something worse ("Sorry Applejack, it was either The Acres or Ponyville.")
But, it's your story. Having read and enjoyed everything you've posted here, I'm sure it will be great.
I really like the world building done in Triptych and then expanded upon on your other fics, If you were to take votes on which stories we would like to see next, mine would go for Mahteor first because we've seen practically nothing from the earth ponies so far and wouldn't mind to see more of how their magic works, and Five And Out second, because I thought her back story and interactions with Twilight were quite amazing, and i just love how you write her in One Tenth-Bit.
Finally, i really like the CDA stories so far, if you want to write more of them i say go for it.