JLBDreamer Updates: In the Shadows (1/13/15) · 6:50pm Jan 13th, 2015
Every pony, I decided to share my ideas and inspirations for my MLP Stories a little more formally in a weekly blog post along with stats.
New Story: In the Shadows
I did a previous preview post as a teaser for you and now its up. I posted it last night and will be working on getting it completed by the weekend for the More Most Dangerous Game Contest.
I always thought they wasted a really well conceived concept for a villain with King Sombra. He had a really unique look and set of powers yet all he is allowed to do is basically menace everyone. There isn't even a battle given to him. When I saw the prompt I immediately thought of Sombra and using my head cannon surrounding his "Shadow Magic" I could make it a little more intense than just simply a reincarnated villain story.
One of my inspirations is the fan film A Tale of One Shadow which inferred that Sombra brought his own shadow to life and it took over his mind and body making him evil. I thought why couldn't a shadowy villian use shadows as a weapon, mind control and attempt to find a vessel to take over and reenter the world?
Just to make it clear, my story isn't using this film as Sombra's backstory but is was an inspiration.
I won't go any further into my thoughts now so I don't spoil the plot but its pretty fun writing a spooky and creepy story for a change (adventure and comedy are still my favorites though) so I thought I'd also talk about my inspirations for the mood. I really hate gory stories, I don't find it scary at all. Its basically a cheap scare tactic. The only thing it does is gross me out and its only aim is to shock. That's why I'd hesitate to call it a horror story since that is an integral feature of a horror story.
So what do I find scary, and what would I class it in? Pure and simple its suspense. Its what you don't see and the thoughts that what you are seeing is only half of what is going on that adds to the mood. The Doctor Who two part story called "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" is also a major inspiration.
It involved a threat, the Vashta Nerada, that lived in shadows and its a very creepy episode. They hunt you using your own shadows and once they have latched onto your shadow you will be eaten alive, literally. So count the shadows in a room and if you have an extra shadow its been nice knowing you. I don't plan on having anyone eaten alive so don't worry but the hunting using shadows is just too good an idea to pass up.
The other inspiration is an episode of the classic Disney cartoon Duck Tales. There was a great episode where the villain Magica Dispel makes her shadow come alive and uses it for a scheme.
It literally interacts with the real world by using the shadows the real world objects are casting and I thought is was a really cool concept. In other words it can pick things up by picking up the shadow that object is casting, it can hide in any shadow being cast and that takes controlling other shadows to a degree.
So long story short I took some ideas from a lot of places to conceive an idea of what I would term "Shadow Magic" that Sombra discovered and uses. Due to contest word limits I won't e getting into too much of my head cannon on it but I might write another story if you guys want to see more of it and my OC Charcoal Shadow. Again I won't be saying too much at this stage so as not to spoil anything.
So there you have my major influences for what you will be seeing in my story.
My Story Stats
I check the stats on my stories to see how they are doing and I thought I'd share them and thank all of the people that have received and supported them so here's to all of the following:
In the Shadows : Thanks to all of those 22 who have put it in their bookshelves, the 7 users who have tracked it and the 7 who have favorited it.
Of Tea and Discord: Thanks to all 69 of those who have put the story on their bookshelves, the 29 users who have tracked it and the 30 who have favorited it.
My Fair Draconequus: Thanks to all of those 82 who have put it in their bookshelves, the 31 tracking it and the 27 who have favorited it.
