Five Fun Facts: Three from the Forest! · 6:07pm Oct 6th, 2016
Time for another one of these, and today I'm going to reveal five interesting facts about my prequel written after the sequel story, Three from the Forest!
Juicy details after the break.
Fun Fact #1: Three from the Forest first started out as a simple one shot story to give my three original characters (Wanderer, Tourmaline, and Tormod) a bit more depth than what they received in Rise of Order. What was supposed to have just been a simple meet and greet sort of story became a multi-chaptered story after I realized that a single chaptered one shot wouldn't suffice to adequately bring these three characters to life as I envisioned them. Their finding a hidden cave with crystals changed to exploration of their surrounding home city and more about themselves came as I wrote for them. These three really came alive for me and I enjoyed every minute of writing them.
Fun Fact #2: Originally, chapter four (the one about the Summer Sun Celebration) was written after the story itself was completed. However, when I went back and read the story over, I realized that the setting itself had little connection to the canon world of MLP:FiM other than just being in Equestria. This brought about a fear that my story would have been rejected because it wasn't 'pony enough' for the approvers. So I went back and added the chapter to give it more of a connection and to alleviate my fear that it would be rejected. Who would have known at the time that it was unnecessary, and when I submitted it with only the two chapters at the beginning were enough to pass? I certainly didn't. And, despite the fun I had with writing the chapter, I do realize it slowed the pacing down. Live and learn, you know?
Fun Fact #3: Wanderer's mother and the sibling's father went nameless because I felt that they really didn't need names because they were not the focus of the story itself. Similar to how Calvin's parents (from Calvin and Hobbes) went without names. Knowing them was unimportant. I will admit, however, that it was awkward at times when it came to direct addressing them, calling them 'Mom' or 'Dad' was just plain painful.
Fun Fact #4: Originally, the Forest of the Oak, was named the Fugue Forest. As it's mysterious nature (heh) would have lead credibility to its name. However, as I developed more backstory (which is later revealed in Consequence of Choice) I realized that Fugue Forest was too simple. And with the Mother Oak being a major plot point of the overall series for Harmony Undone, I felt the name needed changed. Specifically honoring the Oak. Other than Forest of the Oak, I thought about Oak's Forest, but felt it silly.
Fun Fact #5: The final scene with the three foals running from the bandit leader, was changed last minute because originally, Reaver actually caught the three and beat them. I felt that Reaver pounding on kids was too much, and a little on the dark side, and had it changed to keep with the lighter tone the overall story had. Yeah about getting eaten by timberwolves could be considered dark, but they got rescued in the nick of time. With Reaver, it would have been after the fact. Thus it was changed.
Additional fact!: Wanderer's mom is homage to my own mother. Not only is she a nurse, but Wanderer's teasing of her cooking (especially the burnt bottom biscuits) was taken from my own childhood. You would not believe how often I got called an ass. All underserved, I might add.
Anyway, thanks for reading folks! Hope you enjoyed it and will have another of these out before long!
Cheers!
