Short Stories are hard · 10:47pm Feb 26th, 2021
I see my strengths and weaknesses in writing haven't changed.
I've always found it much easier to write a novel than a short story. Which seems a little weird. I figured it was because I needed more time to develop characters and do some worldbuilding, which you don't have much time to do in short stories.
But by that logic, writing short stories in my established S&H universe should be easy, since I have three novels worth of material to build off of. Unfortunately, so far I'm finding that not to be the case. I have lots of ideas for the Anecdotes of Heart anthology, but none of them are going well so far in the actual writing process. I have little pieces written of four of them, but no one in particular is close to finished yet.
It might take me a while, but I hope these turn out okay. I'm definitely not a fan of some of my other short stories. (Looking at you, Infallible, the piece of hot garbage that for some reason is my 2nd-most-popular fic). I want these stories to live up to the quality of the novels they are related to.
Readers who read "Magic of the Heart", which characters are you most interested in seeing more of?
Here to make your day 'cuz why not
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I've always wanted to know more about Cloudcover, as he always seemed the quiet voice of reason. Of course, the revelation of his past exploits made me want to learn more about him.
Honeydew is another character that I felt a connection to, mostly because of the abuse you mention she suffered as a filly from her family. She definitely overcame so much in her life and learning how she coped would make her experiences at the Academy even more meaningful. That might be a difficult story to write, though.
Pip is an interesting colt and reading about some of his other experiences in his naval training would be fun, I think. He seems like a rather joyful and curious sort!
And of course, learning more about Dr. Candyfloss and how he came to be a shipping expert would make for an interesting story. How he got his cutie mark, perhaps?
Just some ideas that I have thought about for a while. Hope they don't prove to be too silly. Good luck with the stories!
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Well, I intend for all the stories from here on to be set after chapter 20, but I could beat the system by having Cloudcover create a frame story where he tells Pip or something more about his past.
As for Candyfloss, anything further revealed about him will have to come from Clarity-centric stories.
I'm trying not to be biased toward Honeydew but... I'm failing. Expect lots of Honeydew. I love Honeydew.
We know Scuffle eventually marries Honeydew, but we never find out if he gets a job!
Dinky & Derpy. They make a great team.
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I completely Understand about Honeydew. She's a sweetheart!
It would be cool to know what happens in her and Scuffles life together after graduation.
And do Ditzy and Breeze have more foals?
How about Sparkler and Presto? I wonder what becomes of them and if Sparkler is happy at last.
And Inkwell...I think she has an interesting story awaiting her, too!
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Ditzy is most likely too old to have more foals. If we assume she was in her mid-twenties when Dinky was born, that puts her in at least her mid-forties now. Between Dinky and her new stepdaughter I think she's satisfied with her family situation now.
Stories about Inkwell and Sparkler are also in the works. I have at least nine anecdotes planned, but none of them are nearing completion yet.
Dewey needs a real mother figure in her life, so I'm thinking Fluttershy could be a great addition to Anthology. Not only do their personalities align, their appreciation for life also links them together. Discord and Scuffle could get a little tense, though...
You honestly can't avoid the Crusaders at this point, though this may not be a bad thing. AB could ease Dewey into life in Ponyville, Sweetie is caring enough to go along with it and Scoots can be a good way for Scuffle to acclimate to his new home. Just make sure to remember that everyone in Pip's class is an adult now.
Good luck with short stories, PRB.