Back from the Dead? · 11:06pm Mar 31st, 2021
Hello again everyone,
So, I've been continuing work on adapting 'Howlite Howler' into 'Of Scales and Fur,' and I've come across a slight conundrum:
In 'Howlite Howler,' we had Beast Breaker; a cruel pony who captured Shiva and put her through a lot of torture and pain until Shiva snapped and killed him in a fit of rage, causing Twilight and most of Equestria to see Shiva as a monster due to them not knowing Beast Breaker's true actions until much later.
In 'Of Scales and Fur,' Beast Breaker is replaced by Cooper; a human and a dragon rider who protects the land from evil wolves who look like Shiva. Intrigued by Shiva's power, Cooper captures her and interrogates her, wanting to know what her powers are and what other wolves might have them. Of course, Shiva knows nothing, but Cooper thinks she's just lying to keep her secrets. So he beats her and tortures her, justifying it by saying that she's a wolf and a monster, and deserves what she's getting, all to try and get information she doesn't have. Shiva eventually finds a way to escape, but Cooper catches her the same way Beast Breaker did. And just like Beast Breaker, Shiva flips out, killing Cooper in a fit of panic and rage. Only, instead of ponies capturing Shiva, Cooper's dragon - an anthropromorphic beast named Rocket - goes after Shiva in revenge, forcing her to seek sanctuary with the very wolves that Rocket and Cooper thought Shiva was part of to begin with.
My question though, is should Cooper be killed permanently? I had an idea where he is revealed to have survived with some brain damage, and over the course of other stories, the brain damage drains his sanity until he becomes Luco - an antagonist that I actually have shown in my other story Logan and Carole; the Wolves of Equestria.
However, this isn't important to the main story, and I'm wondering if I should give Luco a different origin story that wouldn't connect him to Cooper at all. On top of that, I feel that Cooper being permanently dead helps both Shiva and Rocket's stories, as Shiva has to struggle with the fact that she killed a man, even if it was in self defense, and Rocket has to question her quest for revenge, as she slowly discovers that Shiva was never evil, and that Cooper was torturing the poor girl for nothing but his own sick thrills. Something I feel gets cheapened by Cooper being revealed to be alive - even if slightly damaged.
I'd really like to know what you guys think. Would it be better for Cooper to die permanently like Beast Breaker did. Or could there be some potential in Cooper surviving?
Please let me know, and thank you very much for your time.
Killing him permanently but maybe bringing him back from the dead maybe?
Actually well my suggestion may displease some? I think its...interesting and slightly more dramatic?
Perhaps...? You could have the brain damage. Instead of making him crueler? What if it makes him kinder? Like he is literally a better person? And when he is told of his own missdeeds...he's horrifyed?
Just thought...I would throw it out there. Also...
Im curious...because I also am aiming too write professionally!
I wonder if I should write my story first in its...orginal form...or do a fimfiction version then, change it?
Also...did you change a lot of words...or did you keep it roughly the same? Im rather curious? Because...like how much should I change between versions?
I would greatly appreciate some advice...
Thank you! For a moment of your time.
5487322
That's actually not a bad idea. I gotta think on that; that could be very interesting.
This is my own personal experience, but doing a fimfiction version really helped me figure out where I wanted the story to go. I admittedly had to change a lot - Equestria doesn't work the same way as my fantasy world did, and several of the characters I replaced the ponies with don't act the same way - Celestia doesn't act the same way as the human Queen who finds Shiva in 'Of Scales and Fur' - but it gave me a really great road map of where I wanted to take the story, and helped me gain a better understanding of my characters.
I'll admit, Of Scales and Fur has a lot of word changes from Howlite Howler, but the story beats are pretty much the same: Shiva wakes up in a new world, gets captured by a cruel being and tortured, tries to escape, kills her captor when he tries to stop her, is captured by another, slightly less hostile but still suspicious group, the suspicious group triggers Shiva's trauma, and she escapes them, before finding refuge with a third, much more sympathetic group.
I'll admit, after that, Of Scales and Fur has a twist after finding the third party I'd rather not spoil that I couldn't incorporate into Howlite Howler, but I'm still really glad I did the fanfiction version first, as the feedback I got from you guys, combined with just being able to write and see a story published giving me the hope that I could do this. That if I can write a fanfiction, I can write a novel.
I hope this helps, and that you're able to make a career out of writing.
Thanks for your own idea as well. It's a really good one.
5487312
Thank you for your idea as well, Opium4tmassS. I'm a little worried about cheapening death by having him come back from the dead, but that can be a problem I can approach in the sequels.
Thank you both again.
Dunno about anyone else, but I dislike the trope. It just seems so... detatched, usually.
My brain power is limited right now, but I say let him die.
5487671
Which trope?
5487844
Of being brought back from the dead from what should be a very deadly injury. Bringing them back from head trauma is difficult to believe, because it tends towards vegatative states. (Also, I just rather dislike the "bring back the enemy drom the dead" thing, sorry just personal preference.) I'd suggest, if you do go with this, to have her chop off a limb or give him a large cut or something that would make him bleed out instead.
5487885
Ah, thank you for the clarification.
I absolutely agree; bringing someone back from a lethal injury is way overdone; hence why I was asking.
Thank you again for your feedback and ideas. They're very helpful.
5487914
Its no problem. Glad I can help after you gave us all your stories.