Welcome to the February World-Building Alliance prompt!

Now that you've gotten your feet wet, it’s time for the next prompt. This time around, you’ll be limited to one of four races: Dragons, Minotaurs, Reindeer, and Sea Ponies. Additionally, the prompt is as follows:

Every race has its heroes. Some fade away with the passing of time while others become legendary embodiments of greatness. Pick a hero from among those four races that has reached such legendary status. Tell his/her tale.

Same rules as last time. Once you’ve finished your story and submitted it to FimFic, post here in this thread the following information:
Name:
Title:
Genre Tags:
Race:
Please provide links where necessary.

- Deadline is the last day of the month. That will be the final day for submissions. For those of you in different timezones, if it’s the final day, make sure to also post what time it is in your time zone.
- Only stories submitted to the site during this month will be accepted. That means your story from August of 2012 won’t be accepted.
- Judging will be finished by the end of the first week of the next month. So on the 7th, the judging thread will be up, complete with the final scores for each story. It will also have a description of how the judging works and how the winner is selected. Important stuff for you to know beforehand is that we look at five categories: Plot, Characterization, Mechanics, World-Building and how well it fits with the FiM universe.
- And finally, all site rules are in effect. If you’re not quite sure what they are, see link.

Any other questions on the prompt? PM an Admin or just post in the thread and we’ll be back to you within the next day or so.

Cheers and happy writing!
~ The World-Building Alliance Admin Team

(This also denotes a change in Ponies. Can you guess who's next? )

Update from the future: We've got some additional FAQs that people asked last time. So here they are

Q: My story is just a little over 5000 words. Is that okay?
A: We say it’s a 5000 limit, but we’re flexible. So long as it’s within roughly 10%, you should be fine.

Q: What about pony races that aren’t talked about in the show? You know, Sea Ponies, Alicorns, Crystal Ponies, etc?
A: Sea Ponies and others are just fine. Alicorns, however, are no good.

Q: Zombies?
A: No.

Q: Those five categories you’re looking at in the story... What exactly does each of them mean?
A: Well, to start, Characterization deals with how you’ve written your characters. Their personalities, believability, and so forth. Plot is all about the, well, plot. Mechanics is all about your grasp of the language. So, grammar, spelling, pacing, etc. are the key factors we look at for Mechanics. World-Building is the most important thing we look at; it’s what we’re all about, after all. So your ability to create lore, create history and culture in a relatively unknown race, etc. Those are the things we look at there. Fitting in with Equestria is basically taking a look at the show and asking, “Could I take the story I have here and place it in this universe with little trouble?”

Q: Is Mature fine or should I try and keep it Teen and under?
A: We’d prefer Teen, but if you need a Mature rating to make the story work, then that’s fine. Use the Mature rating to supplement the story. Don’t say, “I’m gonna write a Mature story,” and then go from there.

This time around, you’ll be limited to one of four races: Dragons, Minotaurs, Reindeer, and Sea Ponies.

Buck yes!

Assuming I find time to write it, of course. Stupid Dissertation.

This one might be a toughy...

Time to brainstorm for ideas...

Interesting prompt, I'll see if I can come up with anything ^.^

No griffon heroes?

Hmmm might go with either dragon or minotaur, I'm sure I gotta few good ideas rattling around in my brain. Is it still 5000 words? Just wanna clarify

Ooooh! Dibs on Spike the Hero =D

Wait....can we do future fics?

681957

All right! The prompt is up. Now, we can get to writing the next story. Let's get started!

In the meantime, though, I'd like to ask some questions. Sorry in advance if some seem a little banal or idiotic, but one of the first rules I learned about competitions was to know as much as possible before getting started. So here they are, in an arbitrary order:

1. Is there a cut-off point or a word count limit like in the last competition, and if so, then what is the limit?

2. Are there rating limitations e.g. no Teenage or Mature ratings? Will certain genres be rejected, e.g. Dark with Gore, Alternative Universe, Human, or Romance?

3. Must the submitted story be Complete, or will Incomplete stories be acceptable in this competition too?

4. What are the prizes for this contest? Are they the same as before?

5. By "legendary hero", is that restricted to martial or epic heroes, or can more subtle and classical anti-heroes be used? For instance, could the story be about a minotaur who was remembered for things he didn't actually want to do (or didn't actually do but was present for), like Rincewind of the Discworld novels? Or could it be about an ordinary dragon who does something vaguely heroic, like perform charity work in a warzone or discover a cure for dragonpox? I'm not saying these are specifically my ideas: just tests for how elastic the definition of "legendary hero" is.

6. Can the hero be an established character, e.g. Spike as a dragon hero, or Iron Will as a minotaur hero?

7. This is probably going to be the same as last time anyway, but is it acceptable to submit multiple entries?

8. Is comic format acceptable (in the same vein as The Mane Attraction or Yes, Apple Bloom, There Really Is A Santa Hooves)?

9. Does the hero of the race have to be from the same race himself/herself? For instance, could sea ponies have a minotaur hero (which is technically one of the four races allowed), or reindeer have a crystal pony or zebra hero?

10. Can the hero come with an ensemble, or as part of a heroic team or troop, so long as he or she is prominent among them (I'm thinking like Captain Miller in the film Saving Private Ryan)?

11. To what extent can ponies feature in the story? Are they acceptable, for instance, as supporting characters or sidekicks? Should we avoid using them at all?

12. Must the story exist independently of any other stories written by the same author, or by other authors? Are sequels to existing stories ruled out? Would spin-off fics be considered unacceptable (e.g. if the story was set in the Lunaverse or in the 'verse of Past Sins)?

13. After submitting my entry for the last competition, I made several corrections before the deadline (spelling mistakes that were pointed out to me by casual readers, and so on). Should I not do this in future, or is it OK so long as the corrections are made before the deadline? (Obviously, it would be unfair during the week of judging to make such corrections).

14. On the subject of the longer fics submitted last time, when will the follow-up judging commence, what is the deadline, and if you cannot confirm either at present, then will you post a notification thread on the forum with the information?

Sorry for throwing so many questions at you. I just think it's helpful to test the contest boundaries as thoroughly and as early as possible. Again, I'm not necessarily proposing I will follow through with any of these ideas, but somebody else might want to know, and I'd like to see how much creative space we're allowed for the contest.

Also...

This also denotes a change in Ponies. Can you guess who's next?

Applejack?

682282
Yep

682381
Can't see any problems with it.

682560

Most of those can be summed up with the phrase "Same as last time"

3 Incomplete is fine

5 A Sea Pony Rincewind would be hilarious. We have no problems with this

6 Sure

8 Not sure, I'll check with the other admins when they finally get their asses in skype

9 The hero has to belong to the races in the prompt, but they don't have to be the hero of that race (A Dragon hero of the Zebras, for example)

10 No problem

11 Pony sidekicks are fine

12 Complete independence is not required. Just bear in mind that the judges may not have read/enjoyed those stories, so it'd be easier to play it safe and avoid them altogether.

13 That should be okay, but not great. We try to read them when they're submitted to avoid getting swamped during marking time, so your corrections may go unnoticed by us.

14 Cannot confirm, as we're still discussing the fine details. We'll be sure to let you guys know when we have decided, however.

Applejack?

Not quite

682630

Not quite

...Twilight?

682630

Thank you for answering my questions! I certainly look forward to seeing an update on the long-fic judging. In the meantime, I think that's plenty to be getting on with for the February contest now.

Applejack

Not quite

Wha? But you kept posting all the earth pony images! I thought that was the hidden clue!

682654>>682728

682769

Fine. It's Pinkamena Diane Pie: . Now I'm going to get forty winks.

Ooh, I might look into this one (thus putting off my other stories yet again) but this could make for some cool ideas.

Hooray my idea juices are flowing, time to get typing! (Unavailable till further notice...If you wish to contact press 1, If you wish to criticize press Troll) My good assistant Pinkie Pie will now be taking all my calls.

P.S. Fourth wall has shattered, please refrain from giving ponies candy.

Challenge Accepted.

So it's 5,000 words, again? Alrighty, might do this. Dragon hero sounds fun—they all seem like unique loners anyway, so a universally recognizable hero would have to be pretty impressive/relatable.

Also,

And finally, all site rules are in effect. If you’re not quite sure what they are, see link.

There is no spoon. Link. There is no link.

681957 Inquiry, I plan on writing each entry as part of an anthology, which my January entry was the first chapter of, I'd prefer making each entry a separate chapter versus a new story each time. Will that be permitted, or will I have to delete the story and post it as a chapter after the contest has been judged?

684859

12. Must the story exist independently of any other stories written by the same author, or by other authors? Are sequels to existing stories ruled out? Would spin-off fics be considered unacceptable (e.g. if the story was set in the Lunaverse or in the 'verse of Past Sins)?

~ Impossible's question

12 Complete independence is not required. Just bear in mind that the judges may not have read/enjoyed those stories, so it'd be easier to play it safe and avoid them altogether.

~ Our reply

So no, there's no problem with it being involved with other stories.

684865 Thank you for your hasty reply, but the rules stated that the story must be published in February, and I'd prefer to post my entry as a new chapter rather then as a whole new story I end up deleting post February, March, ad infinum and so on and so forth. So if the entry must be published as a story in February so be it, but my preference would be to allow me to publish it as a new chapter instead.

684875

It appears you misunderstood me. So long as the chapters are clearly different stories following the rules for the specific prompt, this should be okay.

Just be aware that if, for example, a judge didn't like the universe you created in one story, this could reflect poorly on the others which share it.

(I'm not saying we don't like your story. I'm just speaking in hypotheticals, here)

684885 Ah thank you, that answers my question perfectly. But regarding the universe itself, I'm perfectly happy accepting any critiques regarding it.

684875

but the rules stated that the story must be published in February, and I'd prefer to post my entry as a new chapter rather then as a whole new story I end up deleting post February, March, ad infinum and so on and so forth. So if the entry must be published as a story in February so be it, but my preference would be to allow me to publish it as a new chapter instead.

Do keep in mind that each chapter also has a date stamp on it. We'll be able to tell that the "story" first came out in February by that.

Alright, I've got a story plot which is pretty much done, but I'm going to take a week or two to flesh out some detail. When I get inspired, I just don't stop writing...

For the record, it's called The Fallen One and it's about a minotaur who was once a hero of his race, but no more... DUN Dun dunnnnnnn. No detail given is intentional.

Think I may go with the hesitant heroine. (For some reason I like writing female leads) Decided to pick an untouched character within the lore but saving that for a surprise XD Just gotta work out the heroic deed then off to the world of writing.

ONWARDS!!!!!!!!

681957
I reject your Pinkie Pie and substitute my Nyx!

Anyway, braintstorm complete and hopefully a fic pops out in two weeks (anyway, it involves a Reindeer with red nose [noes, cliche! ]).

681957 Okay here's my entry for February

Name: Talonmach5

Title: Chapter Two: The Outrageous Adventure of Sir Stouthorn the Chivalrous Minotaur and His Loyal Companion Seafoam the Seapony 4952 words

Genre Tags: Adventure

Race: Minotaurs and Seaponies

687313
DANG you're fast =O I applaud you sir!

689982 Thanks, I was hit by inspiration and had to slam it out. Plus any opportunity to revisit Sir Stouthorn and Seafoam's exploits is always a plus in my book.

Name: flutterdash1
Title: Spike the Selfless
Genre Tags: Tragedy, Sad
Race: Dragons

You know you're probably putting too much thought into this when you have opened the wiki page on "justice".

Ah well, 5000 words on Donner the Just it is. I wonder if I should give him thunder powers, considering the origin of the real world name, or if that would detract to far from my established headcannon.

Edit—and now I am studying Plato's Republic. This isn't going to be a story so much as an essay on the nature of justice.

701298
It takes all kinds to make a hero.

For a loose definition of hero, anyway.

Edit: Okay, wow. Pretend I didn't actually talk it down as hard as I did. For the sake of being in line with the prompt, though, I should still probably mention that the character isn’t really that heroic yet, but the implication is that they will be in the future.

Name: Burraku_Pansa
Title: Gout of Flame
Genre Tags: Adventure, Comedy
Race: Dragon

That makes three entries so far - two of them with dragons in - and we're twelve days into the contest. Sixteen days to go until the deadline, so I'm guessing we'll see a flurry of entries in the last week.

Are there going to be any reindeer ones?

711333
There's not, like, any chance that ProfCharles isn't writing one.

711333
I am writing one on reindeers but I can't think of any nice story for the hero yet. =/

Name: Educated Guess
Title: I'll See You to Shore
Genre Tags: Romance, Slice-of-Life
Race: Sea-pony

...I'll say it right now, this is not my best work. The story kind of side-tracked itself, and I had to catch up with a bunch of exposition at the end. But, I put a ton of work into it, and I'm famous among myself for being too harsh on my own creations, so here you have it. Maybe its better than I think it is.

Well seems my idea is taking a new turn... back to the drawing board. Stupid imagination making new ideas mid-way lol

Oh my god so frustrating, was about to dedicate a day to my story and I lose power for the whole day! Stupid angry thunder gods...

711333 Reindeer here.

684885 I noticed you have a 10% rate for stories over 5,000 words, is there any chance you'd review up to 6,000 or a few words over? Either way, I'll need to do some cutting down before the month is up.

726283

is there any chance you'd review up to 6,000 or a few words over?

We had one of those last time. It went straight to the Longfic competition, so that should answer your question.

726504 And if I can get it down to 5,500 words or less like the 10% mark depicted, then it'll be in the normal running?

726956
Yessir.

I think I might throw something together for this, once again challenging myself to do so with less than ten days to go

Oh Sirius what is wrong with me

727170
I've got a wordcount of 5,370 on my entry according to Google Docs (Which is within the 10% threshold, yes?)
However, FimFic swears blind that I've got 5,512 (Somehow), which is 12 words too many. Is my entry still too long? Or will it fly if I just post it with picture proof of the wordcount discrepancy?

735144
That happened to Obselescence's story, too. You're fine. Just post a screenshot of the GDoc word count.

Name: Silvertie
Title: The King in Ruby
Genre Tags: [Adventure] [Alt Universe] (God, I wish we had a straight "action" tag. "Adventure" implies we go somewhere.)
Race: Dragons

This whole story feels awkward to me, to be honest. Not pony enough for pony fanfiction, and too pony for what's supposed to be a dragon-centric story, if you know what I mean. It could just be me, though.

lol at this rate the vast majority of stories will be dragon-centric

735245
Dragons best non-pony race