Well, it's that time again. And I do believe this should start with an apology. We know the quality of our prompts has been slipping recently, and we're truly sorry for that. Hopefully this month will set things back on track

And with that out of the way, let me officially welcome you to the May World-Building Alliance writing prompt!

Now, recall the tale of Hearths Warming Eve, if you will. Each of the pony races was brought to an all-time low by the seemingly endless onslaught of blizzards. The Windigoes forced the pony ancestors to flee their homelands for greener pastures, eventually settling in Equestria.

Now, pick a race. This race has, at some point, suffered a similar disaster. They, too, were pushed to the brink. They, too, were faced with the end of their kind. Tell us this tale.

This should be interesting. We've had this particular prompt rattling around for quite some time, we were just never sure how to phrase it.
Now, we've experimented with adding race restrictions in the past, and the results were mixed. Some enjoyed the challenge, while others found it too restrictive.
As a happy medium, we're going to set you a challenge. Internet cookies (and a special mention) shall be awarded to those who dare to tell the tale of the minotaurs! This is completely optional, mind, just for those who want to make things a bit more interesting.

And, as per usual, ponies may be present but shouldn't be the focus.

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.

Same rules as before:
- 5k word target. We'll stretch to 5.5k, but any longer than that and the fic will be shunted over to the "longfic" category, with separate judging, etc.
- No rating restrictions, but bear in mind that excessive gore/sex/whatever might not be to everyone's tastes, least of all the judges.
- 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.

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

(And for the pony of the month, this time it's Fluttershy! Should be fun)

Oh, this will be good! And this time I might actually try out this prompt! Prepare for awesomeness!

Minotaurs. Mine.

In seriousness, though, this prompt interests me. Shit going horribly, horribly wrong is quite fun to write.

Also, I have to say that the "gentlemen" pic above made me laugh harder than it probably should have.

hmmmmm.... to write from the perspective of some--------- telling the tale to the next generation? Or dig into the despair of the generation that lived it?

Decisions, decisions...

Uh... why minotaurs? Also, I'll be writing them or dragons.

Another prompt for sad/bad/ tragedy? Really?
And in my birth month too!
Yes, sarcasm. You couldn't wait a few months?

Oh well... was hoping for a holiday theme, just a happier one. Or something happy. Maybe a giant pot luck where neighbors bring in a traditional food. Maybe the holiday of a hero, one celebrated.
Maybe a holiday dedicated to a theme the races admired, such as bravery or intellect.
Maybe a Holliday after an invention, which everyone loves.
Maybe what they do to celebrate a holiday after a family member.

Nope, a holiday after a near tragedy. Good work guys.

938825
There's no reason why you couldn't write a happy story here. Have them start low, but end high. Hearth's Warming Eve certainly ended happily for all involved (except the windigoes, but no-one really minds them)

Question: For the sake of this challenge, do Crystal Ponies count as ponies?
My arguement for this being that they aren't technically like other ponies, being made of crystal and all...

Cuz... Y'know.... I kinda wanna make a disaster for them... I even have a name for their leader!

Emperor Emerald
Cmon man, you can't say no to a name like that!

....right?

938843
Granted, that's what I did with the death month. But still, picturing ideas of any race suffering to come up on end is still depressing... I mean, who wants to make others suffer?

938861 Growth through adversity, my friend.

938847
We're fine with Crystal Ponies being a race, as they have their own kingdom, culture, history, etc.
Same applies to the Saddle Arabians

938861
Rainbowbob, apparently
In all seriousness, I can see where you're coming from, saying our prompts tend to focus on hardships. I'll make a note to have next month's be more light-hearted in nature

This months prompt is awesome, and I can't wait to get started. One question though before an assumption makes an ass out of us as the expression goes. Is it fine if me an a friend co-write an entry?

938875

I'm not trying to be a sour puss, and even I think I'm being too serious- but is that what Jews were told during ww2?
I see your point, I just others see my point too.

938879 And now their disaster will be.......

STAIRS!

938884
An interesting question, one we've not had asked before.

I'd assume it'd be okay to do so, seeing as we allow multiple entries per person and such things, but I'll still double check with the rest of the admin team. I'll let you know if it turns out to be a no, but you should be alright to carry on otherwise

938903 Seriously? No comment on the stairs disaster? I'm dissapointed now....

Now I actually want to do it, just to see what reaction I'd get

938925
Hey, stairs are utter bastards. Just ask my dogs (they hate the damn things)

938812
Missed this comment, for some reason...
Anyways. We chose minotaurs because the only sadfic we've had for them so far is the Iron Will Jr story from the March competition. Dragons, crystal ponies and gryphons have all had a bunch of sad stories attached to them, so we'd like to see what people can do with these guys instead.

938943

Hmm... challenge accepted.

938925
Kinda makes me wanna write a story about some cows stranded on the 2nd floor of a building

938963

938890 It's quite possible that that those who suffered at the hands of tbe nazi regime were told something along the same lines, but adversity (and the eventual triumph over it) is not only present in a great deal of our world's history and culture, it's ingrained in our very DNA. Overcoming challenges is something that we, as a species, do very well.

I understand that the topic at hand may seem bleak and grim, but no one said that it has to end on a sad note. I understand where you're coming from, but in my mind, the grimmer the outset, the more fantastic a happy ending can be. Not that I write many happy endings.

938925 Aww I was gonna do crystal ponies :( Stairs?! My one mortal fear! Curse such heathen creations! I wonder what tragedy could befall mighty dragons? The Great Gem Depression lol

938968

You know what the saddest part of all this is to me? I've got tons of ideas running in my mind of how a happy ending and a bad ending can come from near extinction or bad event. The sad part? How many bad things that i came up with. What does that say about me?

938967
Your in luck then my co-writer and me had a good laugh about it. Then we thought of an awesome way to use it. so I would like to give a big thank you shout-out to ChaoticHarmony for giving us one of the shortest brainstorming sessions.

938994 I understand where you're coming from, and honestly, I'm much the same way. It's easier to envisio what can go wrong than it is to envision what can go right.

I may be wrong on this, so correct me if I am, professor plum, but I don't see this prompt as being a mandatory natural disaster/ extinction event. The end of a race as they once were could just as easily come from progress. The introduction of technology to a race that has none would effectively be the death of that race as they once were, followed by the birth of a new society. There may be those who cling to the old ways, but the race as a whole would not be what they were. Just an idea. Like I said, Icould be wrong. The mods seem to enjoy their "scorched Earth" prompts.

938999 Lol, awesome to hear I helped

Hmm, this one is going to be a little tough since I haven't gotten to that stage with any of the races yet...

939025
Indeed. Feel free to interpret the prompt however you'd like.

And yes, we'll make sure next months is a bit more positive

939062 oh, don't worry, I'll find a way to make any prompt depressing and tinged with tragedy. I'm like Poe without the talent or alchoholism.

939076
No problem, I'll drink for the both of us

939062

Only next month?

I'm not saying don't make them sad or depressing. But just give us a break. One or two a year seems more than enough, considering a lot of themes can work than one emotion- And there are so many themes yet to be selected on.

Oh let's take- Comedy as an example. Who knows what a sense of humor is to a lot of these races. Now that's a challenge. Sadness and hardship? Those are easy.

939222 You could try a black comedy

Mmhmm... tempted to do donkeys again.

938744

Is it valid if it has a tie-in on an already settled universe? I mean, if I write an entry that's the past of Gryphon Kingdom in... well, you know what I wrote, will the entry be considered valid?

938744

Now this is more like it. Bring it on!

Well, it's that time again. And I do believe this should start with an apology. We know the quality of our prompts has been slipping recently, and we're truly sorry for that. Hopefully this month will set things back on track

Didn't bother me, except for the very last one being about OCs and distracting from world-building, but I still had little difficulty writing for it. From what I can tell, finals and other problems outside of the contest were a factor in the low number of contest entries, based on what everyone else was saying.

By the way, are you still open to prompt suggestions for future contests?

Now, recall the tale of Hearths Warming Eve, if you will. Each of the pony races was brought to an all-time low by the seemingly endless onslaught of blizzards. The Windigoes forced the pony ancestors to flee their homelands for greener pastures, eventually settling in Equestria.

Now, pick a race. This race has, at some point, suffered a similar disaster. They, too, were pushed to the brink. They, too, were faced with the end of their kind. Tell us this tale.

A race/species suffers an extinction-threatening disaster akin to being plagued by windigos (correct me if this is incorrect spelling for the plural)... is that the entire species or a subpopulation of them (say, a subculture)? Does the disaster have to be natural rather than artificial (so attack by monsters is acceptable, but destruction at the hooves of an invading clan is not)? Does the disaster have to be a physical one, or could it be the result of psychological horror or something more ghostly nearly driving them insane? Also, can we use an extinct race and then make it a bad ending?

As a happy medium, we're going to set you a challenge. Internet cookies (and a special mention) shall be awarded to those who dare to tell the tale of the minotaurs! This is completely optional, mind, just for those who want to make things a bit more interesting.

Internet cookies and a special mention... What form will the special mention take? I'm not particularly interested in digital cookies, considering that I can, if so inclined, buy real and edible cookies from the shop round the corner, but if the mention involves a sub-contest within a contest, with its own judging and scores, then colour me intrigued.

(And for the pony of the month, this time it's Fluttershy! Should be fun)

Yay!

There's no reason why you couldn't write a happy story here. Have them start low, but end high. Hearth's Warming Eve certainly ended happily for all involved (except the windigoes, but no-one really minds them)

Is it possible to write one for the windigoes, or are they insufficiently sapient to count as a "race"? Come to that, where would you draw the line for what constitutes a "race"? Are phoenixes or rabbits ruled out, and is it an unwise move from a strategic point of view to try to write a contest entry on monsters like parasprites, hydras, and Ursas?

And before you ask, I do mean sapient, not sentient. I checked the dictionary, and sapient is the one you want if you're talking about human-like intelligence. We're called Homo sapiens rather than Homo sentiens for a reason (besides species vanity, natch).

Anyways. We chose minotaurs because the only sadfic we've had for them so far is the Iron Will Jr story from the March competition. Dragons, crystal ponies and gryphons have all had a bunch of sad stories attached to them, so we'd like to see what people can do with these guys instead.

Sad? Never mind sad - the winner of the February prompt had a serious war story involving minotaurs, and weren't a good portion of the February contestants writers of minotaur stories by necessity? I get your point that minotaurs are underrepresented, but still I could point to other species that fit that category; crystal ponies, saddle arabians, donkeys and mules, sea serpents, buffalo, and farm animals like cows and sheep. Also ahuizotls, if you think Daring Do's archnemesis is based on a species that really exists in the ponyverse.

By the way, are ahuizotls acceptable?

Also, is it possible to have more than one species present in the fic? For instance, could the threatened civilization involve both goats and minotaurs, or are we restricted to one per fic?

Lastly, a previous question that I don't recall getting a final answer to: comic form acceptable (as in Yes Apple Bloom, there is a Santa Hooves) or unacceptable? I don't plan to indulge in it myself, but someone with more creative inclinations might be interested.

938968

It's quite possible that that those who suffered at the hands of tbe nazi regime were told something along the same lines

Be very careful how you tread here. For every individual who has personal growth as a result of such disasters (as if that justified or whitewashed said disasters), there are probably far more who are simply traumatized by it. I'm not saying you'd go so far as to justify disasters on the grounds of personal growth, and I apologize if I misinterpreted your tone, but you seemed to be getting a little too close in that direction for my liking. What makes for a great story (bucketloads of adversity) shouldn't be elevated morally if it isn't so fun for those who had to face the real thing...

939308

I've asked this one before. So long as the story makes standalone sense and the references to your own continuity don't make unfamiliar readers go "what the heck?" then you're fine.

939311

The problem is my continuity has the bane of this group. I'm pretty sure there won't be any direct references to them, but I have to make sure, you know.

938744

Also, did you get my message about the Feb folder here? I wondered if it was worth bringing to your attention the fact that the February Contest Entry folder was unlocked, unlike the other months' folders. I noticed it when adding Laurels to the Other Species folder yesterday.

939317
Huh. Coulda sworn I had locked it... Ah well. It's locked now.

939320

I just checked the folder, and I can confirm it's locked.

939309 I think you may have misinterpreted what I was going for there. I wasn't justifying the holocaust. I was saying that it is very much possible that the nazis had their own twisted interpretation of (perhaps even belief in) offering purity through the sick shit that they visited on those that suffered at their hands, but trying to rationalize that level of suffering by saying that their victims will be better off for it is merely the deluded thinking of a fucked-up mind. The following sentence where I talk about our history being filled with humans as a whole not only recovering from disaster, but adapting to the changes such events bring, was a seperate thought from the nazi thing. Probably should've clarified that (and seperated the two sentences,) but it was late, and I was tired. I apologize for that.

Still, I said nothing of whitewashing or diminishing disaster or tragedy (certainly not manmade suffering, like the holocaust). Don't put words in my mouth, please.

As to your other point, I agree completely, tragedy and disasters are never fun. Adversity and conflict, however, are driving forces behind most everything that is written in this world, which was one of my points. Hero encounters challenge, hero overcomes challenge. It's a big part of what makes a story a story, essentially.

As for the moral side of things... I honestly have no idea where you got that I was trying to justify disasters by saying that they'll make you a stronger person. It certainly wasn't what I was trying to say. Disasters are what they are, and the best that you can do in most cases is pick up the pieces, rebuild, and say "this didn't break me." You'd be surprised at how many people find not just inner strength, but draw strength from family and community in times of crisis. Many people are stronger than even they give themselves credit for.

Anyway, I'm not trying to start an argument here, so I'm sorry that my previous comments sounded like something other than I intended them to.

EDIT: I would also like to apologize if this message comes off as less than friendly, as it's not my intention. that's the problem with text; It's difficult to portray tone without the use of a metric ton of smilies. By the way, a story involving ahuizotls would make for damn interesting reading.

939457

I didn't want to make any accusations; I just thought that patting our species on the back for overcoming adversity ("Growth through adversity" and so on) and noting the universality of such conflict across cultures looked ambiguous as it stood, and therefore that your comment could have looked as though it was getting a little too close to taking the "disaster justification" stance, however modestly. I didn't mean to imply that you actually wanted to say that. I just thought you were coming across in a way that could be misinterpreted as though you were saying that, considering the way you'd phrased it, which was why I asked you to "be careful how you tread". I wouldn't even have noticed such connotations were it not for the fact I've met people on the Internet who have fallen right into Poe's law on the issue (and fallen hard).

No offence was intended, I swear. I am very sorry for making my point so clumsily. I hope you don't think ill of my motives or of the point I wanted to get across, even given the careless and preachy way I phrased it.

939487 Oh, don't be silly. If anyone framed his thoughts poorly, it was me. I understood your motives perfectly, I just got a bit defensive at the thought that I was trying to justify genocide by saying that we grow from it. That was very much not the point I was trying to make.

My point was that as a species, we are able to overcome drastic changes in our lives with much more success than most other living creatures on our planet. My thought process was centered around natural disasters and climate changes when I was talking about that. Manmade tragedies are a totally different beast. It's why it surprised me when Mistershield brought them up; I wasn't even thinking about them when I was writing about triumph over adversity. It's a clarification I should have made.

Anyway, You're not forgiven, because there's nothing to forgive. You've done nothing wrong.

I would like to see an ahuizotl story written, by the way. This site needs more aztec mythology.

939515

Well... if you say so, I guess... I still feel I should apologize for my own gaff, but since both of us have clarified our positions, I'll leave it be.

I mean, I can appreciate your real point about human adaptability: humans are pretty much the only species on the planet to have ever mastered so many different environments, and within a matter of millennia rather than over evolutionary or geological time, thanks to creative tool use and to the ingenious division of labour within the groups they form. And it's true that narratives and conflicts are universal across cultures, which is why adversity of some kind is a must in storytelling. Vis-a-vis the prompt, you can't get much more adversity than the threat of extinction, so I guess this could be a very productive month. Also agree that adversity doesn't have to mean anything graphic or dark. Hearth's Warming Eve itself managed to tell such a story about a societal threat without implying that anybody died as a result.

As for the ahuizotl story, I'm working on it right now. In fact, I've already begun writing it.

I've already got an idea....and I might have time to write it after next week =O

939222
Never said only next month.

939308
Mm, while that universe is a human story, so long as the story itself doesn't involve humans, it should be alright. We'll be judging it as a standalone story, so...

939309

By the way, are you still open to prompt suggestions for future contests?

Sure.

is that the entire species or a subpopulation of them (say, a subculture)?

Either the species of subspecies should be alright, but it should be a reasonably large group either way

Does the disaster have to be natural rather than artificial (so attack by monsters is acceptable, but destruction at the hooves of an invading clan is not)? Does the disaster have to be a physical one, or could it be the result of psychological horror or something more ghostly nearly driving them insane?

Natural, artificial or psychological should all be good.

Also, can we use an extinct race and then make it a bad ending?

Possibly, if you think it can be done

What form will the special mention take?
...if the mention involves a sub-contest within a contest, with its own judging and scores, then colour me intrigued.

While we'd like to do separate judging and such for people accepting the challenge, it isn't really practical for us to do so. The shout-out would probably be in the form of congratulations posts in the results/next month's prompt. Hardly world-shattering, I know, but there isn't actually an awful lot we can offer as incentive while keeping it fair to those who don't want to take part

Is it possible to write one for the windigoes, or are they insufficiently sapient to count as a "race"? Come to that, where would you draw the line for what constitutes a "race"? Are phoenixes or rabbits ruled out, and is it an unwise move from a strategic point of view to try to write a contest entry on monsters like parasprites, hydras, and Ursas?

If you believe you can, go for it. Even rabbits and squirrels have been shown to be sapient, so if you could come up with a reasonable story for them I'd be most interested.
Hell, one of our first winners was a story about pineapples and bananas, after all

I get your point that minotaurs are underrepresented, but still I could point to other species that fit that category

While it's true that Minotaurs have more stories than other species, it was mostly because they don't really lend themselves to tragic backstories that much. Dragons have their insane lifespan for sad stories, crystal ponies have Sombra/slavery/whatever, changelings have Chrysalis/love starvation/whatever, cows and other farm animals have slavery and such, buffalo have their ancestor spirits/loss of culture/whatever and minotaurs have Iron Will. Hardly a tear-jerker

By the way, are ahuizotls acceptable?

Sure

Also, is it possible to have more than one species present in the fic? For instance, could the threatened civilization involve both goats and minotaurs, or are we restricted to one per fic?

No problem

Lastly, a previous question that I don't recall getting a final answer to: comic form acceptable (as in Yes Apple Bloom, there is a Santa Hooves) or unacceptable? I don't plan to indulge in it myself, but someone with more creative inclinations might be interested.

That...
I'm not entirely sure. Can you even get stories like that on-site any more?
It'd be a nightmare to judge for, but I'd give a hesitant yes. Not expecting anyone to do so, but it'd be interesting to see if they did.

939542
Good to hear!

Tragedy? Strife? Conflict?

I'm very thankful that the end of the academic year has finally rolled around... which means I might be able to actually do something here. The possibilities are endless.

Now, a question, if you are so inclined to answer: Does the disaster have to be natural? Could the exodus of whatever race we use be brought upon hard times due to something technological, or political?

939564

While we'd like to do separate judging and such for people accepting the challenge, it isn't really practical for us to do so. The shout-out would probably be in the form of congratulations posts in the results/next month's prompt. Hardly world-shattering, I know, but there isn't actually an awful lot we can offer as incentive while keeping it fair to those who don't want to take part

Oh, OK then. I mean, I'll probably give it a shot anyway, but I gotta admit I was hoping for a parallel contest of sorts. Ah well...

If you believe you can, go for it. Even rabbits and squirrels have been shown to be sapient, so if you could come up with a reasonable story for them I'd be most interested.

Hm. I'll have to think about this one.

Hell, our first winner was a story about pineapples and bananas, after all

...I still think those are the silliest cover names possible, but I get your point.

While it's true that Minotaurs have more stories than other species, it was mostly because they don't really lend themselves to tragic backstories that much. Dragons have their insane lifespan for sad stories, crystal ponies have Sombra/slavery/whatever, changelings have Chrysalis/love starvation/whatever, cows and other farm animals have slavery and such, buffalo have their ancestor spirits/loss of culture/whatever and minotaurs have Iron Will. Hardly a tear-jerker

"Excuse me, but cows and farm animals actually have a mutually beneficial employment that was negotiated over by representatives of both sides of the agriculturalists' amalgamated union. I supervised the negotiations myself..."

Point taken, otherwise. Still, if we're going to take show appearances as representative, then by that logic, diamond dogs should get special notice because they have three incompetent idiots and a pack of dig dogs only slightly smarter than the surrounding dirt.

939656

939680
Aye, we'd have preferred to do more, but it isn't really practical

I still think those are the silliest cover names possible, but I get your point.

Hey, don't blame me, I just rolled with it

Still, if we're going to take show appearances as representative, then by that logic, diamond dogs should get special notice because they have three incompetent idiots and a pack of dig dogs only slightly smarter than the surrounding dirt.

Mm, but you do get the occasional story where they're being forced from their homes, or trapped alone in the tunnels, or whatever. Meh

939694

If you say so, then minotaurs it is. The only other species I can think of with such bad representation (or worse) is the sea serpent, represented by Steven Magnet. I've only ever seen two fics that even feature any appearances of him, and they were both written by the same user. And let's not even go into the "sad" territory with him:

Clearly a tragic figure.