More new characters · 2:09am Oct 29th, 2023
I've recently finished a scene where Dinky gets to know one of the platoon members. I find Dinky's POV to be fascinating to write, though all the Dinky POV scenes will be brand new content (for you old fans out there) because Dinky wasn't previously written into this part of the story. She's a fun character to see the world through. Innocent and naïve, happily venturing into things that are over her head.
The old version of the next part of the story wasn't one of my favorite scenes. It was before I knew how to handle pacing. So I'm rewriting it but keeping some of the content that was still good while tossing the redundant stuff and adding some fresh bits. I'm also breaking it into shorter pieces because I want my target chapter length to be 3000-4000 words ideally. It just makes for better pacing in a complex action/adventure fantasy story.
I'm bringing Windy Scarlet into the narrative earlier than before, but I have to pace her personal exposition out a bit so that her characterization comes through at the appropriate time. She'll definitely be one of the characters we get commentary from regularly during the mission.
Sergeant A.Pone (and yes, in case any of you missed it, his name is a spoof of Sergeant Apone from Aliens. If you haven't seen that movie, go watch it right now because you've missed out on one of the greatest pieces of pop culture history) ... he replaces my old generic Sergeant Archer (for you old fans out there). I'm trying to give my old generics a lot more personal flair now. Like Daisy...
Speaking of Daisy, I have been so unhappy about how I came up with that character for so many years that I simply decided to redo her identity entirely. Old Daisy (for you new fans) used to be that awful neon-pink florist with the lime-green mane who freaked out at everything, including Zecora when she first appeared in MLP. I figured as a fanfic writer, I was obligated to use that as her character start and push her through her racism to eventually become comfortable and quite familiar with the zebras. She eventually became the story's go-to source of zebra exposition. But it was so cringe because there's no realistic way you can make that Daisy into the platoon's lieutenant.
So who is Daisy now? She's a buckskin mare from somewhere other than Ponyville who has never had xenophobia, doesn't freak out at silly things, and isn't colored like a horrible accident at a paint factory. Daisy still serves as our resident zebra expert, but now she's earned her callsign "The Daisycutter". Nyx will be getting to know her over the next two chapters, and she will be an important part of the rest of the story.
A medic... It occurred to us that the platoon itself has never had its own medic, which made Flitter the only medic onhand during the story. It only makes sense that the platoon should have a combat medic from the start. Probably a corporal. We'll come up with something. Flitter will probably connect with this character over the course of the journey, and their views on medicine will probably be vastly different from one another.
I'll probably have Rumble looking up to Sergeant A.Pone as a masculine role model. Rumble himself is pretty masculine already, which was always my goal with him because let's face it, MLP is sorely lacking in masculinity. But A.Pone is nearly a hyperbole, and of course Rumble's admiration of him will be contextual. Nyx will roll her eyes no doubt with a smile.
The platoon probably also needs a grenadier. Rumble will definitely connect with him because Rumble likes his boom-booms.
That's about it for now, but I just thought I'd pop in and mention that story progress is still coming along smoothly. Just be aware that not every week is a "writing" week. Some weeks are "designing and planning" weeks. 
This means some chapters might be published more than a week after the previous. Though if a chapter is ready, I will most likely publish it the following Tuesday or Wednesday.
and i look forward to see dinky. and good idea about the medic, they are highly valuable after all