Chasing Dreams · 5:50pm Mar 23rd, 2013
Hey, everypony! Figured that, now I've got a few words up here for people to look at, I'd write a bit on how and why I put them here.
First off, a bit of background. I was exposed to the show at the start of season two, by two of my brony friends. My first episode was 'Lesson Zero', and I hadn't laughed so hard at a cartoon in a while. I couldn't understand how this was meant for little girls, and not for everyone. Once my wife discovered the show a few weeks later, there was no turning back.
About two thirds of the way through the second season, I decided I wanted to know just how many of us there are out here, and I stumbled into Equestria Daily. I was amazed at the volume and quality of art, music, writing, and crafts that other bronies had already brought into the world. It was slightly depressing, however, as I felt I had nothing to contribute myself. I desperately wanted to put something back into what had given me so much.
My wife is the one who suggested I write a story. So if you like Chaser, thank her.
Anyway, enough about my story, you're here for Chaser!
The real twist is that Chaser wasn't actually intended to be a story at all. See, his home village, Snowfall, is a project I've been working on for a few weeks, and I've written up a list of ~150 ponies who live there so far. Chaser was just a background pony. I have a 'mane cast' I had been working on story ideas for. I was idly going through my list, and discovered that he was one pony I still hadn't given a cutie mark or description to. Try as I might, I couldn't come up with an idea that felt right for him, and I pondered it for probably fifteen minutes before I proposed a question to my wife. "Do you think there are any full-grown ponies with blank flanks?"
My first story is the result of that conversation, and Chaser is now my incidental star of the show. See, the thought resonated something in me that I hadn't know was there. It also illustrated a thought that I think so many people can connect with; I'm sure you've wondered if you're really 'meant' to do something special in your life, or if you're just another background pony in someone else's story. I know I have. Chaser has shown me that no pony is really a background pony. I hope that as his story transfers from my mind to the page, that he continues to teach me things. I also hope his story can help others to remember that they don't need a cutie mark to have something special inside.
Thank you, and enjoy.
That's a cool thought. I think we've all thought that way one time or another. I know I have. That's the way of fan fiction, though, isn't it? A lot of the time, we readers and writers wonder about the background characters and their stories. This fandom, in particular, pays attention to the background characters. Some of my favorite characters never speak on screen or are even named officially. I love that. It means we get to play a little more with characterization and explore in ways that are limited by the main cast's character profiles.
So play on. I can't wait to see what comes out of this fandom next.