Stormy Notes · 3:56pm Mar 28th, 2012
or: 700 Words About an OC? Really?
Oh hey a blog post. And also a big A/N for Stormy Nights. Haven’t read it? Get cracking! Thar be spoilers here, so read that first. I can wait.
All right?
Let’s begin.
There are two things about this pony that are never stated outright:
First of all, the story says repeatedly that Stormy is a clumsy pony. Yet I have plenty of opportunities to show her being clumsy, which I don’t take. (E.g., going over her balcony instead of through it, perching on a roof edge.) I break Show Don’t Tell there, don’t I? But consider who is telling. A pony with serious self-esteem issues, and The World’s Greatest Father.
Stormy, in fact, is much more graceful than she gives herself credit for. She’s just been receiving more negative feedback than positive, and this has had its effects on her self-image.
Which leads into the second thing: Her father. Here’s some food for thought:
Both of her parents are unicorns. In fact, there are no pegasi in town at all.
Her bedroom had a heavy magic theme, with magical toys that a pegasus is completely incapable of playing with. It screams “we were expecting a unicorn.”
Her father is resentful, and her mother feels guilty.
Their marriage is in shambles.
Pegasi come by the town every few years.
Get it yet?
Sterling is not Stormy’s real father. Vanilla Crescent committed adultery, and became pregnant from it. Stormy Nights is an illegitimate child, and she has no idea.
Which brings us to the story prompt, and indeed the whole premise: “A pegasus filly does not understand why her unicorn parents are yelling at each other.”
I like to throw what-ifs into my writing. We don’t hear much about weatherponies, so the main character can be one (or at least destined to be one). The series in general is about sunshine and happiness, what about a pony whose specialization is the rough stuff? And the prompt is a sad one, so let’s toss our rainpony into an environment custom-made to oppress her. She likes rain? Born in the desert! No other pegasi in town, so she can’t get any formal training. And deserts have no need for weather, so no weather team. I love when elements fit together like that.
Getting Stormy’s personality was tricky. A pony whose thing is rain and darkness is way too close to some Linkin Pony listener (“Craaaaaawling in my fuuuuuur...”) and I didn’t want that. I went out of my way to make sure Stormy genuinely enjoyed the water. And the whole lightning thing had me make sure Stormy didn’t cackle in glee at the thought of shooting bolts of death. Or have people think that she’s evil but is in fact Dark And Misunderstood. Blech! Stormy is naturally upbeat and likes to have fun, but life just smacks her down sometimes.
Strawberry’s lightning phobia was a late addition. But it gave a good opportunity to have Stormy help her friend, while getting helped herself.
Also the wine tunnel scene, going right into Stormy waking up in bed? Yeah, that was an intentional scare. I regret nothing.
If you are wondering why Sterling (whose last name is Facade, for the curious) stuck around, well, they still loved each other. Or they thought they did. Whichever. Sterling couldn’t bring himself to hate his wife for her infidelity, so he redirected it onto the poor child. Vanilla kept convincing herself that it wasn’t that bad, and that keeping her husband was worth whatever cost. It wasn’t until that Sterling became a physical danger to Stormy that Vanilla decided that enough was enough.
And now that I’ve explained to the four of you still reading about how I got a story about adultery, critical injury, and (emotional) child abuse an Everyone rating, I can formally announce the sequel.
Stormy Nights 2: In the Clouds
Stormy 2 will take place several years in the future, when Stormy has grown up, and when starts her career as the weatherpony she was destined to be.
Coming [strike]soon[/strike] [strike]later[/strike] eventually!
*Sees post about Stormy 2*
YESYYESYESYESYESYESYESYES 
*Does Twilight impression*
Woo! Don't Forget to make a blog post hen that thing is published, I'll be one of the first people to track it!
47626
Will do!
8 years late, but I totally got the self-esteem issues. Missed the infidelity stuff though! Anyways, onwards!