Actual Blog Post Number 1! · 7:29am Jan 7th, 2014
So I'm taking a small (one hour, don't worry) break from Chapter 6 in order to actually write a blog post. Tonight I shall delve a bit into my inspirations for certain aspects of Close Call, as well as an inside look to my writing process. Exciting, right?!
Anyhow, inspirations. Of course, the entire story is inspired by Kkat's original Fallout: Equestria, which in turn is inspired by My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Fallout: A Post-Apocalyptic Roleplaying Game; however, what I'm talking about here are the inspirations for different aspects of my own story. The prime example here is Close Call's special talent; or rather, how it plays into his profession within Stable 81. That aspect is very simple: I myself am a sucker for languages (I'm fluent in three, passable in about two or three more). I chose this for my main character not only because it would be easier (this is my first "published" story), but also because I felt it would put a unique twist in my story, something to separate it from the rest.
When it came to depicting Zebras and their culture, I at first didn't know what to do. Between the fics and the show, there seems to be a dissonance on how to depict Zebras: mostly splitting into either Sub-Saharan African (MLP:FiM), or Roman (FoE, primarily Project Horizons and New Roam). The question was, which one to do? Through chapters 1, 2, and most of 3, I chose to side with the Roman aspect. With the creation and introduction of Oya, I had a thought: why not both? By incorporating the aspect of a Roaman Empire, I wouldn't have to just focus on Roaman (Roman) culture; in reality the Roman Empire was huge, and vastly different cultures from different parts of the empire could still be considered "Ro(a)man". What I'm saying here is that Oya's ancestors were indeed part of the Zebra Empire; jut not the Roaman part. Incidentally, this client status of her ancestral home is how she knows both "Roaman" (Latin), and "Cowhili" (Swahili) as well as Pony (English).
Now, as I'm sure you've guessed, while we're talking about language, this is also my inspiration for many of the names I use in Close Call. There's only so many horse-related puns in English, so I turned to other languages. Sukawaka, for example, is a Lakota Indian word for Buffalo. And for those of you who are wondering just what the Hell I'm talking about when I name these ponies, here's a list:
Close Call: Duh.
Parum Sororem: Little Sister
Insusurro: Whisper
Admiratus: Surprise
Afflata: Inspired
Sunny: Duh
Butcher: Duh
Oya: African goddess of change, storms, and war.
As you can see, most of these are simple. Admiratus and Afflata, Close's parents, are based on original concepts for the Mane Six (Surprise was Pinkie Pie's original name, Inspiration was supposed to be Rarity's Element of Harmony).
You may also see the detail I put into some of the characters' cutie marks. There is a reason for this, but I don't want to tell you right now. Maybe later, if you do your chores.
My writing process for chapters is fairly streamlined by this point. First, I take notes, making a rough outline of what I want to happen in the chapter. I used to do this (up to Chapter 6) on a notepad, until I got my tablet. These notes are most often taken while I'm at work. After I get an rough outline of the chapter, I split it into sections, hashing out various details and how they either add onto previously created concepts or how they'll play out in the future. I'm pretty much vaguely planning future chapters as well, or at least getting an idea on what they'll be about.
After I get these notes taken down, I sit down and type. This typing used to take place only at home, or in places I could get my massive laptop. Then I picked up a little flash drive, and thus can be seen writing at work as well. My job is slow sometimes. More often than not, I'll only sketch out part of a chapter's notes before I start writing, then outline some more when I reach the end of my notes. After I finish a chapter, I do a quick proofread and post it. Then I usually break for a few days to a week before starting the next chapter.
Annnnnnnnd that's my first blog post! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for Chapter 6! Oh, and also, if you had any questions for me, consider this an open forum! Communication, yay!
