Complete Details for "Letters to Ponyville" · 1:41am Feb 23rd, 2014
I've been getting a few questions involving the letters. I'll try my best to explain everything for those that would like more information.
I'm envisioning the war to be a mix between WWI and WWII. The fighting will be harsh, and there will be moments of oppression. Prisoner camps will exist, and they won't be pretty. Every sapient species will be involved, and there will be defectors. Some ponies have switched sides and the like. The two main attackers will be ponies and griffons. The rest will join in on one side or the other, but it will be hell. Not knowing who is on who's side will be hard on them.
A breakdown of the races: Griffins are fighting the ponies because of multiple slights against them, and they are tired of Equestria flaunting its power. Diamond dogs, also tired of the ponies, have sided with the griffins. Minotaurs are mercenaries, fighting for whichever side pays more. Zebras are on the side of ponies, mostly because their exchange of goods are beneficial. Horses (Saddle Arabia) are trying to stay away from the war, but there are those within the country that want to help (though they are split on which side they want to join). Dragons are keeping to themselves, but if there's something they want, they'll take it (so they, too, are acting as mercenaries, but also not; dragons are hard to categorize).
Politically speaking, Celestia and Luna hold the power in Equestria, the King of griffins lead Griffonia along with his table of (essentially) dukes. Dogs have an alpha of alphas, minotaurs have a king, zebras have the High Shaman, horses have the Caliph ruling with his wife (title: Calipha), and there is no ruler of dragons.
As for the minorities: The buffalo are... well, they're like the Native Americans. So... I guess they'd be around, but not really part of the war? Cows are peace-faring, so they won't get involved at all (though their home is in Equestria). They are Swedish. Donkeys (and the hybrids: mules) are fighting for the ponies, as they don't have a country of their own and make Equestria their home. I completely forgot about all of them until now (4 days after this post). Oops.
Letters will be screened for sensitive information, but that doesn't mean you have to avoid it. I will be working with you in any instance that it occurs so your vision holds, so don't be afraid of saying something in the letter if you need to.
You can write more than one letter if you want. It could be a continuation of the last one you wrote, or it can be a completely different character you write for. You can also write about any time during the war. It won't be posted immediately, because I want them to be ordered chronologically. If you write a letter about the horrific battle that finally brought the opponents to the table for talks, I can't put it with the others involving boot camp. It WILL be published, though. Don't worry.
As I mentioned to someone, "all sorts of letters are sent home during war in real life. Soldiers telling their familes about their day, to some pow wow they had, to the horrors they faced." This is what I'm looking for. You don't have to stick with one thing. I want these letters to be about the soldiers: their day, how they are feeling, anything. Don't be afraid that your idea isn't good enough. As long as it is a soldier writing to someone in Ponyville, you'll be fine.
Quick note regarding the time this war takes place. I'm basing it around a few years after Twilight's coronation, which makes Spike around 17 to me. The age that the ponies can be drafted is 16, but some circumstances can prevent them from joining (like outright refusal by the pony's parents or guardian). I have it in my head the CMC are around 14-15 at this time, but if you really want to write a letter as one of them, I'll allow them to be 16. After all, what's one year in my head?
Who can you write for, and who can you write to? That's completely up to you. Lyra to Bon Bon, Lyra to OC, OC to Rarity, anything goes. The only exception is Spike. You can not write for Spike, as he's the central character in this story. I'll be using him to progress the plot, so I'm sorry to say he's taken permanently. Ditzy Do (Derpy Hooves) is the mail carrier during this war. She won't be an active unit, but I'm sure she might see some things; freedom of press during wartime, you know. You can use her, just keep that in mind. And yes, if someone wrote a letter that uses a character you were going to use, you can still write it. Two people writing as Big Mac may seem complicated, but I'll work to make sure it's not confusing.
Once you have completed your letter, send it to me here in a PM. I'll look it over and make any edits, then work with you on any issues that may pop up. This is both a chance for me to work with more people and yours to try out your writing (if you're already an author, then you get to experiment with letters or something. It's fun!) and will have someone to help you improve if need be.
I think that is about it. If there's anything else, I'll edit this post with new information. I hope you have fun with your letters. I know I will.
