Not dead, just busy. Also, input please. · 12:10am Apr 25th, 2014
I just thought I'd let anyone who cared know I haven't stopped writing or forgotten to continue posting chapters when they're complete. I recently started a new job, which has sapped all of my time and energy. I'm a bit further than halfway through the eleventh chapter of The Club, and it's shaping up to be a fairly long one.
While I'm sharing, I may as well admit I've also come up against a writing block. I'm having a hard time with this chapter, and I think it's because the writing of a couple scenes feels a bit clunky. So, as I am wont to do, I pose a question to everyone reading this: Is it worthwhile for me to include characters who will only make occasional appearances and have very little bearing on the narrative for the sake of giving Twi and Rare ponies to interact with? What I mean is, Rarity's Club parties are smaller and more intimate than Pinkie's; she has only invited a few (like four or five) couples to attend and likes to interact with her guests on a more personal and intellectual level. No huge party games or performers. Instead, conversation on Club happenings, politics, BDSM techniques, etc. as well as naughty, yet high-minded fun such as doms playing poker and betting their subs as collateral.
Yikes, that description got kind of long. Let me restate the question. Should I spend time introducing Rarity's guests, which will slow the pacing, or should I just throw the readers (and Twilight) into it and let you guys kind of figure it out as we go along? I'm afraid I might be getting bogged down in the little details, but I don't want to let things get confusing by just thrusting several background characters into the story and having them interact with the main characters without giving the reader any indication of who they are.
If they aren't important then I don't see a need for more than a sentence giving us a name or detail to tell them apart for one scene.
Hmm since you are not sure how these characters may ever be used again I would suggest giving details only when needed. For one thing it fits what the club stands for as the members use anonymity there as well. By keeping details sparse you give a mystery to the reader and due to the lack of details if you need one of those characters to do something you are free later to do so since these characters will not have a great many details to conflict with yet. Then if you use these characters later you look like you were foreshadowing or giving hints early when really you had other designs but these characters ended up being useful.
2044678
Oh, you and 2043886 are probably right. I just seem to naturally write dialogue as characters in my head start chatting and I'm just like, "Ponies, c'mon. We have a narrative to finish."
The only problem with your suggestion of keeping supporting characters anonymous and giving them the potential to be retroactively foreshadowed (aside from admitting here and now that I'm not foreshadowing; screw you, Future Gohma Dameon) is that I'm using background characters from around Ponyville as a sort of nod and wink to the fact that yes some of Twilight's less close friends and neighbors are in The Club too.
I suppose the best thing to do would be to give just enough to infer which character from the show they are and rely on the savvy reader. (I hope only people who watch the show are reading this, because why else would you, honestly?)
VERY MILD SPOILERS THAT HAVE NO BEARING ON THE PLOT, BUT HEY, MAYBE PEOPLE CARE ABOUT SURPRISING LITTLE DETAILS THAT ARE PRETTY MUCH JUST FOR FUN
On that note, I've already decided to have Aloe and Lotus show up as well as Vinyl and Octavia. Does anyone want to suggest any side character ships? They can be mainstream, crack-licious, gay, straight, silly as all get out, and hey feel free to suggest it even if it's morally reprehensible 'cause we don't judge here. (Disclaimer: Some of us will absolutely judge you. I encourage anyone who does, to do it silently. However, I have no power in this realm.)
/END MILD SPOILERS