Chapter 5 of A World, Reflected; workflow; and on Equestrian Profanity · 8:53pm Jun 20th, 2014
Work on Chapter 5 of A World, Reflected (tentatively: "A House, Divided") is progressing. Chapter 5 is likely to be longer than the others (just so there's room for Twi to meet everyone) and that's probably going to continue going forward; this is where the story is kicking into high gear and close to the pinch in Act 2: Syd Field's term for the midpoint of a story, the moment when the protagonist stops reacting and starts acting and going on the offensive.
Which is going to be so fun to write.
In general, I'm going to do a chapter every other week or so (or try); and in between chapters, do a short story. This helps me get proper distance so I can judge what the bigass long form story needs. It's also a way for me to manage my tendency to distract myself with shiny new projects.
I'd like to take a moment (just sit real tight) and tell you all about the reason my pone's swear by Dawn's light, if you wouldn't mind. There be salty language under this line.
I'm operating under a headcanon assumption that the events of the show as presented are - well, the in-universe version of a children's show as well as literally being a show for 8-year old girls; the reality in universe as I write it is a great deal messier and a little bit darker. Not much; I still think of Equestria as a generally great place to live, monsters and mayhem aside. But a little bit; more so in Mature stories, less so in Teen-rated stories.
When my takes on the characters would spout vulgarities ("shit," "fuck," and so on), in general I just let that stand. "Buck you" was funny the first time, not so funny to me the 108th.
Profanities and blasphemies, on the other hand - "Goddamn it," "To hell with you," "for the love of Christ" - well, obviously that presents a bit more of a problem for a writer working with the FiM universe. The fact is that there isn't much evidence of organized religion or even religious symbolism in FiM as presented, the Elements of Harmony aside (and 'on my Kindness' sounds milder than even 'oh my God' to my ears.)
There's some MYSTICISM, to be sure, but for the most part magic is treated as a science with rules that interact with the rules of normal physics; they're not unnatural but supernatural, superseding physical laws with understandable and rational magical laws.
A lot of fics deal with this by having characters swear to Celestia and Luna. Fallout Equestria did this, and it worked pretty well for that fic. Thing is, Fallout Equestria also took place long, LONG after the deaths of Celestia and Luna, long enough for people to forget that they weren't omniscient and couldn't hear and respond to everyone's prayers, wishes, and profane oaths.
Plus, my headcanon Celestia would frown on being deified. She beleives (at least, when I write her) it was shit like that that helped lead to the Nightmare Moon incident - where she was deified and Luna was not, or worse was abominated. Some ponies will swear by Celestia in my fic, but this is going to be rare and archaic.
Swearing by the sun, the moon, and the stars, on the other hand... Celestia would have no problem with that. And I imagine she'd have a healthy level of awe for the powers she works with.
So:
Dawn and Dusk.
Moon with Stars.
Sun blast you to a cinder.
Send it to the moon for all I care.
Empty Night.
(And for that matter:
Bends of the Dark (Rainbow).
Tirac's horns / Katrina's fangs.
Rainbow of Light preserve.
To Tartarus with it.
Roiling Chaos take it.
Nightmares take you.
World's roots.)
This implies that ponies have a more animistic view of religion than is usual in the west and I'm pretty okay with that headcanon.
What do you think? How do you handle swearing ponies in your fics?
