Ideas for a new non-FoE project · 3:53pm Jul 16th, 2014
So, I'm a little torn. I'll be finishing Horizons in a few months (at least I better be finished, dang it!) and need to move on to another writing project. I don't want to fall into a gap where I stop writing for long. I'm kicking around thought. While I have ideas for FoE stories, I have to admit I'm a little hesitant to start yet another FoE story. As much as I love it and Horizons, I don't want that to be my only thing.
One idea I have has to do with an AU where season 4 didn't end quite like in the show, and instead of the box holding rainbow power, it holds a seventh, undefined element. And how Twilight has to decide what it is, how it works, and what new element of harmony is best suited to defeat Tirek, and who best embodies it. It'd involve batponies, changelings, griffons, and zebras as Tirek readies his next push... taking over the rest of the world!
I have no idea how many others have written 'seventh element of harmony' stories, but as easy as the idea was for me, I fear it's one that's been explored several times.
I have something much more OC based in which two ponies uncover a plot to assassinate the Princesses and overthrow Equestria. It has to do with Equestria's founding. While it would involve the mane six indirectly, it would be more focused on an OC.
I have other shorter stories ideas that might be worth pursuing. One is a different take on Sombra and the Crystal Empire. Another is dealing with Pinkie Pie (shutter) and another is Fluttershy performing the hardest caregiving of all: for her father.
I can't write them all. So any thoughts which would be better for me to pursue. I am not an avid fic READER because I'm loathe to steal ideas, so I'm not sure what has and hasn't been done.
How about instead of a new element, the box held an Ailcorn filly that the mane 6 have to raise. I'd be all over that to become one I it's pre-readers.
Go for the OC centric assassin plot.
Much more fun.
~Skeeter The Lurker
I'm all for the Season Four finale revamp
Horizons? Finished? Ha!
I like the idea of the OC driven plot, so that might be good.
In the past you did well with small,character driven pieces so the one about Fluttershy sounds like a winner to me.
Seventh Element? I can't think that I've read many that covered that, and certainly none that covered it well.
7th Element of Harmony stories are generally either frowned upon or laughed upon, though to say a good one can't be written isn't true.
This idea at face value sounds the best to me. Do you have any other ideas? Only having these few seems a little bit constricting.
I would love to see you write the first story. "7th Element of Harmony" stories are never good, but I always thought the concept could be used to great effect, and I trust you to write something awesome.
I'm going to interpret this literally.
I got one recommendation for you: Short. Do one-shots, limited chapters, whatever. Nothing you can do will be as unfamiliar to you right now as something that's not long.
2291126
Let's expand on that...
Fallout Equestria stories? Finished? Ha!
Really though, it's good to see this winding down (for real). Though you'd have to change the words on your profile picture... But what's a few words among... I'm going to say 1.4, maybe 1.5 million.
As far as ideas go, I'd say perhaps a story set well before modern equestria, perhaps on the Lunar Republic, Crystal Empire, Griffin Empire, or something else in ye olde history book. It's not like you're new to trailblazing headcanon. Though TDR has a story chain of a good length on the Lunar Republic already. I'm not sure of any major works on the other subjects though, I'm mostly here for the fallout.
2291126 I am too gonna finish! I am!
Interesting feedback all. I'll think about it some more. I have plenty of ideas, but I need to know which is best to focus on.
2291293 I agree. This sounds best with the seventh elements sounds the worst.
I would like to see a story set back during the attempted coup of Blackjacks stable. Perhaps seen through the eyes of whichever one of Blackjacks ancestors was present at the time. It would be cool to see what circumstances led to the way the stable is in PH.
As for your ideas, I think that the assassination plot sounds the most interesting. What id the ponies that discover the plot initially try and stop it, but as time goes one of them believes that it has to be done for Equestria. This pony would then go on to undermine all attempts that their friend makes to stop the assassination. I have seen this sort of thing before but almost always as a flashback. To see it happening in real time so to speak would be quite interesting.
I vote for the assassination plot story.
I'd like to see a story in the FoE world before the war ends. See it through the eyes of an ordinary citizen of Equestria. See the tensions rising between the two nations and their effects on the common population, how they talk about it, how ministries are perceived by common folks, etc...
Or just release your secret clop stories... :)
The assassination story sounds like the best to me. I seems like it would be the most driven and have the most room to grow into something awesome.
As for the ending of Horizons, we all know it'll end at Chapter 1,896,904. You don't have to play these games with us. (I am looking forward to the ending of the epic saga of Blackjack, though.)
I've actually wanted a direct sequel to Simply Rarity for a really long time now, where we see what ended up happening to Unique and how Sweetie Belle finds out about her. In my headcanon of the time line, Unique is very much alive and well. Could be an interesting plot twist for the story of Rarity's life when she was a foal, and I know you can pull it off.
2291462
I agree, at least for a while. It'd give you a chance to try a number of different things, and it might alleviate the pressure to get 25k words every 4-5 weeks if each story is just finished rather than hanging over your head for a long time.
On story choice, the one I find most interesting is the assassination one, but for the above reason I'd say try something else first. Out of the shorter ideas, I like the alternate Crystal Empire premise the best, but for all I don't really like Pinkie your versions of her tend to grate on me less.
Now, moving on to your fanfic reading: while I understand the feeling and of course your time is limited, such that time spent reading is time not spent writing, I encourage you to remember that your feelings on the matter (and I know you've written that elsewhere, too, but can't find them at the moment) can apply to your benefit, too. Of course, you don't have to read, but I sincerely hope nobody would hold some overlap against you and in this case it's possible you're being too hard on yourself. If nothing else, you can always remember Lobachevsky's lesson on "research."
Another story by Somber? I'm still trying to catch up on Horizons!
The assassination plot sounds great. Especially with the way you do world building. I'd love to see something like that come out of you.
Okay. I got chapter one done. Much smaller in scope than my FoE chapters... I hope.
2294113 Chapter 1 of which story?
2291536 I think almost everyone seems to want that assassination plot, myself included. Goodness knows you're no stranger to writing intrigue :D
The assassination fic. Trying to share it with someone so they can give it a read over, but I'm not sure how to do that.