Deviating from the show in terms of writing · 3:46am Feb 1st, 2015
So people like to do one of three things for the most part when it comes to writing.
1: Starting a story at a certain point in the show, then deviating from it, but everything that was in the show up until that point is considered canon in the story.
2: An entirely new world. World building is awesome; it allows you to completely re-imagine what is, and what could be. So long as it's done right, people shouldn't piss and moan too much, although there inevitably will be one or two stinkers.
3: Following events from the show to a degree. The third and final one is where people loosely follow the plot of the show, more to the point of "going behind the scenes" and telling a story from a different perspective.
I say this because I'm wanting to take the first couple episodes from Season 1 as canon, and then add a different series of events to the idea of shuffling around events like Nightmare Night and so on, because in ANCTL Nightmare night will play a pivotal role in the story.
Would it be alright to make events happen sooner than they otherwise would? I only ask this because I want to avoid people screaming at me for saying things like "But that didn't happen later on in the show" and things of that ilk.
Thoughts?
I wouldn't mind?
Are you kidding Alcatraz, the internet is a place where no deviations are allowed, now go back to being a good boy and sip your nutrient broth before the big brother screening tonight.
Pfft. The moment you put pen to paper (or keystroke to document in this case), it's on longer the original world, it's your own. How it's re-imagined, whether accurate to the inspiration or warped into a barely recognized facsimile, it up to you, since you not dictate what has become your world. That's not to say you won't get people raging and railing ans calling heresy. It's the internet. Just keep on writing. I don't care about the deviations, I care about how those deviations are written, and you've been writing everything well so far.
The episodes are mostly stand alone anyway, so shuffling them around shouldn't be too much of a problem. Just don't rewrite an episode with your OC inserted.
2761479
Hell naw, I ain't doing that! No way in hell I'm putting my OC in any of my stories haha.
2761100
Much thanks for your encouraging indifference!
2761071
Sarcasm???
I say go for it, but have a reason in mind for the deviation to happen. Slightly different timeline, a change in the chain of events. The mechanics of time and space are clear, make good use of them.
I myself have a rather drastic change in mind for one of my impending chapters in a future story that would be a gamechanger for the entire show, since a very important individual dies that lives on in the show. I followed the show canonwise until that point, letting the ponies tell the protagonist that certain events happened in his absence.
In short, as long as you can explain the deviation to the reader if he should ever ask, I see no reason why you shouldn't. It's not like we're overzealous around here to burn you on the stake if you ever dare to change something.
Or are we?
Why did I just remember a story where Rainbow Dash was in hospital while Twilight was crazy about the disaster in the future, and where the story starts after the Canterlot Invasion but at the same time starts BEFORE it?
I'm definitely going crazy... but aslong as you are doing it well, nobody should complain.
So long as a story remains consistent with itself, it really doesn't matter about anything else.
If you change something it becomes its own world and in order to work that world must at least a little built up, and worldbuilding is like text catnip.
If it helps any, please take a moment to imagine Pinkie hopping in place with the happiest possible face repeating "Do it! Do it! Do it!"
1: Maintain the story's accuracy to itself.
2: Slap the AU tag on there and go hogwild for all I care. So long as it is well written I'll enjoy just about any story.
2763037
*alternate universe intensifies*
If anything reads iffy on the story itself, I'll make sure to tell you. Otherwise, truck on, it's your story and let nobody say otherwise.