Tips for Writing MLP-Fanfiction: Naming Conventions

If you are going to write a fanfiction based on someone else's work, understanding that work is fairly essential. I have read hundreds of fanfiction, and there are a lot of blind spots in even the most detail-oriented stories on the internet. This is especially true of MLP-fanfiction where writers will focus almost entirely on the show how characters behave but never really on why and how. I decided in response to these blind spots to create a few helpful tips to help writers understand the world of Equestria better. The goal of this is not to say one cannot break the rules and conventions displayed in the show but rather point them out.

---

Almost every fanfiction includes a few original characters in the mix even if they are for short scenes. The writer has to figure out the purpose of these original characters have for the plot and richness of the setting, and then decide on their name and appearance. Writers go through all this trouble creating characters that they don't actually pay attention to how and why characters have their names. It is important to note that there are different rules for ponies than for non-ponies.

First, let us start with ponies. It would be easy to just say that ponies have names that relate to their Cutie Marks, but not only is that reductive, it isn't the whole truth. Ponies get their names from their personality and their position.

For example, the name 'Twilight Sparkle' has less to do with the Cutie Mark than its theme. In the first episode, we are introduced to three important ponies. First is the main character Twilight, and then are the two royal pony sisters Celestia and Luna. Celestia of the Day, Luna of the Night, and so the name Twilight fits the thematic. If we go further, we can look at the other princess's protege: Celestia's former student Sunset Shimmer and Twilight's new student Starlight Shimmer. 'Sunset Shimmer' is basically two loose synonyms for 'Twilight Sparkle'. 'Starlight Glimmer' is a hybrid where the first name ends with 'Light' like 'Twilight' and the last name is another synonym.

Back in 2013 when I was writing a fanfiction, I wrote another character following this theme named Evening Glimmer who was also a former student of Celestia's. I did not expect Starlight Glimmer, so this gave me interesting implications for their relationship to one another.

When creating a non-pony characters, the general rule is to make the name alliterate with the character's species: Gilda and Gustav the gryphons, Chrysalis the changeling, Discord the draconequs, Mulia Mild the mule, and Doodle the Donkey.

This isn't always the case, there are plenty of important non-pony characters that don't alliterate: Iron Will the Minotaur, Matilda (who is apparently a donkey, not a mule), Spike the Dragon, Little Strongheart and Chief Thunderhooves the Buffalo, and Daisy Jo and Mooriella the cows.

There are plenty of drawbacks from always alliterating and following a theme with non-ponies. For instance, how many bug-related names start with C that can be used for changelings? I recommend for changelings taking one of the naming themes, going for bug-related names like Thorax and Buzz or alliterating names like Cherish and Concern.

There are other issues to address with names, but I will leave it here. If you have any questions, I will happily answer them. The next post in this series will address Cutie Marks.