Out of Imagination Error · 12:44pm Feb 11th, 2016
I think it's time to face the facts: I'm not writing ponyfic any more.
Not because I've lost my interest in ponies, or moved on, or anything! I just don't have anything to write. S5 was a lot of fun, and packed with possibility; now, we're going to be getting S6 sooner or later. There are those articulated action pony figures at long last, complete with a giant armored Spike -- and I don't have a single idea for a story. Not even one of those 300-word semi-drabbles I used to tinker with.
Well, it's wrong to say that I don't have any ideas. I've got a couple, as in two that come to mind, old ideas that I can't get started on, or know what to do with.
The first one is already kind of faking, as it's a story I started years ago, but which then fizzled out: "The Shadow over Hoofsmouth". A pony crossover with H.P. Lovecraft's famous The Shadow over Innsmouth, it starts with Rarity inheriting a weird tiara of greenish gold and mother of pearl from her maternal grandmother. Things progress from there, and let's just say that having seaponies in your bloodline isn't going to work out so well; it would be a dark adventure story, but not without some levity and pony fun. But... I'm about halfway through the whole thing, have a good idea where to go with the rest, and absolutely no drive whatsoever to write any of it down. Besides, I've never been able to find a halfway decent cover image anyway.
The second is a bit more ambitious thing, ultimately about the origins of Spike. It would be a story of Celestia's friendship with a dragoness she tried to oust (forcibly) from Equestria centuries ago, only to be talked out of it. The story would unfold over several chapters, in episodes separated by years or decades, of interactions between the alicorn princess and the dragon, the former softening on her original "nobody but equines in Equestria" attitude, the latter starting to feel that there might actually be something to this idea of civilization. Also, there would be indentured kobolds (better known as "diamond dogs") for both comic relief and clash of moralities, an explanation where Celestia learned to communicate via dragonfire, and why she ended up with Spike's egg just awaiting for someone to magically hatch it.
Unfortunately, it would be a ton of work, and I don't actually have any idea how to turn it from this broad outline into an actual story. So it's unlikely to happen... and with my luck, the show would end up invalidating the whole thing long before I was through, anyway.
And... that's about it. Beyond those two, all I have is tiny little fragments of *want*: I want to write about Sunset Shimmer and her past. I want to do a Rarity-AJ-Rainbow Dash triangle ship. I want to look into what makes Zecora tick and why is she here in the Everfree so far from her native land (but I never will, because *BUY SOME APPLES* that rhyming). Only I have no idea, no plan, how to turn any of those vague fiction cravings into a story, or even a skeleton of one.
So, to reiterate: I'm not writing ponyfics. Because I ran out of imagination and creativity and drive to write somewhere in the past and have no idea how to recover it any more.
From what I'm reading, it seems that what you're lacking are boundaries. Creativity isn't just taking a blank canvas and getting started, so much as it is tying yourself to a few goalposts and then maneuvering in between them. (Brainstorm with other people helps a lot)
For example: Just saying you want to write about Sunset Shimmer's past is much too vague a concept for your brain to go: "Oh yeah! This is what I wanna do!" But if you add modifiers like: 'I am going to start with her relationship with her parents, and what made her stand out and become Celestia's protege.' Then I believe you will suddenly have ideas aplenty.
Of course, if that doesn't work, I'm totally up for a brainstorm session.
Feeling that. Still got the rough outline for the All for You sequel roughly plotted out and started but I just haven't sat down to it properly since the first fic ended over a year ago now. Sure I can point to excuses like some of the reception to that fic being really fucking annoying, other projects still being worked on and a broken laptop keyboard meaning I can't type in bed like I used to, but well they're just excuses.
Also got a oneshot fic that I roughly plotted out a couple of months ago to deal with Flutterbrute and Flutterbat going out drinking while occupying the same body but I could never quite commit myself to properly sitting down and typing it out. Shame really as I do like some of the ideas it's just doesn't quite hang together as a fic and I think it might come off as too nasty in places as Flutterbrute really should be an unpleasant character.
Well, if you're so inclined, there are always groups like the Idea Exchange you could use to grab inspiration.
3747567
Could be. The problem is, I can't come up with any particular limited perspective to narrow things down to where creativity might start.
3748105
That might be helpful, but I'm probably too busy wallowing in whatever ponyfic authors are supposed to be wallowing in to pay it much attention right now.
3748241
You're free to use the ones I suggested, and of course, conversation helps flesh out those anchor points.
The Giant Armored Spike thingy actually isn't that great for me... it hasn't answered any of the questions that I've had about him and only amplifies some worries.
I'm in the same boat. I've had dozens of ideas for stories, but when it comes time to move them from concept to reality my muse deserts me once again. Unlike you though I think it has something to do with the show. I can't help but feel that I've bounced off the limits of what I can expect a show for nine-year-olds to provide.