Bastion Update, and Upcoming Preview, Possibly. · 8:48am Sep 30th, 2018
Well, it was predictable, and it's happened.
I've gone over what I had for the next Changeling Blood story, and I've decided I need to scrap the whole idea and re-think it at a concept level. Bit of a behind-the-curtains post, this.
So, as you may know, the initial concept was that the griphons were sending some inspectors to talk to the Ponyvillians with regards as to how the changeling boy is fitting in: is he safe, are other ponies safe around him, that sort of thing. The idea was to paint a picture of Bastion Pristin after he'd settled in. The Fluttershy talk and Rarity talk were easy, everything else was slow to get started.
I've figured out why: this is a story about Bastion, and Bastion's hardly in it. He has very little to 'do,' and almost nothing to show off his actual character. This is particularly problematic seeing as he hardly had a character in his first showing. He was new to having his own personality, he had to remain reserved. There were excuses for it. There are none now.
So I'm going back to the concept level and redoing it. The idea now is that Bastion overhears the griphons are sending their inspectors, and it just so happens to be during the preparation for the Summer Sun Celebration. I can show what happens when he overreacts, how his friends correct him, and basically have the CMC and him go about their normal business with the griphon disaster looming over in the background: flight practice with Rumble and Scootaloo (probably under Thunderlane's instruction, I might toss Derpy in there for good measure,) modelling for Rarity (it's really convenient to have a single model who can fit any size), helping make the floats for the parade (changeling glue, very handy). I can decide how dramatic, comedic, or preachy I make everyone from there. I'm not giving all the Mane 6 a talk because, really, not all of the Mane 6 would interact with the little changeling all that much. That said, I'm keeping the two (and a half, ish) I have already.
Which brings me to the preview. Since it's been so long since I posted anything, I figured maybe I'd give you a teaser by posting the talk with Fluttershy as a blog. Or Rarity, your call. Depends on the interest. Good idea, bad idea, anteater?
Planning-wise, it looks like I may not get to finish the Bastion thing before December, maybe even year's end. The whole series idea, still no clue how or if I can do it. The Apple Bloom/String Bean thing has a more solid plan, the Scootaloo/Starlight friendship map 'episode' fic still has a few kinks that need to be ironed out in the concept, but it's coming along. I will spoil that I'm re-using a colt OC of mine. Given that it's a Scootaloo-centric one, you can probably guess who 
I have another talk coming up soon regarding the job, so far it's been pretty exhausting, but my schedule looks like it will normalise over October, which is good. November, I'll be focused on original content again, most likely, I can't say for sure how it'll impact the pony writing. Right now I'm trying to get my bearings again, mostly relaxing with some video games, writing at set times to get into the habit... when my laptop doesn't shut off at random in the middle of a sentence. Seriously, I love it to pieces, but desktop next time, not laptop.
If you're still with me, thanks for your patience. If not, well, we'll meet again on the front page, I suppose.
Cracker out.
Griffon. The spelling used in the show is griffon.
Also her name is Ditzy, calling her Derpy is unusually cruel for Equestria, her name would essentially be "Retard".
Starlight/Scootaloo could be a cute dynamic. Lord knows that girl needs some one on one counseling.
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I've always used the name 'Derpy,' never really thought it a term of offense. Actually, the gamer YouTubers I've heard use it typically use it as a term of endearment. Then again, not an American and neither are they, so... chalk it up to regional differences.
I do keep track of how I spell the race names, so the story will follow the double 'f' spelling for griffons, as its prequel did. For the Starlight/Scootaloo thing, I refer to a previous blog where I pitched the idea.
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That just raises further questions!
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Not really. Derpy's name is Muffins, if you're going by strictly canon names. Alternatively, her name is Derpy because that's the name that was spoken aloud in the show (and that's what everyone calls her, including the writers). "Ditzy" has never been used in any official capacity.