Where do I even start? · 5:05pm Jan 26th, 2019
Well, first off…
Yaaay, In Sheep’s Clothing is actually progressing well! I had some extremely high hopes, and while it hasn't quite reached those initial expectations, it's still doing great. There are still a few big scenes to run through, but it’s definitely closer to the end than it is the beginning. I’m guessing there’s probably 30k more words to run through, but don’t quote me on that. I’ll celebrate more when it’s actually done, but it’s definitely come a long way.
By the way, small chapter tomorrow. Look forward to it!
So now I’ve been putting more thought into what I’m actually going to do once I’ve finished my first story. Namely, what in Equestria am I going to write afterward?
Really, I’m not quite sure. The obvious answer is to continue Overwatch’s story, maybe skip ahead to the wedding or build up to it, but the problem is that the writer for the Twiny series has kinda lost interest in that universe for the moment, so I don’t even know what’s supposed to happen there. Honestly, he hasn’t even said if my own story was canon with his, though I’m not too concerned about that since it seems to stand alone well enough. In any case, I’m willing to let that lie until I get a better picture of where to go.
That being said, I’m not a big fan of sequels anyway. Sequels will logically never grow as big as the first story anyways, and despite the topic I chose for my first story, I would rather not limit who could read my stories from the word, “go.”
So, back to the big question: what should I write? A lot of people would say to just write what I want to write. That’s great and all, but I also want my stories to reach as many as possible. If I’m going to be writing stuff that I want to write anyways, why can’t it also be something that a lot of people will want to read? Part of the reason I went ahead and started Overwatch’s story is that I saw a lot of people interested and invested in a character that I was also personally invested in.
Anyway, I didn’t just write this blog because I was tired of seeing my last blog from two years ago pop up over and over. I wanted to kinda sorta test the waters on some of the ideas I had as well as ask everyone here for ideas of their own they might want to see. Just comment below, and if I like the premise, I’ll… Iunno, put it in a poll or something and see how it’s received by others.
Sooo, here we go. They’ll just be a few short premises, but we’ll see how they go.
The Frozen North has always been considered inhospitable to civilization. Sure, the yaks live somewhere here, but calling them civilized was really a stretch sometimes. For the most part, ever since that one pony empire disappeared out of nowhere, the north has been quiet and peaceful, perfect conditions for writing my compendium on the history of Equestria.
It’s just a little unfortunate that the north has never been a great place for research. Really, how can a wyrm write about something if she doesn’t even know anything about it? And it wasn’t as if any of the other dragons were going to start writing any time soon.
Join Aurora, known as the ice-breathing Winter Wyrm, and her companion Iridescent as they dumpster dive into the ruins across Equestria, searching ancient castles and dilapidated libraries for books and artifacts for inspiration for her writing.
And if she should find herself as the star in a few adventures herself, so be it. A mere side effect of proper research.
Most ponies think of demonic possession as some unknown monstrosity from another world passing over and possessing some poor soul to do their bidding, often with chaotic or destructive consequences. Most believe that such a thing only happened in myths.
Few consider summoning the demon first and possessing them instead. Few are Valiant, who now attempts to learn how to use an unfamiliar body to combat the true demonic threat, hopefully without becoming her enemy’s next victim instead.
Perhaps this would be easier if her only source for instruction wasn’t a questionably reliable source at best and didn’t really, really just want to see her smash her face into the floor for the hundredth time. Such was scientific progress.
To many explorative expeditions, the Everfree was more than just a place of unnatural magic. It was hostile, actively ensnaring and devouring the unwary and foolish alike. Yet despite the danger, ever since its creation with the Battle of the Two Sisters, ponies have wondered just what lurked in the shadows.
One expedition, headed by a powerful, headstrong sorceress, made it farther than any of the others, trodding over burnt vines and destroyed trees. As they reached the deepest parts of the forest, they were beset by a tangle of thorns and whipvines unlike they had ever seen before, sprouting before their eyes and lashing out at them. In a panic, the sorceress charged up her most powerful spell, but the gnarled magic within the forest disrupted the spell, causing it to erupt in a massive flare that consumed everything in the area.
For centuries, the center of the forest has remained silent.
One day, under the light of a new moon and empowered by a burst of harmonic magic nearby, a pod sprouted, growing larger and larger until something inside finally burst forth, gasping and confused and wholly unamused by the latest foible of her new world: civilization.
Lilywater goes on an adventure somewhere Iunno. Maybe she eventually visits those weird pony-bird-things who like pretending to be fish. A tuneless people, all of them, not to mention all these other fish walking around in a desert.
Lemme hear what you think, and don't be afraid to suggest other ideas! I steal draw inspiration from many sources, so throw something out and I'll see if I like it!
I really really like the idea for the Winter Wyrm. Partially because I've also had the idea clinking around in my head for a scholar dragon of some kind and partially because I really like the idea of digging through ruins and finding artifacts and old books.
I don't like the Valiant one very much just because it seems kinda... anime plot-esque I guess? Which is fine, to each their own it just isn't one of my favorite passtimes
anymore.Whatever you decide to write I can't wait, your work so far has been awesome and I would greatly enjoy more of it, no matter the trappings of the work.
I'm for the first or the third.
I like all of these, with Everfree in a slight lead, followed by Aurora. Following Lilywater anywhere would be a blast.
Aurora then Valient.
Though personally kinda want you to just build the sequal into Sheeps Clothing, (Like have a Timeskip chapter then keep going) and branch off into your own world disregarding Twiny entirely.(Never read it, found this via changling searchs.)
Mostly because you do changelings really well and they are by far my favorite race... And your take is just so interesting.
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Thanks for replying, first of all. Overall, it seems that out of the newer story ideas, Aurora's seems to be better received. I like where I could go with that story, especially because it's not necessarily confined to a single area. I could really expand on Equestria's background, both in the past and present as sort of an extension of the myths I'm already doing. There's a lot of potential, at the very least.
For the Everfree one, I was planning for more of a plant pony sorta story. Honestly, I'm not quite sure where to go with that one, other than it could be fairly interesting. It'd have to be more on-the-spot writing for the character interactions, but I have plenty of experience with that already. The Valiant one was hoping for more of a murder mystery. It was an interesting concept, I'm not too sure on my execution of a compelling mystery plot. There's nothing really stopping me from reusing some of these concepts in whatever I do decide to write.
As for continuing Nymph's story, it's possible that I may just keep adding to that original story, even after my initial plot finishes. There'll have to be a lot of planning before I consider restarting it afterward, definitely towards building up certain interactions and relationships, but it's not impossible. It'd probably get more traction if I just add chapters to In Sheep's Clothing rather than make it a separate story, like a second arc or something.
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I'm TOTALLY onboard for more Nymph arcs! That would make me very happy.
Aurora has a lot of potential to be just plain fun.
Everfree interests me because there's a certain kind of story that I really like that I don't think has a name, that involves a viewpoint character who knows significantly less or significantly more than others about the milieu and usually has to keep their true origins a secret. The way you describe it, it might just hit the spot.
A little mystery is always good in any story!
Here's an idea that I've been mulling that can be taken in a lot of different directions: ponies are natural terraformers. Make of it what you will
Everfree jumped in front of both of the others in my book thanks to your added description. Nymph is still first though because Nymph.
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I think what's going to happen is that I put out a couple starting chapters for both Aurora and Everfree and see popular reception for them, kinda like a pilot episode for TV series. Aurora is a matter of trying to plan out a character or adventuring arc, which means a lot more world building before I can feel good about that one. I'm kinda excited for Everfree now because I realized that there was a named character with a nature motif that already exists in MLP that I could slot in as the protagonist.
It's someone that none of the Mane 6 have actually met in canon :P
I'll keep considering another Nymph arc. I'm debating whether it should happen during the 15 years up to NMM's return or jump forward to NMM's return with a few snippets of what occurred in the 15 years. There's still room in there for a conspiracy theory or something, maybe.
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Good plan!
I like the first three.
Still, you COULD just continue Overwatch's adventures. I really like them, and even if it's no longer (or becomes no longer) canon with the Twiny series, the whole point of it was to create a really neat AU. So, a continuation of her adventures -- maybe Twiny would be involved, or there could end up a Changeling embassy/troubleshooting force that she heads (which could perhaps lead to an all-or-part Changeling Elements of Harmony), or she just tags along on their adventures...
The real issue is having TOO MANY options.
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I've been thinking about where Nymph could go after this story ends, among other things. There's still plenty of time before Nightmare Moon, technically, so I could probably do something in the interim, or I could just skip a few years here and there and try to make it to the fateful Summer Sun Celebration. There's a potential idea from the ending chapters from the first Twiny story that might have a decent amount of intrigue as well. There's plenty of possibilities, but just because there's plenty of fish in the ocean doesn't mean I'm going to get a bite from something good. I'm going to put some more thought into it while getting the other stories ready to release and finishing up the current story arc. There's still planning out the starting chapters and trying to make appealing cover arts, so it's somewhat lower on my lengthening priority list, but we'll see how the dice fall.
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You make your own art? It's quite good.
I've run into that sort of issue with mine. Writing it is horribly slow, since it's priority -1 for me right now (== may finish it before heat death of the universe), but it's rather hard to find art for a science-fiction/MLP crossover, especially when it involves a sentient starship disguised as the moon (can't imagine why...). I'm thinking either a solar eclipse shot with the Elements flying in front in V-formation (color-themed Rainboom(or Knights of Cydonia mech engine flare)-style trails behind) and NMM on the moon's surface, or one of those Orbital Friendship Beam shots from the moon toward the screen, but as seen from orbit, with some ships in the foreground. If this should interest you, please let me know.
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Believe me, if I was any good at things that aren't just ponies or people, I'd offer to help. I'm not all that fast at art either, though a pencil and paper lineart and some rudimentary editing in Paint Tool Sai shouldn't be too difficult. I just need to think of something pretty to draw.
For now, I'm just working on getting through In Sheep's Clothing. I'll probably start on the art for now right after I notify my editor to skim through my chapter for tomorrow and work through chapters for other stories steadily alongside my usual writing.
Hmmm, what to write?
How about do a story with the tree of harmony?
It did take Twilights appearance during an episode, it is a living, sentient thing now. kinda wanna see what you could do with that, where it could go.
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Which episode? I completely stopped watching the show after a while. It sounds like an interesting idea to consider, though I might end up rolling that idea into one of the prompts I already have.
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In an episode called "What lies beneath". In season...8 i think. Idk, its on netflix.
If i could wright anything of interest i would. Sometimes i get good ideas but i forget them latter that day because of work. I had an idea for that tree but now i cant think of it.
Whatever you do I'll be glad to read it.