Feb
13th
2022
Question of Week #44 · 12:40am Feb 13th, 2022
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Question of the Week, the part of the blog where I have to rack my mind to figure out the question for the week.
This week I had a hard time thinking of anything... so...
I guess the question is... What are your opinions on stories with Harems? And what do you think is the optimal number of characters to have in a harem story?
Well, I guess that's it. I hope you all have had a wonderful week. 
Not really a fan, tbh. One relationship takes a lot of work; I canāt imagine juggling many at once and I also canāt help but feel that someone would feel left out.
I prefer stories with āherdsā that include a leadmare and on occasion a leadstallion. The social dynamics can make for interesting storytelling.
5635746
And that also goes for writing them; people will insist on trying to write a romantic relationship when they've never been so much as hugged by someone who wasn't their mother, with predictable results.
5635788
Whaaat? Who would do something like that?
ā¦cough
5635771 I guess I'm not too familiar with the herd concept. Do you think you might be able to explain it to me? If it makes you uncomfortable to, then feel free to tell me via PM if you like.
5637909
No worries.
So the general principle is to add aspects of Earth equine culture to the story so it isn't just about humans in a different coat. When it works, this makes the story more interesting.
The show canon shows about 4 mares for every stallion in Ponyville. Many authors have adopted the idea that mares far outnumber stallions in their stories. Some authors create herds with more than one mare and sometimes more than one stallion. For example, Herding Instincts by Spiky Brony. In those stories, there is a "leadmare" who is the boss of the females in the herd. That story also includes a leadstallion because that universe allows more than one stallion in a herd.
For the story Goldfur and I wrote, Off The Mark, before Celestia and Luna took over, there would be an alpha stallion and alpha mare for each herd. Each could be challenged to a duel-to-the-death by another who wanted that position. The Royal Sisters outlawed the practice but noble ponies found a loophole. By allowing other mares to join as "herdmares" who answered to the "leadmare" who was the only mare legally married to the stallion, nobles got to bed more mares while legally preventing any progeny of those unions from inheriting wealth. Because of the gender imbalance and no potential for violence, Celestia and Luna allowed this practice to continue as a cultural institution that skirted beneath the law.
If the concept of herds works for you, incorporate into your stories with your own twists.