I am currently working on a fic that features Zecora heavily from chapter 7 onward. In order to do this correctly I am researching how to write for her. I will create a document to help, with examples. It will be long and will need specific formatting, does anyone know where a good place to put it would be? Maybe G-docs and just link the hell out of it. What do you think?

well i'm writing a fic with Zecora too. I just use a thesaurus to help

403331

iambic pentameter plays a large roll. Her speack is based off of it but in all honesty the best way to write her iambic pentameter is to be slightly off on the second half of the rhyme.

the best way to get Zecora's voice
is to practice her speaking by choice
it might not make sense of what you rhyme
but you will get better in due time
granted it will be hard I won't lie
have fun like eating a pie

LOLz

My rule of thumb is that she rhymes when possible, but in an uber serious situation she'll ditch it for quicker speech.

449297 Is right, pretty much the only way I know how to do it is just by practice, by coming up with the basic idea that needs to be expressed and reworking it until it fits, sometimes it's easy (like the coming tea example) sometimes it's hard.

524564 I've never seen Zecora ditch the rhymes. In my characterization of her, she always rhymes, even in serious situations. Rhyming is a call back to the ancient rituals of magic, that she's known for (witches, brewing potions, chanting over a cauldron, putting you in trances and doing evil dances, etc), and the tradition is refereed to as "using words of power".
She seems to do it naively, also, in the IDW Comics, two other Zebra do it natively too. Since her skills allow her to simulate magic, via alchemy, they serve to reinforce the idea words of power (in their historical context of spell casting).

Examples: from To Cure Deception (where she plays a major supporting role despite low "screen" time.)
When she's happily talking about tea with Applebloom.

"Here’s a chance to show what you've learned, the flavor of brew is yours to discern."

Dismissing herself from a conversation with the Cakes:

“I encourage you to take your time, another subject now is on my mind. I bid you 'have a good day', for I must to speak with Lateré*.”
*Spanish derivation of the Latin "Latre - to lie in wait", meaning "to go over there"

To go call out a hungry changeling in public:

“It is still Latere Vesco*? Or by another name do you now go?”
*Latin, to Lie in Wait, To Feed.

When she's pissed at a said changeling:

“I know of no potion that I could brew, to soothe my troubles of the likes of you."

or when she's foretelling (spoiling) a 15 chapter story, 6 chapters in:

"Yes, dear filly it is good that you see, but I thought something more there may be. Mr Greymane and I are not friends, though I once treated one of his kin."

Yep. There isn't a reason I can think of that Zecora would ever have to stop rhyming. They're not all quipy one-liners either, there are two points in the story where she is forced to explain complicated ideas to the main character, but those are really spoiler heavy.