What you could call rather a discussion to discuss well...some characteristics that are seen throughout many fics on a certain background pony. And perhaps...to develop some new ones as well.

For example, we all know Derpy is a mail mare who has a daughter called Dinky and to some extent...apparently Sparkler as well. Carrot Top seems to be all about Carrots...until some other fics describe her in a new light.

Colgate or Minuette is portrayed as the dentist.

Cloudchaser and Flitter are apparently good friends with Rumble and Thunderlane, foal-sitting Rumble from time to time.

So...is there any background characters you'd like to explore and interpret?

EDIT: On a side note...Blossomforth needs a tag. Soon. Now. Not tomorrow. Now. Darn it, I was supposed to stay on subject.

2522878
Cheerilee often seems to have combat skills and mob connections. Or maybe that's just Lunaverse.

2522985 Can't say I've ever heard that one before.

2522878 You know who I've always wondered about? Bon Bon. Aside from when she's portrayed as a changeling (which is quickly becoming overdone), she's always just been known as Lyra's marefriend. If she wasn't a changeling, what would her past have been?

2522878

One of my personal favorites is Cherry Berry. She's in a boatload of episodes, and she's arguably the balloon owner or normal pilot. She's the one that rescues the balloon in Spike at Your Service, and she's the one collecting money to take Fluttershy back to Cloudsdale.

I've used that idea for two one-shots, and a longer story that's in the works.
(http://www.fimfiction.net/story/51158/61/the-album/cherry-berry-aviatrix and http://www.fimfiction.net/story/86168/high-flight, if anyone is interested in either).

I'd also like to build up a little personality around Ambrosia (probably related to the Apples).

Note the apple slices cutie mark

Finally, I think it's worth exploring the relationship of the Doctor (Dr. Stable), nurses, and foal (Nursery Rhyme) at the Ponyville Hospital. I'm assuming that the doctor and the foal and at least one of the nurses--who's the foal's mother--live at the hospital, but I haven't gone much deeper yet.

.

Personally, I think that a lot of background ponies go unloved--even ones who are in many episodes.

2522878
Well to me Derpy isn't a mail mare or the mother of Dinky. I personally think that that is way too overdone and trite.

As for Carrot, Carrot Top is one of my personal favorites. She's seen in a lot of scenes along with Written Script (the gray stallion) and Dinky. Personally I think they're a family. I find it funny how they're always saying goodbye to each other at the train station. I like expanding upon that, I mean it must be kinda hard having your husband or boyfriend always away on business trips and whatever.

Also, I don't really see Colgate/Minuette (I prefer Minuette) as a dentist. I mean, she dresses up as one during Nightmare Night; who dresses up as their occupation for Halloween? I always kinda thought her friends tease her about that so she decided to humor them and dressed up as a dentist.

Who I would like I see expanded is Berry Punch. She gets next to no development besides being some drunk mare. I want to see her life and her day to day struggles. I mean, alcoholics have it rough, like why not develop her relationship with her daughter?

Also, Mayor Mare. She is positively one of the most adorable background characters and yet no one has written anything for her. Why not? She's freaking cute, and she's pretty interesting, I think anyway.

Same goes for that Wonderbolt no one gives a shit about: Misty Fly. She's been introduced to us for as long as Spitfire and Soarin' yet Fleetfoot is more popular then her. Like what? We've known Fleetfoot for a whole season less than her, yet she's more popular. I don't get the logic behind that.

2523099

Who I would like I see expanded is Berry Punch. She gets next to no development besides being some drunk mare. I want to see her life and her day to day struggles.

One written and one on the way. You could also try Thoughts of an Alcoholic from The Album

As for Carrot, Carrot Top is one of my personal favorites. She's seen in a lot of scenes along with Written Script (the gray stallion) and Dinky. Personally I think they're a family.

I can't--just because it would send part or all of six of my stories down in flames (unless there's an episode where it's explicitly stated, in which case I'll deal with it like a man--curl up and cry). I will accept that there is a close relationship between Dinky, Carrot Top, and Written Script, though, and I might fit it into the story I'm currently working on.

Same goes for that Wonderbolt no one gives a shit about: Misty Fly

Also in a story that's currently on the back burner for me,

2523324

I think it's perfectly fine to have these ideas. The point is that there are many interpretations of these characters and that we can't just accept one idea over the other, especially if that other idea has taken hold as being main stream. I mean, the other half of figuring out what most people accept is to see how they can be altered or changed.

Cloud Kicker is notorious for her personality described in the Winningverse, but there's a ton of other good stories that don't portray her in this way. Neither those stories or the ones in the Winningverse seem to suffer.

(But hey, I suppose we'll just wait like you said until the show says what is canon and what is not.)

2522998

Probably a candy maker from Canterlot. Or you know...a psycho murderer. Okay, shouldn't use that as an excuse....

"What's the background of Colgate?"

"Probably a maniac from the insane asylum"

"Carrot Top?"

"Carrot fetish maniac from the insane asylum."

"Umm...Derpy?"

"Probably a doctor from the insane asylum..."

"..."

"...who then escaped."

Yeah...not going to work.

2523008

Hmm...I think the foal must be an intern at the hospital. Doesn't look like she's related to any of the hospital staff. As for that security guard...what's his story?

I mean, we've seen the Royal Guard and Sheriff Silverstar. I guess the Wonderbolts do a decent job at acting like drill sergeants, but other then that, the show never really explored how law works around here. That's more of world-building, but the whole security guard was intriguing.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he also have like a radio on him?

2523792

I think it's perfectly fine to have these ideas. The point is that there are many interpretations of these characters and that we can't just accept one idea over the other, especially if that other idea has taken hold as being main stream. I mean, the other half of figuring out what most people accept is to see how they can be altered or changed.

Certainly, part of the reason we write fanfics is to explore what the show's writers haven't, and to put our own spin or ideas on particular characters. And, there's an AU tag for a reason. On the other hand, there's potential pitfalls about going too far out of what other readers have accepted as their headcanon--that isn't a reason not to do it, but it's something any writer should be aware of. As
2523099 said, a good case can be made, using examples from the show, that Dinky is the daughter of Carrot Top and Written Script. A well-written fic with that premise would probably garner a fair number of downvotes just because it goes against people's headcanon--but a lot more people would probably like it. Certainly there's a huge spread of Luna characterization, from abacus-using Ye-Olde-English-speaking Luna to gamer-Luna, and just about everything in between. And some of the less popular background characters are ripe for the picking. Are there any fics that feature Twinkleshine? How about Shoeshine? Is she Ponyville's farrier, or does she just make the oversized horseshoes they use for games and hang up around their houses?
Does Allie Way have a job? If so, what?
Conversely, who does the plumbing in Ponyville?
Oh, there's so many topics to explore . . .so tread new ground, people! Make your own path!

2523933

Yeah, but I think we as readers ought to understand that our own headcannons aren't always going to show up. It's too bad readers can't accept it if someone tries to deviate from their headcannons. Rather unfair for the author.

2523933
As for Shoeshine...

Alright, don't start throwing tomatoes at me. I did write a fic with Shoeshine and Silverspeed as former burglars trying to adjust to life in Ponyville.

2523837

Hmm...I think the foal must be an intern at the hospital. Doesn't look like she's related to any of the hospital staff. As for that security guard...what's his story?

Like I said, I think she's the daughter of Dr. Stable and one of the nurses, and that those three (and possibly all the nurses) live at the hospital. That seems like the most likely explanation for why Dr. Stable and the foal were all chasing RD in the middle of the night.

There was one fic I read a long time ago about Vigilance (he's apparently officially named "Night Watch"), although I have no memory of what it was called. I think it had him being an aspiring Royal Guard, or washed out/retired from the Royal Guards.

He does have what appears to be a radio mic attached to his shirt (I watched part of the episode to confirm).

2524078

Interesting to note that especially in the later episodes, the Mane Six never use these and instead go for elaborate light signals. I don't know...I guess I just thought radio would be more useful in some of those situations.

I think I recall the fic. "Walkies" I believe. Screw Loose and Vigilance bonding together as guard and dog.

2524056

Alright, don't start throwing tomatoes at me. I did write a fic with Shoeshine and Silverspeed as former burglars trying to adjust to life in Ponyville.

I'll give that a read. . . .

2524097

Interesting to note that especially in the later episodes, the Mane Six never use these and instead go for elaborate light signals. I don't know...I guess I just thought radio would be more useful in some of those situations.

I've assumed that some of those items we see exclusively in the hospital are government issued supplies, and too expensive for ordinary ponies to own. It's one of the ways I'm explaining away some of the schitzo-tech in my long HiE.

I think I recall the fic. "Walkies" I believe. Screw Loose and Vigilance bonding together as guard and dog.

Yeah, that's the one.

2524145

But then again, Twilight is now officially a princess. And what they are doing is technically for the kingdom, right? So shouldn't they have priority over a rent-a-cop?

2522985

Combat skills? Mob connections?

When did the school teacher have that at her disposal...

Maybe it's just the lunaverse.

...Or not.

2523099

Out of curiosity, what do you characterize Derpy as?

2524693
You're gonna hate me forever.

I've been working on Derpy's story and characterization for about a year now along with a friend who has been patient with me chucking my ideas around with him.

So out of being kinda cynical and being all "fine fandom, you want Dinky as her daughter? Have her as her daughter!!" I made Ditzy (Derpy for you guys) a rape victim.
I picture her as a very shy, reserved individual. She isn't very trusting of others, but she's optimistic, she wants life to be happier and better, and even though she doesn't have that she smiles through it and tries to tough out her days. And at the end of the day, she's content to curl up with her best friends and relax, no need to worry, no fear or messing up. Just be herself.
Oh and I also have her give Dinky away for adoption. I have Carrot Top (who's married to Written and has Sparkler as a daughter) adopt Dinky. Oh and Carrot and Ditzy aren't roommates or even that close of friends.

I have Raindrops as Ditzy's friend. I don't like how people rarely try different things with the ponies. And a lot of my head canons lore isn't just based on my dislike of this, it's based a lot on the canon of the show, which characters I see interacting with who. Which is why Rainy is friends with Ditzy.

2524904

That's a pretty interesting take. What about her eyes? Birth defect or accident?

2525233
Just a birth defect.
I tend to not really focus on her eyes. I mean it's a part of her, why have her have a conflict with something she's had all her life, or at least for a long time.
She would have already had time to have gotten used to the fact that her eyes are all askew. In my writing (not posted here) I tend to not mention her eyes in descriptions unless they're focusing on something to give the illusion that they're always kinda derped.

2524103

Well if you're interested...it's "Re-Looting".

2525711

Alright, and what about Raindrops? What do you characterize her as?

2524904

I have Raindrops as Ditzy's friend. I don't like how people rarely try different things with the ponies. And a lot of my head canons lore isn't just based on my dislike of this, it's based a lot on the canon of the show, which characters I see interacting with who. Which is why Rainy is friends with Ditzy.

Ha! That's the exact same thing I think! I think Derpy and Raindrops have been friends since they were fillies.

2526275
Tossed it on my 'read-later' list last night

2526278
Oh Jesus. You ask me about the one character that is the least developed out of my 4 main characters. Maybe she just seems the least developed compared to the other 7 (reoccurring supporting characters). Well Raindrops, she's nice, not the most patient pony but she can be patient with certain people. She's kind of pushy, once she has her mind set on something she won't budge, that's her greatest fault I think. While it does help her and those around her at times, her stubbornness does get in the way. She has this tendency to think that she's always right, but not in a pompous or arrogant way. It's more she doesn't admit when she's knows she's wrong: she keeps insisting that what she said/did/suggested was the right thing to save face. She also has this kind of motherly personality, it's not always present, but when given the opportunity she can be very tender and compassionate and care for her friends like they were her own. But as stated, she doesn't always act like that, I'd say a friend would prob have to be having a meltdown or be sick, and she'd go all 'mom' on them. She's playful, mildly rambunctious, and she's fiercely protective of Ditzy; she has a big sister instinct towards her. To her Ditzy's one of the closest friends she has, and the second someone messes with her she'll jump in to defend her and tell the harasser off.
So yeah, that's my Raindrops. I suppose she's fairly developed, she's just the one character I don't really have a backstory for.

2523324
That story warmed my heart. It was sweet, and funny, and sad at the same time. I actually really like that Berry Punch, quite similar to how I depict her. The other ones nice to, I liked the ending how she's all "fuck all you guys, I do what I want!". But still, only two stories doesn't change the fact that she's constantly depicted as some dumb drunk. I'm happy that there are at least those two (and maybe one or two more) but I just wish there'd be more like them. Oh well :/

I can't--just because it would send part or all of six of my stories down in flames (unless there's an episode where it's explicitly stated, in which case I'll deal with it like a man--curl up and cry).

I feel like an absolute asshole now... Is it bad that I found humor thinking of that situation actually playing out? Probably, I'm a horrible person. 'Its something!' Fair enough, it's something, and that's nice, I'm going to have to read your stories. I personally love CarrotxWritten, they're so cute. When I was watching Equestria Girls I couldn't help but notice one of the student that looked a lot like him. One of the kids in the theatre clique. And I'm like oh my gosh, I have more material to work off of now, oh I don't even care that it isn't canon!!

Also in a story that's currently on the back burner for me.

Oh my gosh, REALLY?! You have a fic with Misty Fly in it? You sir are awesome, I want to hug you so bad! I love Misty Fly, she's one of my favies. If you ever publish that fic, I'd like to let you know that it would be welcome in my Misty Fly group. Yes I made a Misty Fly group; she deserved one.

2526285
Oh wow that's cool
I personally don't think they're fillyhood friends, Ditzy in my head canon didn't really have friends as a filly. I see then becoming friends when they're older, they share a house in my story. Rainy didn't want to have a whole house to herself, and Ditzy didn't really want to live alone so they roomies.

2524203

I was catching up on episodes last night, and noticed that in "Bats" they have mouth-held flashlighs, and in "Power Ponies," Twilight now has a floor lamp. So maybe she is getting the swag, now that she's a princess.

2541089

I feel like an absolute asshole now... Is it bad that I found humor thinking of that situation actually playing out?

I was all set to write a Cloudkicker story (I like working with underdeveloped characters)--pages of research, episode notes, etc. Then The Life and Times of a Winning Pony was featured, and I knew that whatever I wrote would be compared to that. Ah well, such is life.

Oh my gosh, REALLY?! You have a fic with Misty Fly in it?

Now that I think of it, maybe it's three--there were two I wrote around the rainboom, back when I first started writing fanfiction. Neither of them were finished, but I've been slowly going through some of my older stories and seeing if there's any hope at all for them. Who knows, one of them might see the light of day sooner or later. (The one that came to mind at first is in my editing queue, and I promised it on a blog post, so it'll be posted . . . eventually.) She' mentioned in passing in Celestia Sleeps In--Chapter 12: Sunset.

2545712

I was all set to write a Cloudkicker story (I like working with underdeveloped characters)--pages of research, episode notes, etc.

You too huh? I love working with underrated characters as well; they're fun and full of possibilities. I thought I was the only one who did that. You will not believe how many story and episode notes, and character pages with detailed descriptions I have. I've also put quite a bit of research into several things to make sure I was portraying certain aspects of my story accurately.
But dang, that stinks. Wow, if that happened to me, yeah I probably would've found a corner and then curled up in it and cried. I cannot even imagine how that would feel. All that time and effort and research... just wasted. To be honest I never liked The Life and Times of a Winning Pony, I just thought it was dumb, but at the same time I have to acknowledge that the stuff that doesn't center around Cloudkicker being a whore or looking for "someone to bang" is actually really well written, and pretty heartfelt. I've only read the Apologetic Letters of Rainbow Dash (or something like that) all the way through, but I just kinda skipped to the letter parts. I can't really describe my frustration with that fic and its subsequent side stories. I think it stems from Cloudkicker just being really unlikable in my eyes. Plus, like you, I had my own interpretation of Cloudkicker, with her own backstory, and unique personality. I hadn't even heard of Life and Times until I told a friend about my story. She asked if my story took place in the Winningverse or the Derpyverse and then proceeded to show me what she was talking about.

I'm gonna post it anyway; I developed my Cloudkicker without the knowledge of that fic, so I'm going to act like I'd never heard of it, because in all honesty, I wouldn't have unless somebody mentioned it in the comments. If only people wouldn't expect you to write your characters as carbon copies of what the popular fanon is. alas, it's the way life is sometimes .

Three, that's impressive. Around the Rainboom... so it would take place during or shortly after the Best Young Fliers competition? Hehe, when I go back over my old stories I cringe. I critique myself way to harshly, which is why I don't post a lot of what I have written; I don't think it's good enough. But I would definitely like to see those, there are no fics with Misty Fly, so it'd be nice to read someone else's interpretation of her.

Around the Rainboom... so it would take place during or shortly after the Best Young Fliers competition?

Yeah, since she was one of the judges, she kind of had to be there.

One of the stories was what was going through Dash's head as she made the dive, inspired by this OVERLY EPIC YOUTUBE VIDEO OMG MAKE SURE YOUR SPEAKERS ARE SET TO STUN.

The other one was a sort of AU ponies in the afterlife--Rainbow didn't pull out of the dive in time, and all five of them died. It was an interesting premise, but I never write RD, so it didn't come off very well. (bonus! for my version of the pony afterlife, Ed Parker in Equestria) <---shameless plug

2546719
Well yeah, that's where I first noticed her, I really liked her mane design. It wasn't to crazy tomboyish like Spitfire's mohawk (not that I don't love Spitfire's mane ). It sort of had a slightly more feminine touch to it; the way it flowed and was kept. But that's just me.

Wait so if it was taking place in Dash's head... how?... Or was Misty Fly just a side/background character? I thought you meant she was a focus character. Oh well, better than nothing.

Oh wow, now that's interesting. That's very interesting. While situations like that are often imagined, I don't think it's ever really written about much.

It was an interesting premise, but I never write RD, so it didn't come off very well.

but didn't you- the other fic- never mind...
I don't like Rainbow Dash much; I know if I ever wrote her she'd come off as too much of a jerk.
Shameless plugs be shameless

2524097

Yeah, apparently a trading card game came out, so someone went though and renamed a bunch of ponies on the Wiki, claiming that as an official toy / merchandise, the name is now canon.

Vigilance / Night Watch and Pokey Pierce / Pinprick were two affected background ponies that I'm aware of, although I'm sure there were plenty of others.

2580383

Yeah, I did see the card game. They should at least keep their former names in parentheses. The problem is entire fan fics and artworks have been dedicated to these background ponies under a certain name and it can't change. I don't understand why they decided to keep some and eliminate others.

I suspect for Vigilance though, there weren't enough fan works for people to notice the change. Same for Diamond Mint. As for Pokey Pierce, well...all I have to say for the hundreds of fans out there 'that's too bad.'

2522985
I never thought Cheerilee was considered a BG pony until I saw this group's banner.

2546511
Awwh. I like that version of Cloudkicker.
But at the same time, I totally respect you for going against the norm.

3823222
Eh, my hatred for her depiction in that fic has only grown since my original post date.
It's not even about her being "portrayed wrong" or anything, because, they're background ponies. You can characterize them however you want. It's just that I find Cloud Kicker to be a reprehensible character who is unlikeable and only was said to care about her friends, not shown, because the author decided to extend the story.
I can respect the fact that you like it, but yeah, it's just not for me. I just find waay too many things wrong with it.
But thank you ^^

Cute avi by the way.

3830128
I see...well, I haven't fully read the entire story/series yet, so I guess I wouldn't know that. Of course, I could easily say the same thing about some other characters.

Cute avi by the way.

Thanks!
If I had a nickle for every time I heard that (or a similar response).

I think someone agrees about Blossomforth.

2522878
In Moonkind: The Wayward Butterfly, I decided to make Sassaflash scatterbrained because she's so busy that she can't remember everything, but competent when she's focused. She's also not afraid of Pokémon, which weirds out the other ponies in Ponyville.