One day, you're writing that one fic and you post it... fans of the show come to read your story, and guess what?

They complain... not because your writing's horrible, or the plot is stupid... but because they feel you didn't do the ponies any justice! You find yourself realizing that ponies aren't written the way you'd see them in the TV show.

So my question to you, fellow peeps, is is there any tips of getting the show's characterization down? Like, tips to get it right?

For example, say you write Applejack's character, give her some lines, but somehow, you just can't replicate her unique way of speaking. Or someone like Rarity. Or hell, even Spike. Get it?

Sometimes I notice a little extra effort needs to be put in to get it right, unlike an OC character. So what do you guys think?

608444 Go to youtube and listen to how people with a similar idiom to your character talk.

For me, I just write like I speak when doing Applejack. I'm actually from the Missouri Ozarks, so it comes naturally.

I'd like to know as well since, One of my main characters is Fluttershy.

608444
It is always hard to make a good copy of someone else work, and that most of us know the show like the back of our hands are not making it easier.

I would say don´t write any of the mane 6 unless you know 100% that you have them right, because as you already have said, there is going to be fans that complain. And it is always better for a story to have a descent OC than a descent mane 6. Our expectations to the mane 6 is just higher than to other characters. That is one of the reasons that I try to keep away from stories with the mane 6, because it is so damn hard to get them right

But if you really want someone from the show, then take a background pony, because we do not know them as well as the others, so it is easier to fill out things and get away with it. Beside, maybe are you the first to write down a trait about one of them and make something fanon

Even an OC character requires effort, because even though you've created who they are and all of their defining traits, you still have to work extra hard to make sure they stay there. As for canon characters, my advice is to watch the show, choose an episode where you thought a particular character was exactly the way you want them to be portrayed, and then always reference that when you're writing.

Also, it helpls if you just write the characters the way you think they would act, then decide which ones you feel most comfortably writing. Use those characters as the POV for the story.

I haven't written in a while, and what I did write was kinda poor in terms of the characterisation. However, I've spent a fair amount of time learning how to write a character's personality. Firstly, I would recommend rewatching the show, and looking out for your character that you're going to write about. Examine their mannerisms, idioms etc. and try to use them in your own fiction. Next, every piece of their dialogue has to be thought about, each character would reply to something in a different way, try to imagine what would happen if what you're writing about actually happened, how would you character respond?

I think it's worth keeping in mind that the characters in the show also shift characterization from episode to episode. I.e., how much Spike crushes on Rarity changes completely depending on the writer of the episode, the blatant flanderization of Rainbow Dash's character in Mare Do Well, etc.

608444

Original characters from My Little Pony show can be written in totally different way, if you want to.

Problem is, that you need to have really good Reasons why are you doing this. For example, in my fiction, Luna don't use fancy Old Equish, because in my fic, she already learned how to use it in modern way ( + she know how to speak perfectly with Low Gothic, but shhh! ).

Well, if you have a problem with Applejack lines, I hardly doubt there are any reasons to not make it fancy as it is in show. But you can make some copy-paste operations using mlp.wikia + other fics with good AJ writing ( highly recommend Crisis : Equestria here ). Of course, not directly copy-paste, but rather using other fics as Dictionaries. Yes. That works.

I've only written OC ponies, but one of my stories features Princess Luna and an older Twilight Sparkle. Luna, I believe, was easy to write, due to her somewhat cold manner and stoicism. I've dealt with people like that before. Twilight was also a bit of a breeze because... well, she's older, now. sometimes people grow in personality with age. I did try to make her retain some of her younger self, but I think it shows that I had no problem with it.

So, don't ask me. I don't think I've truly written one of the show's cast yet.

Some of the best advice I ever read about writing characters, in general, was to imagine said character, say Twilight Sparkle, in a blank room all by themself. Then try to imagine what they would do and how they would act.

Going back to the Twilight example, she might pace around the room for a little, all the while tapping on the walls to see if perhaps they were hollow or solid. She may look for a door and, not finding one, would furrow her brows curiously. After standing there, thinking for a few minutes, she might try magic. If not even magic could get her out she would almost assuredly start reading a book on the subject, if she had one on her person. If she didn't have a book she may start to freak out, as she's been known to do before, however, she would eventually calm down, because she's also very level headed, and come to except the fact that she was stuck in a blank room. She would try to make the best of it by performing research, practicing spells, and even writing her findings on the walls.

Going through a simple exercise like this can help to pinpoint near any character, be it OC or Main 6. It will force you to think about how a character feels, thinks, and acts when put alone which gives you vast insight into their characterization.

But be warned! Performing this exercise without doing the proper research (aka: watching the show) could end up hindering your story more than help if you jump into the characterization too hastily.

Well, there's my two cents. Hope this helps!

-Flame Runner

608444
well for applejack try saying "ah" instead of "I", I find that if your writing for applejack speaking her lines like her tends to help.

608556 But this also runs the danger of becoming too over-the-top or turning into a different accent entirely if you aren't familiar with Southern drawl.

608631

Well, I am from Texas, so I kinda know that Southern kind of deal.

608657
That's very good advice.

I would also add that getting into a character's mind is more important than the dialogue itself because, if you can get into a character's mindset, the dialogue will flow naturally.

608647 I was born in Texas and raised in Georgia personally, so Ah ken do tha accent purty good, but it still sometimes slips into "gangsta/ignoramus-speak," as I call it, which translates to text fairly similarly (I haven't ever let the fics in question see the light of day because genre-savvy Mary Sues and plot holes.)

608657
I've pretty much marathoned the show, and I've even taken a lot of their character development into account, so I think maybe I got it right. Maybe. I'm not certain.

But personally, i feel pretty confident.

The thing about characterization is that sometimes you won't be able to write out your own version of Fluttershy or Applejack because it wouldn't be realistic.

There's also balance. Take my OC for example. Sure he seems great and all. He's socially capable, gets along with most ponies, can vanquish entire armies without breaking a sweat.

But he also has a lot of character flaws. Like having acute schizophrenia, massive OCD. SPD. Chronic bouts of depression/anger. Being extremely mentally unstable, being extremely detached from reality. You know where I'm going at? The characters need to be balanced for them to be believable.

Something I find difficult to capture are the princesses. Everybody has their own idea of them. If you compare Luna from "OldNew Luna","My Little Alicorn","Arachnophobia" and then my own "The Shadow of the Moon," none of them will match up perfectly. Same with Celestia. Because of this wide range, it can be hard to appease everybody. I like the slightly sad, but also flirty and fun Luna as I feel it captures a better balance of the many archetypes for her character.

608444

It's an ever-present habit plaguing the authors of FiMfiction. Some of the more famous stories try to pay close attention to their personalities. Others down right veer off and have one or more of the mane 6 act completely out of character. I think what's really at the root of the problem is that most eager authors just jump into writing without doing actual research. This is the internet for Christ's sake. It wouldn't take them that much time to open up the MLP wiki and do a little reading on the respective personalities. Then again, each person's point of view is differently unique, so their ability to incorporate the character into their writing without losing their personalities solely depends on them and what they want out of their story.

In the end, it's all on you.

608444
I usually take a look at how some other authors present a character to get an idea of how to write that character's dialect a little better. (ex. With Applejack, I've found that most people don't have her say ah'd when trying to get down on paper how her accent sounds, but instead sprinkle in a few shortened words "helpin', young'n, hollerin', etc." in her lines to give the sense of how she speaks, whether or not she actually says the words in the show)
For a character like Fluttershy, I think it's more on how someone presents her through actions (is she quiet all the time, is she frightened by everything, does she get excited whenever animals are mentioned) than how she speaks. A timid Fluttershy who always apologizes, a Fluttershy who's not afraid to speak her mind; the way the author chooses to have her act and react seems, to me, to be more of an impact than a l-l-lot of st-stuttering, oh, i-it's okay if you want to h-have her do it, if you w-want I mean. Pardon that bit of the sentence, that was more of a show on how some present her through her words. I think it's fine to have her talk like that, I know I have her do that a few times, but how well someone presents her like that, I think, depends on how much she talks like that. Having her talk in stutters and apologies and trying to please everyone in every. single. line. just seems too over the top and I don't think it captures her properly, but then again, that's just from my perspective and it's really up to the author.
Now, when it comes to presenting characters that don't have that many lines or appear in that many episodes *cough*Luna and Celestia*cough* (sorry, I think I'm coming down with something) then it really just depends on the author. No one gets to see how they act other than the few times they have screen time, and if it's a background pony (Lyra for example) who has no lines at all, then it's free reign, anything goes. Because we don't get a look into their lives, we don't get a "Hey, I wonder what Doctor Whooves/Time Turner is doing today."
But that's all for the viewing on how others do it. The only other thing I do to try and get the characters to be as close to the way we all see them (other than practice, practice, PRACTICE) is go over the shows. I'm watching the Discord episodes right now, trying to get a sense as to how he works, thinks, acts, etc, for use in a later story. Three months ago I watched the Royal Wedding almost 24/7 for a feel on Chrysalis for a later presentation in CtH.
The point I'm trying to make is this: If you want a feel on how to do a character, use every resource available. Review how other writers do them, watch the episodes where you can get a good look at them over and over again, heck, find a site for a roleplay if you want. We have so many resources at our disposal, so my advice to anyone who wants it, use them! And don't be afraid to ask for help, even from people who don't watch the show.
Wow, that's a lot again. Sorry.
One last thing, if you know someone who talks like one of the characters, lives in an area where people do, or who acts like one of the characters (as their normal self, not as trying to act like a character for fun), use them for examples. My friend Nero's helped me with Applejack since he's a Texan. I overdid her dialect an' talkin' like this before he helped.