Since the purpose of the group is to archive originality, I have to ask what standard it is measured on.

This really brings up 3 questions on what is unoriginal.

1. Stories based on other stories, or stories based on someone else's universe.
My little dashie stories, parodies, TCB, Past Sins continuations, etc.

2. Stories that have common elements to them, but may be written differently.
HiE, PoE, the average common shipfic, Dr. Whooves stories. Se vs Nlr

3. Stories that explore different versions of previously treaded ground.
What happened 1000 years ago, episode revisions, headcanon stories.

Anyone care to elaborate?

2534230
I guess something that is rather rare or uncommon..

2534238 still too vague

2534342
Well...ok, let me think.

1. My little Dashie: Instead of the usual 'Guy finds little foal', why not 'Pony finds human baby'? Or peharps a Girls raises the foal? Maybe even instead of one foal, why not an entire Orphanage? Yeah, a pony Orphanage run by a Human..

2.TCB: Well, there's already one unique, 'The humanification Bureau'. Aside from this...hard to tell, since the majority either consists of 'Ponies exterminating Humans' or the new one's 'Humans exterminating Ponies' (well, actually defending against them).

3.HIE: There already some unique ones, they just need to be added. Basically these
few who don't involve an emo-wangsty, misanthropic Teenager with a shitty life, Standard american Marine/NavySeal/AirForce soldier in Equestria, Guys lands in Equestria, seduces all mares and pretty much all of the standard 'Dude in Equestria, lives wonderful life' stuff. Crossovers could count too.

4. PoE: Same one as Hie but these are already rather seldom. Maybe something in the line of 'Celestias experiments on a spell and suddenly lands in the Warhammer 40K Universe, in front of an DKoK-Commissar'.

5.Shipfics: I guess the very rare pairings, like Blueblood and Spike...

2534230
Considering that I'm neither an admin of the group, nor a reviewer, please take this with a grain of salt.

I want to say that original stories are stories that take elements that are rarely used/uncommon, spin them in a direction that isn't seen very often, and make the reader say, "Wow, this is really creative."

In that sense, I doubt story continuations, TCB stuff, or rewrites of episodes can get in. However, shipping stories can get in, as evidenced by the romance folder. I'm assuming that Doctor Whooves fiction would fall under adventure, and I believe there's also a folder for that, but don't trust me on that point.

Hopefully I answered your question.
-SoI

2534230
1. Incredibly difficult to pull off. Spinoffs and continuations of another author's work doesn't really show off your creative talent... parodies, on the other hand, are somewhat easier. A parody needs to be more than simply making fun of another story, it needs to stand on its own as well.

2. Almost everything common has been done, which is the point of this group. If you can take something done commonly, such as HiE, and write it in a way that makes it completely stand it, it's perfect. That's exactly what we're looking for.

3. Different is key. Different is good. Different is creative.

Basically a story can/will be approved if an prereader looks at it and doesn't say, "Haven't I read this fifty times before?"

2535758 okay, then.

2535758

So, im kind of curious, the average "Lyra and humans" story would fail, but if it is done very well like a certain story I will not mention due to guy code, it is fine?

2535820
Most Lyra's human stories end up like this:

Lyra: "Oh boy humans!"
Human: "Whoa, ponies!
~romance happens~

Do it differently and we'll give it a look.

Romance stories can make it in, but using an odd couple is probably essential. That or doing it with a truly unique spin.

As a point of reference, my 'Clover the Clever/Princess Platinum' ship made it, because there was almost no fiction on those two.

-Lumino

A guy discovers he is a Silvertongue by reading a fanfic...and Twilight Sparkle comes crashing into his bookcase. He then goes on an adventure to try to get her back to her Equestria, while ending up in the timelines of a bunch of other stories. While this is going on, there is a lot of 'blink and you'll miss it' moments where a deeper plot is hinted at.

I am absolutely certain that no one else has crossed Inkheart and MLP in this manner. And certainly not while involving the Fear Mythos.