At the very least, we shouldn't be putting each other down for their headcanons... except maybe the really dumb ones. Diversity of interpretations is what makes this forum interesting, after all.

More or less - it's more down to writer skill and enjoyability, though compatible headcanon is one thing that makes a story enjoyable... Ultimately the place I care about seeing stuff that supports or opposes my ideas is in the show - fanfiction won't impact on that. (One place it does really help/hurt is in "discovering Equestria" stories; those are built on watching the outsider be introduced to ideas that the reader already knows, so if Equestria is off from how I see it it's kind of jarring.)

44. Can you easily accept the headcanons of different writers? Do you prefer when stories match your headcanon?
I have no problems with other people's headcanons as long as they don't contradict the show.

A good writer will convince you of their headcanon during the story. At worst, they will ask you to accept something strange right off the bat, but put no more strain upon your disbelief afterward, and reward you with a satisfying tale for playing along. Headcanon matching of course makes everything easier to take, but it's not necessary.

Because my headcanon is so far outside of the human experience, there have only been a few stories that have ever matched it. These days, I look at pony fiction as inspired by what the writer sees, or as answering a "what if" question.

7039548
Your take is certainly eccentric. But then, this forum would have little point if we all took the same things from the show.

I love reading different headcanon so yes and not really. The better done the more I enjoy it.

I think it's good to consider other headcanons from time to time. You never know when one might stick out enough for you to adopt it. Besides, a lot of the best works of fiction have often drawn inspiration from other authors and works.

7178917
Indeed - I'm pretty set in my headcanon ways, but I still changed one - regarding buffalo - recently
just because I spotted a better one.

Edit: As of 14/5/22, I have no clue whatsoever what I was referring to here.

I prefer the diversity of head-canons. Many of those that aren't mine provided me with elements I picked up over the years. I think without Silfoe, for example, and the Royal Sketchbooks, I would never have become this massive a fan for Twilight and Luna as a couple. But these days, Tuna OTP.

As explained in the previous question, I don't question the head-canon of other storytellers. I very much prefer internal logic, though. If the writer contradicts himself within his own work, and I pick up on that, it will grate on me. Other than that - be free. Our diverse and sometimes strange ideas are the basis on which we inspire each other. The exchange of ideas, the communication about concepts, it's what keeps the wheel spinning.

My own head-canon is centered around an OC. He's not-... he's... eh. He's complicated. Not really a self-insert, not by a long shot. But not-not a self-insert either. Anyway, after the story started, I slowly came to realize that he's surprisingly adaptable for other stories. And I mean 'other universes/timelines/worlds' than mine. I don't know if anyone here knows 'Legacy of Kain'. It's a rather old video game. It had the concept of the Wheel of Fate. A character doomed to repeat history, literally. But every iteration has small changes, or rather he can make small changes within it. My OC is bound by a similar mechanic. When his life ends, in whatever way, his life starts. He seems to randomly switch worlds every time. Which could very much mean he could turn up in other stories. As I started to realize that, I considered the possibilities. There are so many stories I adore. I could write 'my own version' of them. Put him in. See if his presence changes anything. (It usually does. Butterfly effect and such.) But something felt wrong about the idea and I quickly realized that I just don't want to meddle in the works of others. (I would never have done so without asking to begin with, of course.) So the idea was rejected. The potential remains, however. I still find it amusing to think about.

But I just don’t think I’m good enough as a writer to ever measure up to those stories I cherish. That might, partially, be a self-confidence problem, but I think the more important aspect is the simple fact that the quality of my writing is lacking in regards to these stories. (And no. I'm not fishing for compliments. Please don't. I don't deal well with compliments, either.)