3993695
4294070
Quick question that I can't seem to answer. How do you write good build up, like the moments before a fight or war?

5563945
Show the causes, the chain reaction that leads up to it, the preparation, if any, etc. The best build ups are the ones that explain the tension a little bit at a time so that the reader can see what the tension is eventually leading up to. They cause the reader to feel the tension, whether it be anxiousness, anger, or whatever. The reader needs to feels something, and the best way to do that is to take the reader on the same journey as the characters so that the readers are invested.

In short: Reveal the building tensions to the reader and to the characters simultaneously until the moment feels right for the tension to break.

Example: If you just write two characters getting into a fight, the reader won't be interested. But if you write two characters interacting in ways that annoy each other, tiny frustrating things adding on top of each other, letting the readers get frustrated with the characters, than when the fight breaks out, it will be very cathartic.

5564500
Thanks for the info

Do groups get notified of an added chapter to a story?
still very new to the site and cant find anything on that specifically.

5656101
Groups don't get notified on chapter updates. Honestly, it'd be nightmare for giant groups with thousands of stories getting notifications when a story updates, especially in multi-purpose groups like this one that don't cater to a specific audience on the site.

Although, users who added your story on a bookshelf (Favorites, Read it Later, Tracking, etc.) get a post on their feed when you update your story. You can't really get back old readers unless they added your story to a bookshelf. All in all, you're probably better off focusing on getting new readers that are more likely to read the entirety of your story.

5657360

I see, Thanks for the info space jazz :3

Heyo!
I was wondering if there are any rules, guidelines, or general requirments for posting stories to this group. I'm only really familiar with the Proofreading Group, so please forgive me if i've used the wrong thread to ask this question...

Thanks in advance.

5685945
Just add it to any applicable folders is all.

5697593
Alright, much appreciated!

Alternate Universe story scene.

The story takes place in the Sombra timeline from the Cutie Re-Mark. In this scene the Mane 5 (minus Twilight) are in Canterlot with Princess Celestia looking at Twilight's school records. They'd been looking for an Alicorn, since that was how AJ had seen her, but the records show she's a Unicorn and has no Cutie Mark. The five of them also lacked Cutie Marks until recently within the story. I'm having a very hard time writing their reactions and discussions about the whole thing in this scene. It is also written from Pinkie's POV, and she gained the original timeline Pinkie's "abilities" recently in the story.

need help writing story

so it's my first time writing a story and i just want it to be good. Thing is i need a proof reader.

I just want my story to be best as possible but since English is my second language it's hard

i tried to upload it but one of the admins of the site said it's not good enough

would love to get some response from the teachers

5745190 I'll look into it if you have a google document send it to me on fimfic or send me the link to the story and i'll read through it, maybe we can get on discord or skype and I can walk you through it

Does anybody here have any tips for writing a cross over? I don't want to sound like a newbie. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut. I am. LOL.

However i do have the drive to make this fic and whether it successes or fails is due to whether i can understand cross over's.

5772835
While there is a lot of advice on writing your first story, when it comes to cross-overs, don't make the story focus on the fact that it's a cross over.

Just create a story in a cross-over world. If you focus on the fact that it's a cross-over, then you'll end up with a lot of parts that will come off as "Teehee, I made a reference. Did you see?".

But yeah. That's about it. Don't focus on the cross-over. Focus on the story that is in the cross-over world.

5775849
So basically just write it as a normal story but at some point make a small hint towards the show it's referencing. I got it. that's how i planned to do it. Not really focusing on the cross over aspect and just see it as a more. Expanded fic with the fact that you have two different places to pull material from.

5776184
No. DON'T make hints. It'll come off as corny. Just make the story the story, and ignore the fact that it's a cross-over.

I noticed that I get notifications like "School for new writers had new stories added to it." How do I get my story added?

Go to the stories, then to a folder and then find add story button. you can also add it from the your story page.

Hey quick question. Would anypony be willing to help with a Time Travel story that wont stop running around in my head?

What should I do

I have a problem, I write age regression and normally I use a format typing foal speech and I try to make.it sound good. Yet its hard to read and I have many readers complain about that. Yet I have people on the other side read my stuff and love the foal speech?

Finding Shining this is one of my latest stories. Note I just want a overview if the foal speech hinders it. If it does Ill stop ill even go back through and change it. But if it makes the story sound better then ill keep it.

Hello everybody, the name is Dire wolf here and I have a single question before I get into the nitty gritty. Is this the place to talk about the aspects and lore of a story I have broadly planned out?

Background Setting:

I have always had a hard time setting a few paragraphs for setting and background. I get pulled into writing the actions of the scene that I don't get the room for the actual set up. Could you help me out?

5915345 I can relate except that I have trouble with the action of a scene and find it easy to set up. Really with any introduction, you have to stay in perspective. If you are setting up the environment or area in third person limited, you have to make sure that any description of the evironment is connected to what your main character sees; it is especially important that you interject some opinions of the main character as you describe the area he is in.

For example, here is the very first introduction of a story I am writing in third person limited:

"The wind blew into his eyes as he stared out the train window, making him blink so they wouldn't dry. Cacti and brown sand passed by as the train moved at speeds akin to a horses, but at a more linear path. His elbow rested on the sill, his gloved fingers twisting at the side of his head as gazed out in a peaceful, relaxed silence. Well...almost, he is still alert about his surroundings, which was why he was peeking out the window. A win win for him; he got a nice view of a desert with its own charm and he has a better than nothing viewing point to catch any suspicious activity that would come close to the train."

What I do here in the introduction is to immediately immerse into the main characters mind. Any description of his environment has a personal touch of his own thoughts on it. Basically, If you introduce the area, you have to make quite clear what point of view you are doing. Doing first person? Think of what you think when you see something and than translate it into your character with slight differences that appeals to his personality. Third person objective? just describe the environment with facts with no opinion, kinda like a camera going through a movie scene. You don't know what the character is thinking when he is looking at the environment but you still see what is just there.

If you would like me to explain or help some more, feel free to ask!

I'm unsure
I have some ideas that I need help making into a fic. Can someone help me please?

5921441 Perhaps, what is the gist of your ideas?

For starts its a fire emblem fic. During the events with sombra it is revealed that he was under the control of a dark force. When the heart was placed sombra was freed but unkown to everyone the dark force named kors gained a body time pass and not terrble long after twi acends he makes his move attacking aplepoisa and making it his base before any knew it kors manges to not only cacht the the princess but the main six as well. He tries to catupre discord but fails.
Discord manages to find my oc diamond dog merc and asks him for help. As the story goes on they hear a legend stating that if any one nation manages to counqer all of equstria that the detiy that created the land will grant one wish.
As you can see it needs a lot of work can you help?

If anyone else can help me message me please!

I haven't heard from the guy who resoped in a while. Can some one help me?

5923654 I don't know much about fire emblem, but the idea of a diamond dog protagonist seems interesting. I however honestly wouldn't like the idea of Sombra being controlled by some higher evil force. When I think of Sombra, I think of a being like Sauron from lord of the rings. A clever and slinky figure who does things from the shadows. Sombra taking over appaloosa is weird to me, as that is quite close to ponyville where the elements of harmony reside which could quite easily send him away far with his power at its weakest. What I suggest is either Sombra taking over some land in the frozen north like yakyakistan or you have him make a deal with the changelings who he is secretly manipulating to his goals. A good thing you should keep in mind about Sombra, in my opinion, is that he should be cunning, smart, and manipulative; as it would really fit into his liking for shadow magic. Where there is light, there is darkness hiding underneath it waiting for its chance to take over.

Please keep posting, I am willing on going on a huge lore creation conversation with you.

No sombra is freed before the story starts. My main villain starts his counqest by doing what I metined. But fair I get your point.

And the detiy bit if I can help it I don't want to use Faust.

5924015 Again though, I am all for a new villain. I just think that appaloosa is a weird choice for conquering. Maybe something a little more obscure like the far north where his castle resides. Does this villain have magic, and can he conjure minions as that would be a good threat? You should still keep Sombra relevant like he still has sinister intentions, but with the lack of the dark power controlling him he could be willing to help the main character defeat this new villain; a short of the enemy of my enemy is my friend kind of event.

Fair. I think that lore change would work. Did you read what kors move was after he counqerd there? And I was going to have him sombra that is join with Fenrir but not right away.

Kors has dark magic and yes he can summon minions plus just before he kinapds all the poines I mentioned he breaks the worst villans out of tatures.

Dire you there?

So what would be a place close to tartrus that makes more sense in your eyes then?

5924466 There is an idea in my head that Tarturas in likely the most dangerous region fo the world as only the most strong or crazy people would want to live anywhere near the hellish prison that keeps the evilest of evils in its bowels away; away from the light of Equus. So it is likely that Tarturas' lands are relatively unknown to the average person and only high ranking members of the military and/or societies of the world would know an expressive amount of details about such a place. We are talking fleets of ships guarding the islands and small continents surrounding the prison that resides in a tundra/volcanic landscape. Let's also keep in mind the military bases that would also be on those landmasses. Though you did say all of the hell prisons criminals have been released which would be the worst scenario for those garrisons that likely expected only a few hundred to maybe a thousand of these powerful villains to escape at a time; not all of them which would at least be in the hundred thousand or more.

Perhaps Kors and his allies should have the prison island and the nearby landmasses in their hands. Though I dislike the idea of the coalition of military personnel made up of multiple races who have the common goal of keeping the criminals in check would be completely stomped. So be sure to make Kor and his subordinates are a little short-handed in terms of an offensive force but are still firmly planted in what land they do have.

Fair I'll keep that in mind.

First time writer
Ummm.. I'm not sure if this is a valid question, but, I'm unsure what sort of story I should start off with.
I'm not asking for an idea, but more a list of things to not do.
Like, is it a bad idea to start with Displaced? Etc.

Ummm...

...

yea...

that is all...

5938593

Write a oneshot of whatever you like reading. Keep it ~3000 words. It can be generic, it can be a compilation of things you liked in the fics you've read. It's important to start.

Also, keep it to canon and canon only. No OCs, no humans, no zebra-moth-snake-dragon-changeling-ponies, no lost Celestia's sister. Just a slice of life or romance oneshot. You like Crusaders? Write about how they've met one night to tell scary stories. You like RariJack? Write a short and sweet RariJack romance. Only when you're confident in writing stories that are well-rooted in the canon, only after you understand it, then you may begin to alter it.

Displaced is generally ill-advised and highly discouraged. It takes a master to pull off a displaced story correctly. Believe me when I say, that the community is fed up with "Bob (totly no me btw) wented to eckuestria an fot dicord an crysals an nightate mun an tirec an won and he was choosen one an he merid flutershy cus shes the best pone an dey had kids"

5958262
Ok, thanks!

Setting the scene

Hello all. I’ve been planning the basic outline for a fic for a few months now, and I think I’m ready to start a true rough draft. Only problem now is that I’m having trouble writing out a description for the first scene. Something to give the reader the illusion of being there with the characters.

I’ve been browsing around FimFiction for over a year now, and have been looking through the lectures here for a majority of that time.

My last attempt at fanfiction was about thirteen years ago, and that didn’t turn out so well.

5981171
You might want to take a look at this lecture by Bluegrass Brooke: Setting the Scene

To summarize: Setting the scene is all about getting your readers invested. Hooking them. To do that, you shouldn't just describe what the place and time look like, but you should describe what they feel like emotionally, preferably from the perspective of a specific character.

Saying...

It's raining.

...doesn't do much for the reader. However, saying something like...

The last time it rained like this, Spike was at a funeral. The rapping of the large raindrops against the coffin and umbrellas had drowned out any hopes of hearing the speakers.

This time, the rain hitting the leaves of the Everfree made it difficult for Spike to hear his own thoughts, and he was grateful for it.

...will definitely get your reader's attention.

Don't just give a description of a time an place. Give it an emotional feeling, whether hopeful, sad, contemplative, or exciting.

SIDE NOTE: This advice works if you're not starting in the middle of some important or intense scene. In those, it is usually best to focus on what is happening and give the reader only the necessary scene information to understand what is happening.

5983108
That is pretty much what I was thinking. I just wanted one of you higher-ups to confirm it for me. Thanks a bunch. Back to the first draft for me then

Writing in a Letter Style

Hello there, first-timer here!

I'm going to write a story where most of it is told through a letter style. In this case, it is Twilight informing Celestia on a discovery she made on the Nightmare Moon Prophecy. I'd like some tips on writing in this format, or if there are any great examples of this style in existing fanfiction to refer to.

More specifically, how would a letter by Twilight look/sound like? How formal and/or factual could it be? Would slipping in a few jokes here and there still be in character for her? Would the fact that Twilight is a princess at this stage make a difference?

Anyway, here is part of the story I'm working on (Keeping in mind that it is unedited and a rough draft):

""...It is clearly seen who the subject of this prophecy is. “The Mare in the Moon”, “imprisoned in the moon” and “she will bring about night-time eternal!” lines of the text both indicate on Nightmare Moon’s role in this. Unless you know of any other crazed mare who is bent on ruling over Equestria under the light of moon, I highly doubt that the prophecy is describing any other pony.

I should ask Discord if he had any nocturnal global conquests in mind.

Wait, he’s not banished to the moon. Yet. I wonder how much magical energy is required to send someone a one-way trip over there. I’m sure you would have quite the first-hoof experience. Failing that, I could easily design an experiment to test my hypothesis. Regardless, I’ll make a reminder to remind myself to make sure I’ll remember to visit you and question further on that. That would make quite the lunatic conversation...""

Am I heading in the right direction with this concept?
Or, the more important question is, am I asking the question in the right place? I'm still quite new here, so I apologise in advance if there is a better place to ask for advice.

Hello! I'm new on FimFiction and wanted to say hi. I've had a fanfic in my head involving Humanity and Equestria for a while, and figured I'd test the waters with my idea.

Humans naturally exist on the planet Equestria resides on. Non-sentiant horses, ponies, cows, chickens, yaks, and other animals exist. Where the humans live is in the lands beyond Equestria due east of Abyssinia. Diplomatic relations are few and far between, but the ponies being the dominant species on the planet leaves humanity stuck in a 13-14th century technology level. Matchlock rifles and pistols are few and far between, but they do exist. Ponies have a more advanced technological society (trains, assembly lines, etc.) because they're powered by their magic, which humans are heavily resistant too. This translates over to human mages as well. Think of magic like the Thuum from Skyrim. To ponies, it's as natural as breathing. But to humans, it takes years of practice to preform even the most simple of spells. There are two ways for humans to learn magic. One is a life dedicated to its study. The other is a secret, but the price of failure can range from death to madness.

So, what do you think?

Well I think that is a bit weird

Appropriate length of a One-shot

Hello again everyone. I've been wondering for awhile how long a one-shot story should be. I've read some posts regarding chapter length, but they mainly focus on longer stories with multiple chapters. I'm assuming that 2-3k words would cut it, but I've seen some over three times as long.

Any suggestions?