I have a feeling this is going to be one of those lectures people are either going to love or hate enough to chase me with torches and pitchforks. He, he. We'll see.

This is an advanced lecture intended for more experienced writers. I do not recommend it for novices.

So, yes, writing all OC stories is a subject I debate lecturing about because it can be soooo easily abused. It resides on a tricky borderline. As it is set in another person's/company's universe, it is technically fanfiction. However, you are adding an incredible amount of material from yourself, in fact most of the creative content comes from you. Thus, it can't really make up its mind what it wants to be.

Writing an all-OC story is like taking the training wheels off of a kid's tricycle for the first time. Expect frustration, expect to have a learning curve, and be prepared to screw up the first time. Writing an all-OC story marks the point when you move from the safe harbor that is MLP canon characters and steer your boat into the vast ocean of personal fiction. You aren't there yet, this is still fanfiction, but you are cutting the ties you've grown accustomed to relying on. You see how this can turn ugly fast, can't you?

So what constitutes an all-OC fic and why should you consider writing one?

An all-OC fic simply speaking is a story in which every character who has a role in the story (speaking or no) is an OC. This means that your OC's will never interact with canon characters other than perhaps seeing them. They might mention Celestia, canon locations, or the events of canon in passing, but they will not play any direct role with the characters. An example of an almost all-OC story would be Crystal's Wishes. Though amazingly well-written, the novel fails to constitute an all-OC story as character's interact with canon ones on a regular basis in later chapters.

So many people relate OC stories with Mary/Gary Sues or newbie authors. Well, most of those fics are not all-OC stories. Remember what I said about these being easily abused? Well, those fics are more than proof of that. Writing with only OC's is difficult and for some people it marks the first time they've even tried to write something resembling personal fiction. I believe that stories like these should start to be judged not only as fanfiction, but as fanfiction and personal fiction. It is the point where your faults and strengths as an author really come to light, especially your characterization. Can you write a compelling story with characters you came up with? That's a big challenge, and mark my words, it is not easy.

Don't expect an all-OC story to get a lot of acclaim. They've got enough stigmas going riding with them that it's likely next to no-one will even read it. However, these stories should be viewed as useful tools to help you transition to personal writing. For someone who plans on publishing her own novels, fanfiction has been an excellent arena to work on cementing my style, experimenting with different techniques, developing my skills as a writer, and identifying areas for improvement. Choosing to write an all-OC story is for me is the culmination of all those purposes. It is the final stage if you will before I move to my own personal works outside of any fandom. This is where I learn if all my efforts have paid off over the months. Stories like these separate the wheat from the chaff . . . quickly.

I believe these stories are critical for those of us wanting to move beyond fanfiction but who aren't quite ready to jump head first into personal works. If you want to measure your progress as an author and how you really stack up in the realm of fiction, this is the easiest way I can think of to do it. In my humble opinion, if you can't write an all-OC story successfully, you aren't ready for personal fiction.

Soooo, with that long explanation out of the way, let's move on to some tips. They're in no particular order . . .

Ditch the pony generator and bases. On second thought, pour gasoline over them and have yourself a bonfire.

Cover art. It's the first thing any potential reader will see and one of the factors they take into account before reading. The same applies to works of personal fiction. And, if you're really serious about writing an all-OC story, you had better get serious about cover art because, despite our hope as authors that readers won't judge a book by its cover, they almost always do.

Why do I pick on pony generator images and bases? Because, like it or not, they carry a stigma wherever and whenever they show up. Ever heard that joke about college Freshmen running around with enough school gear and lanyards to choke a mule? It's like screaming, "I'm a Freshman!" to everyone in your respective collage. They might be Seniors for all we know, but their gear puts that Freshmen stigma on them regardless. Well, think about the pony generator for a moment. How many of us look at one of those images and think, "middle schooler" or "newb?" So many young authors and inexperienced authors rely on the generator or colored-over (generally poorly) bases for cover art and avatars. They might be super awesome authors or actually older users, but having those images sort of paints a red letter on them. Sad but true.

Better to save yourself the needless hate/down-votes and choose no cover art over falling back on ye old generator/bases. It's hard enough to get publicity for all-OC fics, no need to stab their potential in the heart with a rusty spike.

Read those OC tutorials. Now practice them. Again. And again. Now read some published works. Take notes on characterization and any techniques you like. Rinse and repeat.

Have you seen the kit and kaboodle of OC tutorial threads here? Well, they aren't there to look pretty. Read them! Read them and study them. Practice, practice, practice! How can you improve as an author is you just sit there and lament how awful you are? Chock that soapbox into that bonfire and start telling yourself that you can and will improve. Pick up that pen, draw out that keyboard and write. Don't freak out because you aren't perfect, just write something. Then, write another something . . . and another, taking constructive criticism to heart the whole way. Now, compare those stories and note all the progress you've made.

Now, though our tutorials are awesome, you need to read published works too. Read them because a successful published author has proven they have some ability to weave a quality story. Now, the actual quality of these novels varies tremendously, so read a variety. Read modern works and works from the past. Every time you find an interesting description, technique, or like the author's characterization, take a note on it. Keep doing this until you've amassed a small army of notes. Then, work on applying them to your own writing in some way. Don't copy, but learn what you can from them!

Take Ponyville and important canon locations out of the picture and develop your own settings!

The point of all-OC fiction is to break out on your own. How in the world are you going to do that sitting in your happy place? This is a step towards independence, so let's go all the way. The reason we like canon places is probably due to the fact that they are familiar, and, from a practical point of view, you don't have to describe the setting. That's a crutch and it's here and now that you must throw that out the window. I want you to pick a location either so obscure noone has ever seen it in canon or a place entirely of your own invention.

For some authors, this is the first time they have ever had to describe a non-canon location in any detail. Like it or not, the story's success rests in part on your ability to bring to life a place the readers have never heard about before. You can no longer rely solely on good-old visuals to get the job done. Painting a picture is all well and good, but it's just that, a picture. Two dimensional, easily lost in the sea of other details.

What you need to do is plunge them head first into that place. Because the setting is a living, breathing entity, not just a painted on backdrop. It touches every one of the characters in some way, shape, or form. A good author knows this and keeps setting in mind throughout the story and sections, not just in the beginning.

So, how do setting descriptions vary between canon and all-OC stories? Well, for settings unfamiliar to the reader, you should take a different approach, an approach used when writing personal works. Assume the reader knows nothing and try to pick out what would strike the character first as they enter the setting.

Here's one example I wrote. There are a lot of different ways I could have done this, so it might be beneficial for you to think about how you as an author would approach such a setting.

Trees. Hundreds upon thousands of them swaying in easy time to a metronome that couldn’t be heard. Yet, Sea Scroll sensed it as surely as he did the ebbing and flowing tide of Horseshoe Bay. As his hooves plodded along the glorified bridle trail, he could not help but wonder how they were doing back home.

This expanse held a fierce, rugged independence that his sleepy hometown had long since lost. All around, cedar trees taller than any bungalow grabbed greedily at the mountains, as if shouting, ‘someday, someday!’ Here the wind did not drift lazily across the forest nor blow as the coastal breeze before a typhoon. It tore through the heart of it, swirling, dancing, and cackling like some witch doctor and her cauldron

Just keep practicing. Show the description to as many people as possible and ask them to tell you about the place. If you're doing your job, their impression should land pretty close to your idea.

Treat it like you would a personal work!

I hope I'm preaching to the choir on this one, but I have to bring this up. A lot of authors will approach stories for this site with a, "Meh, it's just fanfiction." attitude. Urgh. If you want to use your writing for anything outside of this site, non-fiction, fiction, work, fun, school, home, you need to stop thinking like this! Start seeing fanfiction as the opportunity it is.

Remember what I said about all-OC stories being a bridge. They are the springboard to help you get started in your own personal works. So, why in the world aren't you treating it seriously? Transitioning to personal works isn't easy, and, for a lot of people, it can become overwhelmingly difficult. By treating your fanfiction like you would treat any story you intend on publishing, you're setting yourself up for an easier transition. This is one of the best opportunities you'll ever have for feedback on your stories, so work seriously on your writing now and save yourself the frustration down the road.

Don't be afraid to experiment.

While this is drifting closer to the realm of personal writing, it is still fanfiction. A giant hammer is not going to come down on you if you mess up a story. Soooo, use your low stakes while you have them. It is now that you start to cement your style and try different techniques. Don't be afraid to do something "crazy." Who knows, it may actually work rather well in your personal style. Practice all kinds of techniques so you are familiar with them and have them ready in your toolbox for later on down the road. Go for those ideas you always wanted to try. Branch out and explore because that's how you grow as a writer.

For instance, I've been using an all-OC story of mine to practice writing in dialogue. It's been tough, but I want that experience there and handy when I need it for my personal novels. Also, it's quite fun. ^^

So, there you have it, some tips on writing all-OC stories. I hope this helped you in some small way. Thanks for reading, and good luck!

— Bluegrass

4492180 This is some pretty good advice. I like it.

4492180
As someone who writes almost exclusively with an all-OC cast and original settings, and considers himself somewhat of a specialist on the matter, it pains me that I didn't come up with this lecture first.

You done good, Bluegrass. Ya done good.

I'm happy to see a lecture about this. It might sound odd, but the more oc's I have in a story the more I feel in control and the better my characters become. I haven't written an all oc story quite yet, not in your terms, but I do plan to eventually so thank you for making this thread. XD

4492180 Well, it sure makes me feel good that although I'm a new writer, I'm capable enough to write an all OC story and still have people who seem to like what I write. I'll take these tips and apply them to my work to make sure I don't hit any pitfalls down the road, so thanks for the lecture, bro!

4492180
Good lecture.

" In my humble opinion, if you can't write an all-OC story successfully, you aren't ready for personal fiction. "

Then you try again and again until ready or until folks don't complain that much.
Writing has a lot of try/fail cycles.

---------------
"Ditch the pony generator and bases."

Most of what you say makes sense but I wonder about when you design an OC's color scheme.
I used to think that OC color schemes are not that important but I found out that a lot of people here care a lot about color schemes.
I am not talking about cover art, I am talking about writing.

Even if the parents have good color schemes, the kids could end up with unfortunate color schemes through
genetics or pony coat colors work differently in Equestria.

Having a pony creator or at least a color wheel might help with generating decent coat colors so readers are not outraged.

4492303
Good point with the trial and errors in writing. It's certainly possible to try your hand at personal stuff without being amazing at writing OC's. But, I think it's far easier to fail here then in front of a publisher.

Hmmm. I have a bit of an unfair advantage when it comes to designing characters visually in that I'm an artist. If I'm really stuck, I'll draw them out and color them. I also have a very good imagination and can generally visualize characters without having to see them. Color scheme wise, I'm very conservative. I like dull, natural, earthy colors myself, so I choose them for my characters. I'm probably too boring in that regard.

Color wheels are a big help, I'd say that they'd be a very useful tool to have. As for the generator, I can see it being used as a color tool, but I wouldn't use it for anything more than that. I personally wouldn't go around posting the pictures from the generator as my OC's. I'd draw them out myself first or have someone else do it before then.

4492180
Thank you. This could not have come at a better time. I'm a pretty experienced author, so I got the basics of good OC design, but kept second guessing every step on this OC heavy story I've been writing because I was too afraid I'd screw it up and have angry fanboys out for my blood. This lecture was perfect.

4492180

Read those OC tutorials. Now practice them. Again. And again. Now read some published works. Take notes on characterization and any techniques you like. Rinse and repeat.

This is the only point you made that I feel was really on topic.

The rest of the points, while I agree with some or all of them, seem like either personal opinion or applicable to all storytelling.

The jist of your lecture is that an all-OC story is step away from fanfiction and into original fiction. For some, that may not be the target goal at all. Many readers have a goal of reading fanfiction, not original fiction. Maybe they do want to tell a pony story about ponies, in Canterlot or Ponyville. But that story just isn't a good match to existing characters, and an original cast might be better. Rainbow Dash is away saving Equestria with the power of Friendship. So the weather team has to manage in her absence. Maybe Cloudsdale sends a team, and they try to do their job while dealing with the locals who all have very peculiar demands as far as weather goes. The story could focus on their "break room conversations" to avoid direct interaction in-story with non-OC's, just to stick with your definition of what the lecture is about.

If a writer shares your goal, sure. Original characters, why not an original setting too? But that hardly is the be-all, end-all of what could be done with an all-oc cast.

Care about the look of your story, including the cover art and descriptions. Experiment. And most of all, care about your story and treat it like the work of art you should be creating, rather than some disposable worthless thing. All of these apply to all stories you write. While good advice, they're really just a lot of filler for this lecture.

So, ultimately, the only thing this lecture is saying that is actually applicable to the topic being covered, is to read a lot of the lectures others have written, and learn characterization and character building.

I'm going to have to disagree about the quality of this lecture. There is already a directory.

4492532 I'm sorry you feel that way, but I appreciate your honesty. Your point about setting is very good, and, I can see how I missed that entirely. Indeed, an all-OC story could be set in those canon places. I encourage breaking away from them because I feel it challenges you as an author. However, you are right in that some people don't have the goal of writing personal fiction. I probably should have acknowledged that some more.

I felt the points were a little weak myself. I do tend to steer my boat by feel, so it's hard to articulate myself. If another lecturer comes up with better ones, I'd love to hear them and add them to the lecture.

Thanks for the honesty. I take constructive criticism like this seriously, and it really helps me improve.

I am definitely going to be applying this to the 99.9% OC fic I am starting to write.

However I feel as though I have had an opposite reaction to canon vs OC stories, and on the small scale basis I have written on (never put online) I have always had a harder time working with canon characters because I always felt some kind of nagging that I wasn't doing this character justice, but with OCs, I know the whole character outside and in, and that allows me to push ideas in better.

Me gusta. :D Gracias

4492180
Ah, good to know. Now I know what to do with my latest basket of developing stories, cover art is covered, and much is appreciated to learn here. Very helpful tips indeed.
And I do think if "middle schooler" when I see cover art by pony generator...

4492180 Something that concerns me, as an avid OC writer myself, is that no one has taken the time to note that a story's characters are just small pieces of the narrative. Whether or not they're canon shouldn't be a deciding factor. The question of a writer ultimately should be "do your characters adequately fill their role in the story?" not, "are your characters original," because even canon characters are their own double edge sword, edge one being the safety net, and edge two being the fanboi rage.

The purpose, and boon of, an OC is to allow an author to custom shape a character who both fits the theme of the story, and the premise of the narrative. Something often overlooked when people gravitate to the ownership of an OC. An allows the author to create the perfect custom puzzle piece, and place it in exactly the right spot for their story.

Meanwhile, the rightly earned stigma comes from the reality that many new OC writers, or writers of all OC stories, can't divorce themselves from their individual creations. That, because a little piece of them went into its making, they feel compelled to represent it in the most positive light possible.

It is for this reason I have no qualms about a mixed cast if some canon characters fit what I'm trying to do. Yes, I could write an all OC story, but it doesn't help me to make an OC who does what a canon character does, just so I can say it's "all OC". That's because, if I did that, then I'd have ignored a fundamental principle of design: no one part is greater than the whole.

There's probably already loads more on the subject, but I wanted to point it out because these things do come into play when designing an "all OC" story if you don't have the founding appreciation I opened with.

4492224 That's the custom-crafted/obscure vs the shoe-horned/well recognized that you see in OC vs Canon debates.

4492303 Why the color can tell a lot about the pony's personality if you sit down and think about it. I wrote a story about Identity, where a changeling tries to become an earth pony. Its color said as much about the character as its gender did. Not everyone's going to care, because it's not always going to come up, but at the same time it's an option you have with an OC to really go into the thematic exploration.

4492417 I have a bit of an unfair advantage ... in that I'm an artist.

You just said writing is not an art form.

4492532 all-OC story is step away from fanfiction and into original fiction.

While this is true of the jist of the lecture, it shouldn't be true of the reality of writing an all OC story for reasons above. Fan fiction is as much about the atmosphere, theme, and setting, as it is about the characters and locations. Knowing that our stories are set in Equestria (or EQG) says something about the world you're writing. About the expectations of the characters, and the narrative, even if you intend to subvert those expectations.

4492581 you are right in that some people don't have the goal of writing personal fiction.

I tend to write fan fiction because the universe is perfectly suited to serve as a contrast for the stories I want to tell. Things stand out more when the very idea of them doesn't belong, and yet I manage to make them work.

That challenge is not something you can find in original fiction because your readers only have what is presented to them to draw a conclusion with. For example: a story about the violence inherent to the system of domestication is inherently less impactful, I feel, in any world where such things could be seen as happening, or having happened in the past.

4504320 nagging that I wasn't doing this character justice, but with OCs, I know the whole character

That nagging feeling is probably addressed in my first part of this response, in terms of the pros/cons of OC vs Canon.