This is the unofficial guide to failing at fan-fiction in the My little Pony Universe. With guidelines on how to write out your very own fan-fiction and with hints on how to boost your name to the top of the list of all those people who said you wouldn't amount to anything in this drab, dying society, this is your reference in a sea of stories!
This was something I wrote as a spur-of-the-moment idea. Nothing in this "guide" should be taken seriously, and I just wanted to give someone a good laugh. This pokes fun at nearly every story type out there, so please don't be insulted if I say something that relates to a work of yours.
Read, Comment, Enjoy -MasterFrasca99
Chapters (3)
"we must decide what topic we want to trick ourselves into believing we can write in"
Best quote by far, but overall, I giggled immensely
. Thank you basement dweller!
"The most important thing to remember while choosing a topic is not to write what your heart gives you, but what the public demands from you."
This is so true, unfortunately, and goes against everything I believe as a writer! I've learned something today
i lold
I actually think that writing an off the hinges story about celestia getting drunk could be pretty awesome though.
And I lold a looot.
Now tell me, is this:
"...romance fictions have already been done, and every relationship that can be made has already been done."
best read as advice on what to avoid?
Or a challenge?
166524 skepticon.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/knapp01-300x244.png
That's actually a very false statement. There are many combinations yet to be done, and even at that, who says that your shipping has to be a combination no one has ever thought of? Of course we will run out of combinations, but that's the fun of it. Writing all those.
Besides. No one had thought of FlutterScratch before I wrote my fic :3
~Thundra
This has helped me decide to immediately write a super-grimdark adventure Fluttertree-x-Opalescence-xenomorph slice-of-life choose-your-own-adventure second-person future-tense treatise on the works of L. Ron Hubbard, as portrayed by ponies.
And then as I go to post it, I shall find three more that are just like it, but better written.
I'm ashamed to say that my first, unreleased fanfiction was going to be just like one of those shitty romance fics you described in this before I gave up on it and wrote something with a vague hint of originality.
>a heart-wrenching moment where rarity forgets about her luscious locks of hair to save the trustworthy and hard-working Applejack
Did that in the second chapter of 'The Old Castle'.
You may be right in your darker musings on popularity and worthiness, but I am too old a pony to care!
I suppose it's inevitable that this type of "Self-Help" "fic" would appear. Once a fandom has reached a certain age, these things pop-up all over the place. I've even seen actual stories written around the idea of helping new writers with their work. FiM has reached adolescence!
This is the line I took from the above: "as honest work is overrated these days" God, this is so true.
Got a chuckle out of this so I'm satisfied!
Did we seriously both complete an advice-by-counterexample parody within the same 24 hours? Creepy!
Also:
Does this exist? Because I want to read it. It sounds like fun.
166619
I'd track dat
While I find everything in this 'wonderful' guide to be true, I believe the adventure part is exceptionally so, and that is the exact reason why I don't plan on posting any of mine until I am either finished with it, or a good ways in.
Anyways, this gave me a good bout of laughter, and while most of it may be crushingly, devastatingly true, I will continue to forge ahead with my ghastly ideas that will no doubt fail me in the end!
Good job, great read, fun was had
Aw yes. This has been a very entertaining read and I will definitely agree that very much of what you said was distressingly true. Anywho, I think that it would be an awesome idea of you wrote a chapter on what to do when you eventually get writers block. I know that has killed more that 1 fiction of mine in the past.
167270 I'll definitely take that into consideration, as I'm trying to make this "guide" more guide-like by adding more sections. Thanks for the input, I may have to do that when I can't think of what else to add.
This is wonderful.
Oh, God, if I ever listened to my reader's suggestions from the comments...
Wow...
Before this came out I was trying to write an original fanfiction, but thanks to you I realize I should just rip off Until You Met Her and My Little Dashie, then end it off with my OC losing his marefriend Rainbow Dash to Pinkie Pie, who lives on the other side of Equestria, then when they get to Pinkies house, she tortures RD and makes her into Cupcakes.
If only half the authors on this site would read this...
You get an A+.
So my new "Slice of Life" genre with a "everypony" rating ripoff story needs a cupcakes ending...
static.tumblr.com/nv5z8ec/QiTlk68p6/challenge-accepted.png
I get it, to be popular i should change the theme from tortured souls cracking under pressure and wreaking havoc on those who deserve it, to wreaking havoc on the mane 6 whilst also name dropping cupcakes to boost the success of a novel that has no business to be successful.
plot change: protecting peaceful rule of equestria changes to, protecting peaceful rule of equestria by turning popular ponies into assorted desserts.
Just kidding though all in all a good guide into weeding out bad fics, my commendations to you fine brony
If you want a suggestion as to what topic to choose here's a tip:
), so it won't really matter where it starts. 
. Try going outside or to the local park or looking at some images of space on the internet or reading a book you've not read in years or maybe even looking through your old family photos. You never know what might give you a good idea, so other than trying to wrestle a crocodile (and maybe that's your thing, I don't know, but I would not suggest it) explore a bit.
DON'T choose one at the start. Instead, open a program for writing in, and write a chapter or two to start you off.
Pick a few things out of a hat (metaphorically speaking, as not everyone owns a hat). First thing: Location. It doesn't need to be on Earth or On the Equestrian planet, or even in our solar system. To borrow a often-used phrase: "Make Shit Up." It's all fictional anyway (it IS, fictional, isn't it?
Next, pick a name. It doesn't have to be Equestrian (or a hippy name. I'm told they're very similar at times) or a Human name, or even a REAL name at all. Call them Flyswatter, if you like. It's not like you can't go back later and change it.
What are they doing? They can be having lunch, taking a bath, viewing Napoleon Dynamite- It doesn't matter.
The goal here is to simply get your 'creative juices' flowing. If you haven't gotten an idea by the time you've written about ten pages, you probably need more inspiration. And by that, I DON'T mean going back and watching MLP again
176351 Um... if this is for me thanks
, but I'm fine with stories.
This was supposed to be sort of a troll, and I'm actually laughing at the fact that I actually helped someone. I didn't expect anyone to actually take these serious, but whatever.
This is brilliant, but you...you're an ass... a brilliant glorious golden ass. I only call you this because I was reading this while lying down and eating white-chocolate covered pretzels, and I reached the part about grammar. Needless to say I choked from laughing too hard. Khorosho sir
Changing my fic from having a semblance of a plot to an all-out Philomena VS Scarlet cupcake making match is GO.
But seriously plot is overrated. Rip-off fics get all the views nowadays.
178644
Actually it was aimed at anyone, not any specific person.
-
I knew it was made with 'smart mouth' as the main objective, I was just trying to be helpful in case any poor dope took this to heart.
the buck did I just read laymark.com/l/o/117.gif
so much win in this story
OK then, in my horribly original story, I will now...
-Make Pinkie go insane and kill everypony, making them into muffins
-Make Dashie come back inexplicably and have a make-out session
-Make Dashie then disappear again into the human world, raised by a human woman, totally not a man
-Then everything is all better, and never lives up to the 'adventure' tab I so mistakenly put up and had a great idea for.
Thanks so very much, Mr. Master Troll,
Your Faithful Troller,
Starlight
WHAT
1649778 Yes!
Can I replace the Fluttershy with Celestia in those scenes involving Fluttershy?
Oh my god.
This is... I just... I am laughing my ass off like you wouldn't believe.
~Skeeter The Lurker
That grammar bit was just... Beautiful.
~Skeeter The Lurker
SO.
MUCH.
TRUTH.
~Skeeter The Lurker
4212345 So I see you've found this old "illegal" story.
4212971
Hard to miss when it's at the top of your page.
This thing's a true gem of a story.
~Skeeter The Lurker
4212974 Heh. I wish I could truely "finish" it, but site rules dictate that I'm not allowed to.
I actually want to do this and see what happens to the story.
4697640 The author is not liable for any injury or hate from materials inspired by this guide.