Fanfic Writing General

Background Pony #956A
This “Growing up” episode gave us the first view of the world in which Equestria lies! It’s tagged “Equus” although I think it should be named something different since other species live there too.
Silent_Witness
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My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
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Chippin’ In
I’m going to preface this by saying that this post will be quite long. Also, some of the stuff I’m going to be mentioning will be mildly NSFW. So there’s that.
 
Anyway, one of the stories I’m writing is set in the Monster Girl Encyclopedia world. It’s a setting that seems like it would lend itself well to an RPG Mechanics Verse, but rather than doing something sensible, like adopting an existing system to fit the needs of the story, I decided to try to construct my own “system” (I posted an early version of it on this thread a few months ago). I’m not sure why I’m so hung up on it, considering it’s less overt and more of an underlying aspect of the story, but it’s still something I’d like to iron out.
 
I won’t lie, the system is kind of a Frankenstein’s monster constructed from various systems, but it’s built on the frame established by the system the Elder Scrolls games used before Skyrim, using most of the same Attributes- presently, the attributes are Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Endurance, Agility, Willpower, Charisma, and Luck. After a while, I decided to go with the same 100-point scale that the games use as well, though the distribution is a bit different: rather than the average for everyone being at 50, 25 is the average for humans, the 40-60 range is where most monsters and Heroes fall into, and beyond 70-75 is where you’ll find divinities and other nasty things you typically wouldn’t want to tangle with. While this area has been settled for the most part, there are other places where I’m struggling, and I wanted to see if anyone would be willing to give feedback.
 
First, are skills. When I first started building the system, I wanted each attribute (except for Luck) to have three skills associated with it: a combat skill, an exploration/general purpose skill, and a… lewd skill (remember, this is MGE). For example, Charisma (since it’s the only one that has three) would have a Leadership skill (how willing allies are to help the MC), a Speech skill (how the MC interacts with other characters, and covers bartering/mercantile), and a Seduction skill (I hope I don’t have to explain that one). In addition, each monster species, as well as the MC, would have their own unique skill (possibly several). My issue is finding skills that fit into each Attribute. For example, it’s easy to find a combat skill for Strength (Melee Weapons), but what would be a fitting exploratory or lewd skill? Also, I originally planned to go with the ES/SPECIAL system of having skills be scored from 1-100, but I also had the idea of having skill proficiency be ranked by letter, from E to A/S.
 
Second, I’m struggling with how to incorporate a particular characteristic, for lack of a better term: Perception. One of the characters is a gazer (basically a beholder knockoff), who would have much better vision/awareness thanks to her many eyes, though other characters have sharp senses, and monsters in general have better senses than humans do, so I feel it’s important to include it. But I’m not sure how. At the moment, it’s a skill under Willpower (basically magic/mental effect resistance), though I’m not sure if I should move it to a different attribute, or make it an attribute all on its own. The issue with making it it’s own attribute would be finding corresponding skills for it. Also, I’d likely need to drop one of the existing attributes to make room for it, since I feel more than eight attributes would be too cumbersome. Though, I’m not averse to making that decision- although I envision Dexterity and Agility as two different things (hand-eye coordinations vs. speed and general coordination), I can understand that other people would see that as redundant.
 
A part of me knows that I really should just drop the system altogether and just write my damn story, but all the same, I’m curious as to what anyone would think of what I put together, and what should be done to improve it.
Edhelistar
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Kirin Flutterfan
I suddenly had this weird idea for a fanfic involving Coco Pommel, Moondancer, Spike the regular dog, Mjolnir, two Jurassic Park Compies and a crab…
TheHappySpaceman
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Artist -
Not a Llama - Happy April Fools Day!

Sweet F.A.
It was not the sound of shouting outdoors that awakened Rayla in the middle of the night. It wasn’t the scuffling noises of a fight breaking out, the crashing of bottles, the throwing of fists. Rayla was used to this, and she figured that she would hear such sounds when she reserved a room for herself and the then-disguised Callum at the Badgermole Inn. While she had never been to the inn, it was well known among the other moonshadow elves that fights weren’t exactly uncommon at this inn. So it wasn’t any of that that awakened her.
 
The sound that made her eyes open was the all-too-familiar noise of a yelp from Callum’s room.
 
Rayla shot up in bed and grabbed her swords, looking down at her body. Clad in an undershirt and shorts, she was not well-dressed for a fight, but she was still willing to slish-slash anyone who came close to Callum. She slowly and quietly walked towards the door.
 
Another crash outside. Another yelp from Callum.
 
Cautiously, Rayla made her way out her door into Callum’s room. Examining the scene, only illuminated by the firelight outside, she saw that there were thankfully no windows broken. Callum was there, wrapped in a blanket and having obviously removed the couch cushions and arranged them around himself as some kind of crude barrier. Zym, the baby dragon prince, was there with Callum, looking just as scared.
 
“Callum?” Rayla asked, putting down her swords upon seeing he was okay.
 
The boy gasped, looking at his elf companion with his hazel-green eyes. “Oh. Hi, Rayla.” He breathed a sigh of relief as he attempted to fix his disheveled brown hair. “D-did I wake you? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that… It’s just, the sounds reminded me of the battle… where my father–”
 
“No, you’re fine.” Rayla felt sorry for Callum. She couldn’t necessarily blame him. “But what in Xadia’s name is all this?” She walked over to him and lightly kicked one of the pillows. In hindsight, this may have been a mistake, as this sent the entire structure falling down. Rayla gasped upon realizing what she did.
 
“…It was a pillow fort,” Callum said, looking down.
 
“A pillow fort?” Rayla cocked an eyebrow, then shook her head. “This is just pathetic.”
 
Callum honestly looked like he was about to cry.
 
“You need way more pillows than that,” Rayla continued. Walking over to the couch, she effortlessly pushed it over on its side. Callum looked up in confusion.
 
“Could you move that table over here?” Rayla asked, pointing to the table in question. “I think it would make a perfect entrance.”
 
Callum smiled. “Oh! Y-yes, right away!” He stood up and moved the table. Zym jumped off him, peeping curiously. Rayla left the room and soon returned dragging her mattress along with her, positioning it in the center of the floor. The two arranged blankets, sheets, pillows, chairs, and other furniture until they had arranged everything into a relatively large mini-fort.
 
Upon completion of the pillow fort, Rayla and Callum crawled under the table and onto the mattress, getting themselves comfortable under the sheets with a pillow for each. “This is… ahhh, much better,” said Callum.
 
“Runaan taught me best,” Rayla said with a smile. “Tired?”
 
“Yes… this should help me sleep better.”
 
“Good.” Rayla heard the flapping of wings, and soon felt Zym land by their feet. She chuckled. “It seems Zym likes it too!”
 
Callum laughed lightly at this, then looked up. “Rayla?”
 
“Hmm?” Rayla’s violet eyes searched for Callum’s in the darkness.
 
“Thank you.” He smiled warmly.
 
Rayla smiled back. “Goodnight.”
 
Callum rested his head on the pillow, facing Rayla, and soon fell asleep. The noises of the commotion outside were defeated by Rayla’s presence. Rayla soon fell asleep herself, facing Callum. It was the best sleep she’d had in a while.
 

 
A TDP oneshot I wrote in September. Took about twenty minutes. Hope you enjoy!
TheHappySpaceman
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Artist -
Not a Llama - Happy April Fools Day!

Sweet F.A.
Whoops, I wrote another one. (Warning: TDP Book 3 Spoilers abound.)
 

 
Callum awoke to find himself lying down on soft Xadian grass. He opened his eyes, looking up to the full moon that hung high in the night sky. It was still night, maybe 2 or 3 in the morning, he guessed. The dying embers of the nearby campfire illuminated some of his surroundings, but not quite as much as the moon.
 
Through the light of the moon, Callum could make out the sleeping figure of Ezran, new king of Katolis and his little half-brother. Bait, Ezran’s pet glow toad, was curled up at Ezran’s feet. Callum smiled at seeing his brother sleep so peacefully. As he looked around, he also noticed the rest of his group asleep, including his aunt Amaya, Gren, Opeli, and Corvus. Soren was gone, having taken the night watch.
 
Nearest to Callum was his girlfriend, Rayla. She was asleep on her side, and Callum could see her silver hair reflect the light of the moon. As Callum looked at her, he couldn’t help but feel a great warmth inside. Callum and Rayla had gone through so much together over the past month since they first met, but they had stuck by each other through it all. He was so glad to know her.
 
Reassured knowing that everything was safe and sound, Callum rested his head back on the grass and closed his eyes, falling back asleep.
 
Or at least he tried to.
 
Something felt off. He sat back up. “Hmmm?” he murmured quietly. What was it that felt so… wrong?
 
Callum had every reason to rest well that night. It was over. Not only was the battle won, but there was finally peace between Xadia and the human kingdoms, after years of constant warring between them. As far as everyone knew, Viren was gone. Callum had slept outside before, and he was exhausted from the battle, too, so it wasn’t that he didn’t want to sleep.
 
So why couldn’t he?
 
A brisk, gentle breeze blew through the air, rattling the leaves of the nearby trees and causing Callum to shiver. He clutched at his own arms, and it was at this moment that he realized what was bothering him so much: He was cold.
 
The one thing that made this night different from others was the fact that he was without his usual blue jacket, which had been lost in the battle from the day before. That made all the difference on a cold spring night like this one, where all he had on for warmth was his red tank top and scarf. Having not thought to ask for a blanket before everyone fell asleep, he was now facing a dilemma.
 
Maybe if I…? The young mage took off his scarf and tried wrapping it around himself. Unfortunately, it was not big enough and didn’t do much against the chill of the night.
 
“No, that’s not it…” He looked at the fire, which had all but died out. “Ugh!” He really, really regretted not learning a tad of Sun Magic.
 
“Callum?”
 
He let out a soft yelp at the sound of another voice. Turning to his side, he saw that Rayla was now sitting up, rubbing her eyes. Her ears were drooping down from grogginess. “What’s going on?”
 
“Oh. Hey, Rayla.” Callum kept his voice down, so not to wake the others. He rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry I woke you. I’m just… um… a little cold.” As if on cue, another breeze blew through the area and he had another round of shivers, his teeth chattering with the cold.
 
As tired as she was, Rayla couldn’t help but find the display amusing. “So wait… you’re this amazin’ human mage who can cast lightning spells an’ grow wings, and you helped take down an entire army, but you’re vexed by a littl’ cold?” she asked with a smirk.
 
“Hey, it’s pretty chilly out here, you know,” he protested, covering his bare arms.
 
“Well, why don’t you put on your jacket?” Rayla then wondered. “Hey, where is your jacket, anyway? I ’aven’t seen it since the battle.”
 
“Oh, right, you didn’t see that. Well, remember that time when you were falling and I grew wings? Yeahhhh, it kind of shredded my jacket to pieces.”
 
“Oh.”
 
“Yep. No more jacket, which means chilly Callum. ‘Chillum,’ if you will.”
 
Rayla’s gaze followed Callum’s arms. Her ears perked up as she allowed a small smile. “I think the sleeveless look suits you, myself. You look good.”
 
Callum’s blush was barely visible in the moonlight. “Okay, compliment well-received, but looking good isn’t really going to help me out here. What do I do?”
 
Rayla scooted closer to him. “Well, I’d offer you my vest, but something tells me it won’t be a lot of help.”
 
“Yeah, no, unless you have something with sleeves. And aren’t you cold?”
 
“Eh, you get used to Xadia’s chilly nights.” Rayla then decided it might be fun to tease Callum for a bit. “Maybe you should’ve taken off your jacket before you jumped for me.”
 
“Well, it was either saving you or the jacket, so…”
 
Rayla raised an eyebrow. “I see. You’re starting to think you made the wrong choice, eh?”
 
Callum’s eyes grew wide and he held out his hands. “No! No, no, don’t get the wrong idea, I—”
 
“Relax, Callum! I’m jokin’!” Rayla punched his arm lightly. “Here, ya dumb human.”
 
She grabbed Callum and pulled him into a hug. Needless to say, he was surprised by the gesture. “Rayla…? What are you doing?”
 
“We’ll share our body heat, keep each other warmer this way.”
 
“Huh…” Callum laid down with Rayla, wrapping his own arms around her. He immediately felt himself warming up. “You’re right, this feels… nice.”
 
Rayla smiled. “I told ya it would.” She cuddled closer to him.
 
Callum looked into her eyes, smiling himself. “Thank you.”
 
“Oh, it’s nothin’—”
 
“No, not just this. I mean, thank you for always being here for me, for sharing in my struggles, my laughter, being my friend, my girlfriend… and now… this.”
 
Rayla giggled. “You’re welcome, Callum. And hey, when we get back to Katolis, maybe I’ll buy you a new jacket or something.”
 
They laughed, then moved their faces closer to each other and shared a kiss for a few seconds.
 
“I love you.”
 
“I love you too.”
 
They kissed each other once more before drifting off to sleep together, warm in each others arms.
LightningBolt
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Senior Moderator
Undead inside
Wondering if there’s anyone curious to help me proofread and push me to finish a story on evil clones…
 
Content warnings to scare you away before you even start:Pony, no canon, dark subject matters, abuse (physical and mental), piss, vomit, murder, cannibalism, sex, mutilation, etc
LynksDisease
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).

Cringe Lord
So I’v been outlining a story and I now realize there’s something that I’m unsure about since the finale: (SEASON 9 SPOILERS, OBVIOUSLY) ||Where do ponies that live in Ponyville go to get books? I’d assume Twilight’s Castle, but that raises the following questions:
 
  1. Who maintains the castle now that Twilight is in Canterlot?  
  2. Would ponies go to the Castle, or the School of Friendship?
     
    Are there any theories or details I missed that would clarify this or do I need to make stuff up?||
Lord WyrmSpawN
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Lingering Wyvern
@LynksDisease  
With Starlight and Sunburst running the school and starlight already living there, it only makes sense they would live in it now.
 
And I’m sure both buildings will let you check out books.
Sparx
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).
Non-Fungible Trixie -

#115 Wassup Voltage!
Are there any good fanfics that crossover with Them’s Fightin’ Herds?  
I’m looking for some pointers.
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