Need a lot of opinions.

[Countess Noodle 607]

I've been working on a story for a few months now and only have a outline of it. However I've been reading a few fimfics and noticed some mix results when people have an OC meet a member of the main6 or move to Ponyville. Now my OC won't be having any contact with the main characters.

 

Now here's the question. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I want to be able to have my OC stand on her own away from Ponyville and the usual ponies that reside there, to explore the world and develop. Now when exploring wouldn't you got to Ponyville? I'm not sure, but I would like some thoughts on this subject please.

 

 

Edit: My OC will start off in Manehatten.

Edited January 8, 2015 by CausticNoodleBrony

[Koukatsu 5,898]

Meh, it's all in how you handle.

 

Bad example:

"ZOMG I WENT TO PONYVILLE AND NOW IT MANE 7 LOLOLOLOLOLOOLOLOLOLOLOL"

 

So, yeah, if you do, just don't do something like that.

[Untitled Goose Q 5,136]

By not using any regular show locations/characters you can do more, as you are not limited so much by established canon, and whilst there is no rule that states that you should stick to established canon, I always find I prefer fanfics that do.

[Storm Shine 1,195]

I would go to Ponyville... But I'd also have my character interact with the Mane 6, so... Bad example I guess...

 

If you do decide to have them go to Ponyville, I'd suggest adding some passing mentions like seeing them rush by or something... Unless you decide to have your character interact with them after all, in which case maybe add a few scenes of interaction, maybe an initial meeting, a few random interactions that may or may not be from an episode and perhaps still have them seen in passing maybe have Rainbow zoom overhead, or watch as Applejack rushes by in pursuit of a few apple-thieving critters, perhaps you could even have seen Twilight at a restaurant eating, or Pinkie ponying the counter at Sugarcube Corner...

 

 

Anyways, those are just my ideas though.. as the author, the final authority is yours!

 

 

*Huggles* Good luck Noodles!

 

(EDIT: I just realized that I accidentally punned... as the Author, you have the final Authority )

Edited January 8, 2015 by Storm Shine

[TenorSounds 831]

If your story is set in Ponyville, it would be weird and pull the reader out of the narrative if the Mane 6 (or their influence on the town) was completely scrubbed from the setting. That's assuming you're not setting your story in an alternate setting where the Mane 6 were never in Ponyville. That being said, unless they have a role in the story itself you don't just want them to randomly pop-up with a page of dialogue or anything, since it would leave the reader wondering why you included them in the first place.

 

So basically, just use them as flavor for the setting of your story, but don't give them a main focus. Just think about where your character is going to be going in Ponyville, determine if it makes sense for a character to be there at that time, and if you think you can pull it off smoothly mention them to add life and believability to the setting. I'm thinking of something like Twilight being the pony in line in front of your character at Quills and Sofas, or Seeing Rarity/Fluttershy at the spa. As long as it's organic and doesn't seem like you're giving them too much "screen time" than is necessary it should be fine.

Edited January 8, 2015 by TenorSounds

[Countess Noodle 607]

 

 

If your story is set in Ponyville, it would be weird and pull the reader out of the narrative if the Mane 6 (or their influence on the town) was completely scrubbed from the setting.

 

The story starts in Manehatten. I've seen way too many stories get dislikes just for their OC starting in Ponyville unless the story is really good. 

[TenorSounds 831]

The story starts in Manehatten. I've seen way too many stories get dislikes just for their OC starting in Ponyville unless the story is really good. 

 

Ah, I read your OP wrong and though you said it takes place in Ponyville. Well, in that case it wouldn't make much sense for the Mane 6 to be there unless they had a specific role in your story, so I'd say it might be better to leave it out. It'll give your OC more room to breath and develop outside the context of the show's canon characters.

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

You can do that, and it would be fine. Just make sure you follow the guidelines so that your character is not a Mary Sue. That's generally what people complain about.

 

If you're wondering whether or not your character is a Mary Sue, try this test. However, in general:

• Your character should not automatically be praised by any of the Mane 6. At least one main character should dislike your character, and not for unexplainable reasons.
• Your character should not be perfect—they must have a flaw and a struggle. It's kinda related: at at least some point in the story, your character should do something wrong, or at least morally ambiguous.
• Your character should not outshine any of the Mane 6. For instance, you shouldn't write about a character who's a better flier than Rainbow Dash.
• Your character should not be a self-insert. No... just don't go there. It won't end well. Writing yourself into a story is key to screwing up all of those previous things I mentioned. You're supposed to write yourself as the character, not the character as yourself.

Any more specific advice is going to depend on the genre you're writing for, and just what you're trying to accomplish here. Obviously, a fluffy shipfic is going to have a completely different set of rules from a comedy, and both of those are going to be different from a story in which... say... Discord kills Celestia, or something like that.

 

The key to writing anything, first and foremost, is to know your audience. Have a clear vision for your project, so that you know what you're trying to accomplish with each scene.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Regulus

[PonyPal123 47]

well if this was my story this is how i would plan it,

 

Your pony starts off in Manehatten which is fine but instead of your OC meeting the mane 6 one of the mane 6 goes to Manehatten to meet your OC maybe rarity since she travels there a lot. So your OC and one of the mane 6 become really good friends but they are not together very long and they don't expect to see each other again until on your OC's travels she goes to Ponyville and bumps into the mane 6 and since your OC had already met one of the mane 6 she is automatically brought into the group. She doesn't have to stay with them but my personal opinion is that in your story there should be some contact between the mane 6 and your OC 

 

 

hope i helped