Shine Runner

What would you prefer be done with her?

Fanfic and roleplay reasons!

I like her! I'd also like to see her with a different mane colour and style... the yellow-on-yellow doesn't look quite right, as it blends in with her coat. Have you tried a peach or sunset pink? Maybe a hairstyle that looks cut short by a blade? What made you choose the names of those places and characters?

I'm writing a story about a pony's ascension to alicorn status, but I'd like to do it in a compelling way that's not going to annoy the reader/viewer. So far, he's in a Gary Stu situation. Destined to be the first (and currently only) alicorn prince, son of Starlight and Sunburst, well-acquainted with several main characters, and is the apprentice of Luna (who has had to come out of retirement to teach him.) He is not going to rule over Equestria, but he will instead fill Luna's role of helping ponies deal with their nightmares. Perhaps he'll have to deal with a larger threat, or he could become an alicorn simply by learning how to do his task well. I'm not sure which route will be received the best! I was thinking on writing him as someone with depression. Maybe he doesn't want to accept his destiny as the guardian of dreams, and would instead prefer to do something else, like bake cookies or do standup comedy. Maybe he's a chronic procrastinator, or the type of character who compulsively makes everything into a joke to cope with stress. Luna is very serious about her work, and it would cause conflict if her apprentice wasn't interested in or motivated to do the tasks she deems sacred. And, as the only pony who has ever guarded dreams, I'm sure she sees herself as the absolute expert. Alternatively, he could be overly enthusiastic about his new position, and screw things up by making all nightmares into silly, funny dreams instead of dealing with the root of the problem. Maybe he has some sort of nightmare fear of his own that he can't get rid of, and he over exerts himself trying to help others to avoid his own shadow. Once again, not sure which direction is best. Kinda leaning towards him being a bit rebellious, too. His mother and father (and Twilight and "Aunt" Trixie) are all very much intelligent overachievers with important jobs. Maybe they hold our protagonist to strictly high standards, and his dream guardian destiny is only compounding upon his stress. He has big horseshoes to fill, and perhaps he feels intimidated and/or constricted by it all. What tips, critiques, and general feedback do you all have? I really want to sharpen this story and have a well-developed protagonist!

How would you improve the way they're written? What are some tips on writing for these characters, roleplaying them well, etc.? What direction would you like to see them go in?

I think she's really cool! What do you think her Cutie Mark is? (Also, how do I tag posts?)

What version is that?

How do you recommend unflanderizing characters? Or avoiding that in the first place?

Hello! You can call me Shine Runner! I make My Little Pony art, including fanfics, RPG's, ask blogs, and more! I'm currently rebooting an old fan series of mine called Sideways Equestria, starring an apprentice of Luna. How are y'all doin' tonight?

If you could change one thing (or multiple things) about MLP: FiM, what would you change and why? For example, I wish Luna had bat wings, and I really wanted to see a Chrysalis redemption arc. What about you?