The writers and the details...

[Nature's Spell 526]

I've been thinking a lot recently about the show, and the writers, and specifically how the show leaves so much to debate and for us to fill in with our head canon. The truth is that the show has a lot of plot holes or omissions, which I think is mainly because the writers don't care. I don't mean that in a pejorative way, it's more that they don't have time or feel the need to figure out every detail we wonder about. I said in another thread that many concepts in the show are quite fluid, but other's like the character's personalities, friendship, and the elements of harmony carry through different episodes. A few questions presented themselves to me. I made those bold. I find the writer/bronie dynamic to be really interesting. 

 

Do you think the writers should care more about details like the weather, nature, geography, economics, government, etc? 

 

-If a deeper understanding of those topics doesn't appear in the show, and I can understand why they wouldn't, they should at least be consistent unless the story needs them not to be.  

 

If they did so would it make the show better or would they get bogged down in details?

 

-I'd like to say details are good, but it's not Star Wars or Star Trek so I'd worry the show would be sucked into "Bronie Babel" and the writers would be distracted. 

 

If they don't and we need to fill in the blanks with head canon or fanfic should the poster/author try to look for explanations in show cannon rather than totally go out on their own? In other words should certain ideas be backed up with some show canon based theory? 

 

-I think certain topics should be backed up by something if you're using it to support an idea about the episodes. Fanfic writers should make clear they are not sticking with show canon or supposed show canon. 

Edited May 1, 2013 by Nature Spell

[Mr. White 71]

It's more of a novelty idea, while filling in details would sound cool for about three minutes, it would severely limit the creativity of some of the artists in our own community, and personally, in my own opinion:

 

Fanon > Canon

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

For the first question, I wouldn't mind some clarification on those subjects. The problem would be coming up with singular explanations for each that hold up for all past episodes, and that they would have to stick to in future ones. Ultimately I understand why they haven't gone into more detail. It gives them much more freedom as writers.

 

As for the second, as long as the explanation makes sense and is reasonably interesting I'm usually fine with it. Take one of my favorite fanfics, The Life and Times of a Winning Pony. It provided a relatively unique explanation for the seeming imbalance in gender. Was it remotely hinted in the show? No. Did the writer harness the idea to improve their story and expand on the mythology of Equestria in their own way? Yes, and I love that.

[Argumedies 1,748]

Ya gotta remember a few things

 

These shows are not written and drawn out in the same sequence they air on TV. Its more complicated then that and a lot of it has more to with scheduleing and deadlines then it does whether or not the writers care. I'm sure they do care but these are 22 minute shows and they were never meant to be consecutive back to back stories. That's why you have episodes where winter comes before fall

[Orablanco Account 3,706]

I think that now that the initial chunk of the series is done with, and the next one is being produced with the knowledge that a bunch of continuity-obsessed nerds are also watching the show, we can expect a little more concrete world building. Maybe a more specific timeline this stuff.

[Argumedies 1,748]

I think that now that the initial chunk of the series is done with, and the next one is being produced with the knowledge that a bunch of continuity-obsessed nerds are also watching the show, we can expect a little more concrete world building. Maybe a more specific timeline this stuff.

I agree. After all look how season three has played out despite how short it was. When all this was being made no one thought for one minute of the scope and scale of how large and expierenced a fan base like the Brony community would be.

[Nature's Spell 526]

I agree with the complexity of doing so and how the show is produced. I get all that and we have so many (great) discussions as a result, but we'll always have just opinions and never anything concrete. We end up going around in circles. Fanfic, even my own, will never replace show canon. It's a shame the creators don't hire a writer to create a brony's guide to the show. :-)

[Veylon 255]

There ought to be (but probably isn't) a massive book somewhere containing every possible detail anyone could ever want to know about the FiM-verse. Everything from guard shifts to demographics to griffin anatomy to the workings of the cosmos would be in there. Every writer, storyboarder, and artist would have it available to fact-check against.

 

So if there's an episode where the ponies are on a train, it'd be known what scenery would be in the background, how many and what type of ponies would be on board, and what kind of cargo it might be carrying. Odds are none of that would get more than a fleeting glimpse - if that - but it helps build a deeper portrait of the world that sits in the back of the audience's mind.