Hey, guys. I know I don't post much and I'm fairly new here, but I've been meaning to write a fic and actually complete it to put on fimfiction. My main problem is that good old arch nemesis, Writer's Block. Now, Labyrinth. I suppose I should explain the storyline, hm? Labyrinth is about a unicorn called Urban Decay (gender undecided, probably male); who, unlike the other unicorns of Canterlot, is generally looked down upon and seen as a lesser member of society. Probably more on the ranks of an Earth pony. Why? They spent a majority of their time in Equestria's underground tunnels, abandoned buildings and warehouses festering with mould and asbestos. To the more regal unicorn, Urban is just a strange, unconventional pony who spends too much of their time in these silly urban exploration fantasies. And Celestia be damned if a filthy, scraggly old pony is breaking and entering illegally. But one day, in their lonely spelunking of the Canterlot sewers, Urban runs into a strange black pony by the name of Annie. She appears to be a social reject who lives in the sewerage systems and underground tunnels all by herself, and Urban befriends her. But Annie refuses to take Urban into the heart of the sewers, and discloses all information about her family or her past despite all attempts Urban makes to get to know her better. She's started to act mysteriously secretive as well... So, in a way, this turns into a sort of "reject pony falls in love with a changeling" story, with darker undertones into the history of Equestria. But that's as far as I've gotten. I have no ideas on how to write Annie, the Changelings, or any underground civilisation, despite what ideas I have mulling around in my head. And that's the thing - I have too many ideas, so I don't know where to start! How do I make the storyline flow? How do I keep it from becoming too complicated and/or boring? Has this idea been done before? Is there a way I can avoid making this sound generic? Am I being overly judgemental of myself? I need feedback! I want to know if this idea works, and how to go about it. Any suggestions or criticisms are highly encouraged, and any advice on actually getting to writing it as well.
In regards to writing your own character (Annie, for this example): You need to present your character in such a way that your reader wants to know something--a question that is intriguing or makes your character interesting. I'll use the comedy-drama show "Castle" as an example. Whenever Castle's odd fascination or draw to death is mentioned, he casually dodges the question of changes the subject. That's interesting, isn't it? How do you want her to present herself? She's been an outcast her whole life and this could make her socially awkward. Maybe she's too emotional, maybe she's not emotional, but becomes snappy when a sensitive note is struck. ---- Do some world building and explore other ideas that other stories/novels/whatever have used. An ancient civilization: Did it fall? How did it fall? What led up to this? Who influenced it? Who did it affect? How did it change the world, if it did? How do the characters relate to said civilization? How does it pertain to the story, or how is it connected with the characters? ~~~~~~~~~ I hope this helps shed some light on approaching it. Whenever you become inspired by an idea, but not yet ready to write, simply jot it down and flesh out the details later as you think about it.
