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Writing: Follow-Up to “Details Matter”
14 years ago
One of the consistent liberties taken by a great many writers of pony fan fiction is anachronistic technology and society, generally by being up-to-the-minute contemporary in nature rather than remaining generally in the 1860s-to-1880s time period established by Faust’s original world-building. It’s true that the show’s writers and artists themselves facilitate this by throwing around their own anachronisms with wild abandon, but why does so much fan fiction fixate so strongly on this contemporaneity?
My guess is that younger writers—say, teens through early thirties—are more likely to focus on the anachronisms rather than the nineteenth-century background elements, because those anachronisms fit their everyday experience. Older writers, who have lived through more history themselves and are more likely to have broader education in history, may be responsible for more of the “period” fan fiction.
I believe a single six-second segment is, if not wholly, at least disproportionately responsible for the anachronistic fan fiction:
Vinyl Scratch and her DJ deck.
The technological and cultural implications of the character’s appearance, equipment, and occupation pretty much bulldoze quite a bit of Faust’s world-building right into the Dumpster. It really is a shame, because the charm of a nineteenth-century period “feel” is (to my mind, at least) much of Equestria’s storybook appeal. I understand the rationales behind many of the screenwriters’ and animators’ anachronisms, but I feel that a good many of them could have been avoided with no greater effort than was put into the writing and art that reached the screen—and I can’t help but wonder if Faust felt the same way.
Ah well. Regrettable as the anachronisms may be, the show still is head-and-shoulders better than not only most children’s television but most television in general. I can hope for greater consistency in the future from the program (and from fan fiction), but I shall enjoy the stories they choose to tell, regardless.
My guess is that younger writers—say, teens through early thirties—are more likely to focus on the anachronisms rather than the nineteenth-century background elements, because those anachronisms fit their everyday experience. Older writers, who have lived through more history themselves and are more likely to have broader education in history, may be responsible for more of the “period” fan fiction.
I believe a single six-second segment is, if not wholly, at least disproportionately responsible for the anachronistic fan fiction:
Vinyl Scratch and her DJ deck.
The technological and cultural implications of the character’s appearance, equipment, and occupation pretty much bulldoze quite a bit of Faust’s world-building right into the Dumpster. It really is a shame, because the charm of a nineteenth-century period “feel” is (to my mind, at least) much of Equestria’s storybook appeal. I understand the rationales behind many of the screenwriters’ and animators’ anachronisms, but I feel that a good many of them could have been avoided with no greater effort than was put into the writing and art that reached the screen—and I can’t help but wonder if Faust felt the same way.
Ah well. Regrettable as the anachronisms may be, the show still is head-and-shoulders better than not only most children’s television but most television in general. I can hope for greater consistency in the future from the program (and from fan fiction), but I shall enjoy the stories they choose to tell, regardless.
Of course, someone always could do a fanfic that reveals that Equestria is in contact with some modern humans on our (or another) Earth, and they got the modern tech from them in trade. Kind of like DeCamp's Krishna stories.
I liked Baron’s solution of making her a musician working with these big steampunkish mechanical and steam-powered instruments. I kind of wish the show’s writers would work more with the steampunk idea; it has its own charm and still would solve some of the anachronistic-technology difficulty.
So, that's the explanation for this! (Be warned, it's kinda bloody)
http://img.ponibooru.org/images/0a/.....18eb4723357ccf
And I'd like to see some steampunkish technology in Equestria myself, but that idea doesn't seem likely to happen in the show. And I also like Baron's solution for how Vinyl does what she does.
Sticking a steam whistle on the side was amusing but really wasn’t an effective lampshade to hang, in my opinion.
The last episode I saw - the one with 'Mare do well' - had a 20th century style dam that seemed to have a power plant attached. Deisel driven constructuion equipment was making buildings....
A thought!
The old MLP cartoons were filled with hundreds of named characters (each one a purchasable toy). But now, we have a more and more limited cast locked into strange bubble worlds - isolated universes that desperately pretend to have only low level tech, when clearly they have been constructed using advanced equipment.
Oh yes - some ponies complained! Some tried to fund a way off the map, out into the wider world. But... they've GONE now. They displeased the creators.
Yes - dance! Have fun! You must please the creators...
They don't like it when you're not having fun...
But I suspect that’s retconning, and the truth of the matter is that the writers and artists just aren’t being careful.