Before we move on to the usual stuff, I've got a small procedural change to this event. It's come to my attention that the current system of emails with your questions going to our fanfiction inbox and then being forwarded to me hasn't been working well. Apologies to anyone who has sent a question and didn't get an answer in time.
In order to make that system more effective, any questions or concerns about the event can now be sent directly to me at [email protected].
We're also doing another retroactive WTG post this week, this time about "Bloom and Gloom", which we didn't do an event for. So grab those prompts and the latest submissions below the break.
"Bloom and Gloom" prompts:
Babs Seed visits and tells Apple Bloom the story of how she got her cutie mark.
If Apple Bloom had had another nightmare about her cutie mark anxieties, what would it have been about?
The Writer's Training Grounds is a weekly writing exercise in which authors of all skill levels are invited to craft a story based on the prompts provided above. Responses to these prompts are posted directly on Equestria Daily in a weekly compilation post that bypasses the pre-reading process. Authors are then highly encouraged to read comment on, and promote each others' stories -- if you've ever prepared a copy-paste comment for an episode followup, consider doing the same for a fellow WTG participant!
If you have questions, concerns, or any prompt ideas for next week's WTG, feel free to chuck them over to [email protected] with the subject line "WTG Prompt Idea" or something similar.
Rules:
- Keep the content appropriate as defined by our submission guidelines.
- Keep it between 1,000 - 7,000 words. >Greentexts and doorstoppers should apply elsewhere!
- Keep it to two genres maximum. For the roundup, fics will be grouped by their primary genre.
When you finish working on your fic, use this form to submit it to the Training Grounds. However, we will require much of the same information as if you were submitting a regular fic as follows, and this document explains what these requirements are.
- Story title
- Author name
- Story description (~1 paragraph maximum)
- Word count
- Genre tags
- Character tags
- Story URL (must be hosted on FimFiction, GDocs, dA, etc.)
- Email address
The deadline for submission is >>>Saturday, July 25th, at 11:59pm EST<<<
As always, please continue to leave us feedback with what works well for these events, what's not working well, your general satisfaction with these, etc. etc. and so on. Now get writing!
And now, this week's submissions:
Normal/Slice of Life
[Normal] - 1591 words
Author: RainEStar
Vinyl and Octavia weren't around while the Tantabus was ripping holes into the real world, so where were they? What were they doing?
DJ Dreams
Characters: Vinyl Scratch, Octavia,
[Normal] - 6400 words
Author: Prane
When Luna realized the weight of crimes she has committed as Nightmare Moon, she decides to create a nightmarish servant to ensure she will not fail her subjects ever again.
Tantabound
Characters: Princess Luna, ,
Adventure
[Adventure] - 4600 words
Author: Zeck
When Princess Luna created the shared dream in Ponyville, the Mane Six were busy trying to save other ponies and stop the Princess' nightmare from escaping into the real world, but there were just too many ponies to help. If Sea Swirl wants to be saved, she's going to have to save herself.
Sea Swirl the Waterbender
Characters: Sea Swirl, Pinny Lane,
Dark/Grimdark
[Dark] - 1048 words
Author: CyberneticPony64
Haunted by her past and desperate to avoid making the same mistakes, Luna summons the Tantibus into her dreams as a constant reminder of the pain she caused. But unbeknownst to her, the Tantibus holds a dark secret.
The Waking Nightmare
Characters: Luna, Tantibus, Celestia
[Dark][Sad] - 3972 words
Author: Heavyhauler75622
Princess Luna is a dreamwalker, a powerful mage that passes through the images that others create in their slumber. She rescues them from the pain of nightmares. Who will help her with her nightmares?
The Promise to Snowdrop
Characters: Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon, Princess Celestia ,
[Dark][Sad] - 4547 words
Author: The Last Wanderer
Long after her defeat and liberation from Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna discovers that her feelings and assumptions that led her to becoming Nightmare Moon in the first place were for all the wrong reasons. Discover the terrible punishment she inflicts upon herself... and what led her to doing so.
Live the Nightmare
Characters: Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle,
Sad
[Sad] - 1800 words
Author: A Hoof-ful of Dust
Lyra dreams.
Mother
Characters: Lyra, ,
[Sad] - 3780 words
Author: Levarien
The Tantibus: A magic seemingly made by Princess Luna to torture herself for her crimes as Nightmare Moon. Why would she do such a thing? How would she do such a thing? Only one pony knows, and she is finally ready to talk.
The Nightmare Penance
Characters: Luna, Celestia, Twilight Sparkle
[Sad][Normal] - 2700 words
Author: ScifiPony
The second bearers of the Elements of Harmony transformed everypony in all Equestria. But what of the first pony they changed? How did Luna deal with her transformation? Could she be believed to be forever immune from being seduced by nightmares? In this private confession, Luna tells a personal story of how she adjusted, what caused her become Nightmare Moon, and why forgiveness did not work for her.
Lunar Redemption Rejection
Characters: Luna, Nightmare Moon, Celestia
[Normal][Sad] - 1152 words
Author: DouglasTrotter
After her first Nightmare Night, Princess Luna begins to wonder about her darker side. With a party in Canterlot awaiting her arrival for a Nightmare Night celebration, Princess Luna questions herself as to why ponies have accepted her so easily. For the guardian of dreams and the night, a price must be paid for her past transgressions.
Nightmare
Characters: Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, ,
