Minds Eye came up with this idea, so thank him for the first Group Collab Project. It looks like we at least have a little bit of interest. We're going to keep this small for the time being, since we're still a small group.

To make it "small" the time for submissions to be turned in will be roughly 1 month.

Submission Due Date: July 1st, 2014

Some rules:
1. Declare your intent to submit something for the collaboration - Mark your intent somewhere with Blue Text so that we can more easily tell who's interested.
2. Pick a topic along with your declaration, it should be fairly specific. Some examples include: a myth regarding the origins of gemstones, a legend about the rise of the Timber Wolves, or a spooky fireside ghost story.
3. The Letters to Luna idea is the framing device. IE: Dear Princess Luna, <insert story>

As a letter, it should start in the first person. The text of the story itself will likely be in the third person.

Example start:

Dear Princess Luna,

Today, in band camp, I learned about the origins of the feared whippersnapper!

---

It all started, decades ago, when little Appleseed was just a colt...

Please, please don't use this as a start.

I'm not the moderator. Minds Eye will be heading up this project. I will offer support, and if you want to offer him your assistance as well, please let him know via PM or via a message on this thread.

I'm willing to offer limited proofreading services for this project, but as I do have a full time job, this group to watch over (a small duty currently,) and a bevy of stories to write, among other things, my time is limited. If you're interested in offering your proofing services, state your intent with Twilight Sparkle colored text. This is a thing. You have to scroll down to see it.

Minds Eye, any thoughts you'd like to add or have me change, let me know via PM and I'll make them.

3318682

I've got an idea for the Alicorn Amulet.

3318682 I am Smaug the golden, and I will be writing to Princess Luna about the feared headless horse and the olden pony. I am also willing to proofread. When do I start?

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Feel free to start whenever. This is a collaboration, not a contest. To the collaborators go the joys of having contributed and the recognition that comes with it.

3318682
Since I will be moderating, I'll let everyone else have first crack at story ideas.

If I need any help, I'll probably post in this thread to call a time-out, and Noble Thought and I will find a second moderator to take some of the load off of me.

That would, however, be a great problem to have.

3318682

This sounds interesting. Although, not sure I have anything worth submitting. So no declaration for me until I can work out something I can turn into a series of letters.

3318717
Length and quality is no object. If you can only think of a couple hundred words about why beavers have foul mouths, send it in. We'd love to hear it.

3318682

ACTUALLY WAIT

Perytons could be fun...

Also, I am willing to proofread.

3318682

I'll write to Luna about the origin of the Changelings. I can also proofread if needed.

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Just a quick note that I forgot to add the part that makes this a 'small' effort. Submission due date is July 1st. There's a month to write your entry, and I'll leave it up to 3318715 on the fuzz factor on accepting late submissions.

3318742 What if I write more than one story? I write a lot, so I may have time to do a second.

3318764
Knock yourself out.

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3318715

That's a question I'll leave up to Minds Eye. As I stated, this is his show. I think it would be very neat if everyone felt like they could contribute more than one piece of lore, and that's my thoughts. The larger this project is, the more likely it will be interesting and attract even more attention for the group.

I'd like to see this group grow bigger, filled with lore enthusiasts who want to make the world breathe.

Edit: I guess I was a bit wordy. Well... Intent stands, apparently.

3318682 I just had an idea for the origin story of dragons. I'll get to writing it ASAP.

I have an idea involving the origin of the Elements of Harmony, but I'm not sure I could frame it as a letter. I'm guessing that's okay, but I'm not entirely sure about the guidelines.

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To clarify, the Letter to Luna bit is a framework. Use that to let me know the PM you sent is your submission to the project.

Keep the entries to reasonable one-shot length. If the story is short enough, you may put it in the PM. You may also create a story on-site and send me the password to view it. Just let me know whenever your entry is finished.

I think the plan right now is to create one big story in which all entries are given a chapter, and all writers will be credited in an author's note on their chapter. That may change if we come up with a better idea.

Think fables and bed-time stories.

3318832 Is under 5k words okay? I have a story coming to me which at max will probably hit 4,500 words at max, probably less,

I have a letter that needs to be written. There are things a sister needs tell, but it need not be done in the flesh.

Letters to Luna from her sister, written during Luna's long banishment about stuff that happened.

3318834 Forgot to ask, what's the rating limit? Is it everyone or is plain teen the limit?

3318844
You might want to spell it out so no one else takes the same idea.

3318847
Let's keep it at everyone. Fables and bed-time stories.

3318847
Teen, I think would be the limit.

Everyone it is!

3318853 Got it.

3318853
Edited my original post.

3318832 Hmmm... so it's required that it's structured as a letter to Luna?

I'd like to add that I'm capable of editing, though I'm not sure when I'll be able to do it.

Also, just a warning, but the story I have in mind sort of doubles as a creation myth... I'll try to not step on any toes in regards to specific species, but if anyone thinks there's going to be a problem with that, send me a message.

I think I might be able to come up with the zebrican myth of the Tikbalang, and why Zecora has those golden rings around her neck.

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I'm of the mind that creation myths vary from race to race and usually won't mesh. In fact, they almost definitely won't mesh, considering the vast variety of creatures. Also, a myth may not necessarily be true. It's a mythical story, of a time long, long ago whose details were likely fudged so much that the original writers of said myth would wonder just who in the hay would believe such silly things.

3318890 Errr... maybe it's better that I keep this particular idea out of this collab, then. It's fairly... explicit about what happened. A comet hit a planet, the Tree of Harmony grew on the spot, life rose up from its roots.

That said, I could re-work it to be more of a myth. I just think it would lose some of the impact (pun intended) if that happened.

A message to Luna? I'm all over it.

3318901

Rick of Melnipony... Roll.

Edit: Maybe that should have been Elricroll of Melnipony

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3318682
3318715 I am interesting in doing something like this, but I am afraid I will somehow cross the lore of my stories with this and cause some complete confusion. Perhaps rather than working on lore that affects the world of MLP as a whole, the lore worked on here should center on smaller almost unimportant items of everyday pony life.

I have a rough idea of a legend of the creation of the zap apples , nothing concrete but something that is tickling the back of the mind.

I doubt I could stretch it more than a thousand word length however, what exactly would the colab be looking for in terms of length for these entries? Also, who is sending these letters to Luna? Our OCs, established characters, or whom?

So, I've got the first section finished, (I work very fast when I've got a good idea in my head) and it's a bit like I'd worried it would be.

How do I submit this, exactly? Just PM it to you, Minds Eye?

Regardless, this could easily turn into a short series. Hell, I've actually got part two basically written if you like what you read.

3318997 We PM the story to Minds Eye in the format of a letter to Luna, so he'll know that the story is a part of the collab.

3318997

Legends don't have to be true, Zodiac. They can be just a fun tale to tell around a campfire that Applejack later says, "Psh. Zap Apples come from butterfly dreams."

Obviously not what I think, but I hope it gets the point across. These are not "true" in the sense that they need to be true. If you want to frame it as something like the following:

Dear Princess Luna,

Today, I heard an interesting story about the origins of Zap Apples.

That's the key right there, in green. It's a story. If it just happens to match your own ideas for lore, all the better!

As for length:

Minds Eye, do you think minimum should be around 700-750 words, with max at... 5k?
Thoughts?

3319014
I personally don't care about a minimum, but yes a max of 5k would be good.

3318997
There was discussion of using OCs, but I think it's still up in the air. Go ahead and "sign" the letter however you want, and if your mind or the situation changes, we can fix it. Your idea sounds perfect, too.

3319004
Send me a PM whenever you're finished. If you have room for part two, add in part two.

3319031

Okay!

as i said I have an idea for timber wolfs.

3318682 also to write this story that we're doing should we just do it like a normal story we write or where should we put it?

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The original post in the thread has information for that.

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PM it to Minds Eye. He's running the show. I'm here to make sure things don't get out of hand and put my hoof in unexpectedly

The guidelines for the story are in the first comment for the thread. It should be a letter written to Luna, with some sort of premise for the story stated in the opening lines, followed by the story itself.

3318834 Can they be Grimm fairytales?

3319206
Sure. Quick bits about the evil witch getting her comeuppance is OK.

Showing her screams for mercy as she burns in an oven is not.

Melting her skin as two children gleefully watch would...you get the point.

3319014 Ah, I finally get it now. Alright then. I'll see what I can whip up.

I've got an idea for the origins of Equestrian apple cider.

It looks like the fervor has died down somewhat. I intend to write a piece of this as well.

My letter will concern a legend about the Mirror Pool, not the one Pinkie knew.

3320881
Is there a length limit or range these need to be?

3320913

Minds Eye says there's not a minimum limit for the story other than what the prompt requests. The max, it seems we agree, is 5,000 words. You can talk to him about whether or not you'd like to push a little further or if you think it might be too short.

3320918
Oh good. I was just glancing over the thread and I missed that.

Thank you!