Feb
4th
2014
Grrrrrrrrr....Captain Equestria chapter..... · 4:20am Feb 4th, 2014
This chapter is, for lack of a better word, incredibly frustrating.
I have Applejack at boot camp....and I have no idea what to do with it.
ERGH
Honestly, I just wanna get her injected, get her into the suit, so I can move forward with the really emotional parts of the story (which happen once she's got the outfit and everything and is, ya know, at war).
BUT, I know I can't shortchange these set-up chapters either, lest the story loose important character development moments.
Ideas? Like, I have an idea for how to bring Apple Bloom in, but it's all very frustrating.
You'll figure something out...
I have the same problem with my Warhammer stories; too much talking, not enough killing.
I've done something similar to a boot camp scene, both for my DC stories and God Empress, but it's not a pure boot camp scene. I'd be happy to help in any way I can, though
Also, this probably won't help, but it's kind of a boot camp scene... kind of... if you squint...
Try to do an entire 2 paragraph monologue of the Drill Sargent doing his shouting thing, only occasionally broken up with a "SIR YES SIR!"
Huh. Well if you need any ideas with the boot scene hit me up. At least, you can do what the movie did and gloss over it with a few key scenes to show character development.
I liked the Flagpole Scene.
You could use this chapter to show some of the other characters that might pip up on AJ's tam later. You could also showcase any skills AJ has that would how the other recruits she more than she appears to be. Or you could show the other recruit give her a hard time n sh persvers through it to help her family.
1794041 1794060 That would be very appreciated yes.
Obviously, I don't want this chapter to be just 'AJ works out for 4000+ words', I want it to help build character foundations and stuff.
To me, characters and their motivations are the most important part of the story, or else everything else (action, witty dialogue, what have you) become pointless.
1795414 you could have her consider leaving the camp and going AWOL, only to have Applebloom tell her not to do it.
You could also have a lot more dialogue between her and the drill sergeant, having her go through a special amount of hell, due to her myriad medical conditions.
1795414
Sorry bout the late reply. Between editing and my own stuff I've kinda lost track of the soundingboard thing I was helping on Iron.
Anyways, it's a common misconception that boot is just you getting yelled at by an Drill Sergeant/RDC or what have you and getting beat to Tartarous and back. A good chunk of it is learning to function as a group to accomplish an objective.
In terms of your fic, which is based around a WW2-esque time period of war, the basic training around that time was heavily focused on drilling as much information into the recruits' heads as possible in a short 5-8 week period (it fluctuated due to manning concerns during the war). That being said, it wouldn't be too far fetched to try and handle this sequence in a chapter, maybe two. Moreover, since it was close to Great Depression-era circumstances, Basic would have been the first time in a long time that recruits actually had three square meals a day (many would actually gain weight due to the better living conditions).
As far as character-defining events go, this would be the place to establish the grounding traits in AJ's character. In the movie, director conveyed Cappie's tenacity, penchant for outside-the-box thinking, and selflessness through scenes like him diving on a dummy grenade and the comedic "flagpole" scene. What irked me was the fact that the few comics I've read that featured him highlighted Cappie as a genious-level tactician, while the movie itself just kinda went, " I know we didn't show that he went any actual training and never shown any indication of some form of tactical ability (aside from the flagpole, but that's a bit of a stretch), he can now successfully lead a team through a series of raids with nary a friendly casuality because he's punched a guy in a Hitler costume a bunch of times."
Yup. My disbelief had to be suspended higher than the Empire State Building.
If you do decide to use a scene or something that highlights AJ's penchant for abstract thought, I suggest you have Dr. Chocoholic and her do something that further explores it a bit under the guise of him taking data for his project. Maybe have him throw different scenarios at her like " If X happened to you and your squad, what would be your best course of action?" Maybe even have her play a few logic puzzles or games that would require planning and forethought like Chess or Checkers. Since she probably spent a majority of her life either trying to help out the farm or up in the hospital, she's never really thought too much about whether or not she'd be good at those things.
( I got one or two more ideas, but I'll send em up later)
1798336 that makes a lot of sense.
1798379
errr.. which part?
1798382 the part about AJ showing skillz at thinking outside the box.
1798388
Yay! I'm helping!
1798388
Just keep in mind that while Applejack can think outside the box, she is the most sane and grounded member of the Mane Six. Her plans, while still brilliant, would be far more normal than Rarity or Pinkie.
1801107 Yeah that's what I figured.
I can also have the Professor ask her to do research on tactics, so that way she's prepared for if she graduates.