Oct
2nd
2020
Noble Tempo · 5:46pm Oct 2nd, 2020
So, this is kind of embarrassing. See, a while back, HapHazred asked me for advice on a contest, which I was happy to provide. Said contest then went live... and I kind of didn't say anything? 
So let's fix that.
The good news is that A Change of Pace has submissions open through Halloween. Plus, it's one of the most interesting prompts I've ever seen. There are no requirements for characters, content, or theme. It's a matter of word count. The idea is to create a story with the pacing of an MLP episode, even if its content is decidedly non-episodic.
I'm working on an entry using the Cheese-centric AU I had to drop a while back. Anything you're already working on that comes in around seven or eight kilowords may be workable. Give it a shot!
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FanOfMostEverything · 449 views
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#contest
#a change of pace
#shameless plug
#for someone else
#sorry hap
I’ll definitely be reading your Cheese fic. My entry will be a prequel to the winner of the roleswap contest.
Noo... don't make me actually write that "Fluttershy meets Discord's mom" story. I don't have the time and I'm already behind on everything I should be doing!
I mean... the word limits helps... and it'd be good practice for my long-term plans.
Irregardless! I say thee neigh!
>reads contest rules
Yikes. That's a big no from me, dawg. Way too specific and strict.
Like, I get it. He wants to mimic the general pacing of the show... but that's not how written fiction works. I mean yeah, you could do it, but the effort and planning to meet that kind of rigid formula would be way too much work.
This format works just fine for a TV show, because there you only have to worry about writing dialogue. Everything else—the body language, the setting, the tone of voice, et all—you can just show the audience. But in writing, you have to lay out all that information. I have to write out that Rainbow Dash's wings were locked to her side, that Twilight's mane was starting to spring out of place, that Pinkie's eyes and smile was just a hair too wide for comfort. I have to write out the details of where they are, what they are doing, and how they are doing it. And with a word count restriction like that, it'd be more trouble than it's worth.
If there's one thing I like to do, it's set myself little challenges in my writing. Which means this absolutely has my attention.
5369312
Having tried show-style before, can confirm. Sometimes you do want to get a lot of words in to describe a new location, especially considering the variety the setting allows for.
YES!
Good luck, everyone who competes, and have fun!