StarTrixMaud Contest Results! · 4:14am Oct 8th, 2021
It's time!
To start, thank you so much to all of you who have taken the time to write entries for this contest! With the coming of G5, it is easy to imagine that the first characters to be forgotten from G4 would be this trio of secondary characters introduced or really fleshed out only in the later seasons, so it was really nice to see that there were so many stories still left to tell. I hope you all had as much fun writing them as we did reading the best of these stories, and that this is not the last hurrah for these three, for many years to come.
Additionally, I would like to thank Lofty Withers and the Quills and Sofas Speedwriting Group for hosting a Trixie contest with one of the goals being to inspire entries for this contest. I would also like to thank Lord Camembert, who unfortunately could not judge due to real-life circumstances, but did contribute a great judge prize idea.
And lastly, and mostly, I cannot thank my judges Gay For Gadot and TCC56 enough for their time and effort in making this contest happen, as well as for their patience with me as a first-time contest host. Thank you both so very much, truly!
Now, on to the results!
Sixteenth Place, The Bicyclette Prize for the Most Literature: Questionable Poetry of Errors by SparklingTwilight
This story is a difficult one to describe or classify. On one level, it is a slice-of-life dry comedy (very relatable to me as a former academic) about Maud Pie grading an older Flurry Heart's poetry. On another, it is the story that said poetry tells: a very abbreviated StarTrix romance of sorts written with the energy of a foal begrudgingly completing a homework assignment. On yet another, it is the rhyming ficlet contained entirely in the very short second chapter that does the brilliant thing of making the rhyming scheme of the story both diegetic and central to the "StarTrix shipping" component of the entry.
Questionable Poetry of Errors is very unconventional in its goals and does them well, while keeping its characters very much their lovable selves, which is why I am proud to award it the Bicyclette Award for the Most Literature. In fact, the same could be said of all of the author's entries to the contest in their own ways, each of which also come with delightful Author's Notes providing more context for their respective stories in the larger FimFic oeuvre. Thus, I consider this award to really belong to all four stories collectively, and I recommend that you read all of them for the full experience.
SparklingTwilight · 12k words · 11 1 · 454 viewsSparklingTwilight · 2k words · 20 1 · 643 viewsSparklingTwilight · 1.7k words · 9 1 · 401 views--Bicyclette
Gay for Gadot's Prize for Favorite Starlight Meltdown: Recursive Affection Disorder by HapHazred
When I agreed to be a judge for this contest, what I wanted as my judge prize was a no-brainer. As a big Starlight Glimmer fan, one of my favorite aspects of her character is her tendency to… go overboard, let’s say. Starlight’s meltdowns are some of the best moments of the show for me; there’s a reason All Bottled Up is my go-to fun episode.
Recursive Affection Disorder was not only the story I enjoyed the most out of the entries, but an absolute shoe-in for my prize. Being asked out by her crush literally broke Starlight’s brain; you can’t have a worse meltdown than that. (Well, now that she’s… somewhat reformed.) With spot-on characterization, plenty of humor, and just a little sprinkling of that heartfelt StarTrix goodness, this story is a ride well worth the read.
--Gay for Gadot
Sixth Place, Camembert's Prize for Favorite Heresy (Favorite Non-StarTrix Fic): Between A Rock And A Hard Place by applejackofalltrades
Mauxie is a ship that sailed on quickly, primarily popping up due to a prominent fancomic (Damp Rocks) and popping out of existence as soon as No Second Prances aired. In contrast to the fandom staple StarTrix, Mauxie has been basically relegated to the annals of the past. Few works have been penned since the comic’s abrupt discontinuation, whether art or literature, that have sought to capture that same dynamic: Maud and Trixie meeting when the latter ends up at the Pie Family rock farm to earn some bits in the wake of her disastrous Ponyville appearance.
Between A Rock And A Hard Place is reminiscent of that old fanon shipping spark… in a good way. This little slice of life story is lacking the romance tag, but the roots are planted here with care. With evocative, immersive first-person (pony?) prose that really sets the reader behind Trixie’s skeptical eyes, a Maud whose memetic monotone hints towards a deeper backstory and personality, and a charming narrative that illustrates what it’s like to find meaning in the low places of life, look no further for the best heresy on Fimfic.
--Gay for Gadot
Seventh Place, The Tempest in a Teacup Prize: What Trixie and Starlight Glimmer Were Doing During The Movie by Apple Bottoms
With my Judge’s Prize, one of the big things I was looking for was a properly chaotic Trixie. She’s a treat (and amazingly useful story-wise) when she’s at her wildest. A number of stories satisfied that, but this one stepped forward and also hit one of my other favorite things: I love stuff that happened ‘off-screen’ during other major show events. I could go on for a while about the bits I enjoyed – the finale is great for using an established deus ex machina well; it brings in some of the Equestrian allies who were weirdly absent for the Movie proper and does so in a way that helps the situation make sense; both Starlight and Trixie are adorable. But to be totally honest, I was sold on this one the moment Trixie declared “If the power of friendship will not defeat you, perhaps the Power of Incredible Violence will!” I’m a total sucker for lines like that.
--TCC56
Tenth Place, Best StarMaud: Guest Lecturer by Apple Bottoms
A straightforward little slice-of-life that gives you exactly what it says in the longdesc: a snapshot of an established relationship between headmare Starlight Glimmer and Dr. Maud Pie that is very short and sweet. What makes this Guest Lecturer stand out from other works of this light and fluffy genre is the introduction of the characters and the ship through the eyes of the students, for whom school administrators and guest lecturers are categorized somewhat closer to textbooks and lockers than fully-rounded people with lives of their own outside of school, which makes the peek behind the curtain all the more intriguing to them. This really grounds the presence and reality of their relationship and love by contextualizing it as part of the observable world that third parties can deduce; a fact about the universe as mundane and as obvious as the difference between igneous and metamorphic rocks. And that mundanity is just what makes this type of story so pleasant to spend time in.
--Bicyclette
Fifth Place, Best MauXie: Razzmatazz by Decaf
Trixie needing help with a magic show is almost expected as a story hook – but the how is just as important as the rest. This one stood out to the judges with the rather sensible usage of Maud as the audience plant: a critical role in any show, but one often overlooked by authors. It gave a perfect ‘in’ for the straight-laced Maud, and Trixie’s introduction of her into showbiz (and the concept of the titular razzmatazz) was a good laugh. It was the conversations – the interactions between the two – that sold this story. Maud saying a lot with few words; Trixie doing just the opposite. It helped set the relationship up, and particularly how Maud was the one initiating it while Trixie remained fairly oblivious behind her own ego. Also she didn’t kill Trixie when she had the chance and if that isn’t a sign of love what is?
--TCC56
Fourth Place: They Fight Crime by Shilic
Superhero genre pastiches can be done in a very lazy way, simply assigning existing characters a superhero design and set of powers vaguely fitting one note of their personalities (the Power Ponies in the MLP canon being a perfect example). They Fight Crime is anything but lazy, translating its characters brilliantly to their new setting, and finding clever connections between superhero tropes and elements of the canon show. The main characters forming a second-string superhero team in the second-string city of Fillydelphia was a very nice touch, as it gives the story the feel of a modern-era superhero comic: self-aware of the genre's clichés without being embarrassed by them, while focusing on telling a story about characters first and foremost.
Starlight, Trixie, and Maud leap off the page as wholly-formed characters with full biographies adapted to this original setting, and it is all the more impressive that this was accomplished in the short time we spend in this world. The interpretation of Starlight as a centuries-old book demon that cannot exist as a separate being in the three-dimensional world was especially clever and brilliant in just how well it worked both as an adaptation of the character and as an interesting element in the trio's relationship. The arrangements they come to as well as the relationship itself both feel very natural and sweet, with the raw, electric attraction of their young love evident and fun, and the banter between the three a sight to behold. The story's nine kilowords breeze by quickly and easily, with not a word wasted, leaving this reader wanting more without at all being dissatisfied by the tropey, yet very heartfelt ending.
--Bicyclette
Third Place: Hard Rocks by daOtterGuy
Okay, when we started judging this contest, I did not expect the phrase ‘Maud Pie, exotic dancer’ to be a key story element. Yet it is and it works. This story conceptually stands out by flexing some serious deviations from canon – the university setting and the gender swap most prominently – to land a strong ‘Love (or something approximating it) at first sight’ story. Despite the differences in the who and the where, all three characters are still strongly themselves and the dialogue is spot on. What really set it apart, though, was the choice to gender-flip the characters. This fandom’s fairly inured to female-female pairings (a natural consequence of the cast being 90% female) – the change makes the aspect of discovering and exploring orientations hit different and really elevated the story. We got plenty of romances – this one let us watch the characters develop who they are. That's really what distanced it from the pack.
--TCC56
Second Place, Best StarTrixMaud: It's Not A Big Deal; It's Just My Dissertation by Apple Bottoms
While it has been a joy to read the more unique and literary takes on what constitutes a "shipfic" between these three beloved characters, there is something to be said about the subset of works that are the most "central" to the theme: straightforward, slice-of-life stories without plot devices or unique premises or deep philosophical questions to distract from the shipping dynamics between the characters involved. While writing such a story can be very easy and quick, it is conversely a lot more difficult to stand out from similar stories of this genre simply by doing such a story very well. And that is precisely what It's Not A Big Deal; It's Just My Dissertation accomplishes.
Like many slice-of-life stories, as a sequence of events that happen, It's Not A Big Deal; It's Just My Dissertation could be described as a very common sitcom plot based on a misunderstanding. But the way said plot flows organically from the throuple dynamic, the richness of the little character details In their domestic life, and the sheer sweetness of their love and caring for each other evident in their every word and action had me squeeing at the end despite the resolution never having been in doubt. As any good slice-of-life fic, this one is about the journey and not the destination, and I just wish I could wrap the journey around me like Trixie's cape and nestle in its warmth forever.
--Bicyclette
First Place, Best StarTrix: Recursive Affection Disorder by HapHazred
Recursive Affection Disorder starts off with a brilliant premise, taking Starlight's tendency towards anxious overthinking, her use of powerful magic without thinking through the consequences, and the existence of simulation spells to their logical conclusion: When Trixie asks her if she is interested in Trixie, Starlight traps herself in an iterative mental pocket universe in order to analyze every shipbait (does it still count as "shipbait" if not canonical?) moment they had together and break down her own feelings, anxieties, and fears. It is essentially a deconstruction of the StarTrix dynamic done by Starlight herself within the story, who approaches it with an overthinking logic and a few subconscious entity iterations to talk her through it.
The deep dive into Starlight's mind is intercut with segments from the point of view of Sunburst and Trixie, which is a very clever way to give exposition and context in a way that feels natural and keeps up the pace. Everything in Starlight's interior journey from the dry humor and dialogue, to her fixations and anxieties, to the emotional escalation, to the sensation of looping, to the very StarTrix resolution are all amazingly well-done with spot-on craft and characterization, making this a wonderful ride from start to finish, easily earning its place as both the best StarTrix entry and the (unanimously!) best entry overall.
Also, the cover is amazing.
--Bicyclette
And there we are! All prize winners will be contacted by PM to disburse their winnings. In addition to their prizes, the top three fics will also receive an automatic place in the upcoming Slates in Comment Club: Recursive Affection Disorder will appear on the currently running Celestia Slate V and It's Not A Big Deal; It's Just My Dissertation and Hard Rocks will appear on Luna Slate V, which will be a great excuse to take the time to read and comment on them.
In the meantime, I do hope that you all take the time to read and comment on the other winners and entries that strike your fancy as well!
And finally, if you wish to take more money from me participate in more fun contests I am running, the M/M Shipping Contest and the Sunset Shimmer2 Contest are both still ongoing, and could always use more entries.
Thank you all very much for reading, and see you again soon!
oh sick! wasn’t expecting to see my fic on here at all :P
I can’t wait to give all of these a read!
Congrats to all the winners! I... really should get around to reading the other entries...
Oh man I'm so excited, I'm so glad you guys enjoyed my stories!!!
I'm thrilled to win second place of course, but I was really excited to win one of the special judge prizes as well! I was hoping my work might stand out to someone in a special way! 
Thanks for a super-fun contest! It made me write couples I might never have considered otherwise, so it was a lot of fun to participate!! 
I am so happy you guys enjoyed my entry. I too also never expected "Maud Pie, Exotic Dancer" as a key story element yet here we are.
Congrats to everyone who placed! It was a real fun contest to write for, so cheers a lot to Bicyclette for hosting! Super glad I managed to place with a story that's basically just Starlight talking to herself in her own head for 90% of it.
Keep being cool folks. : )
i.postimg.cc/PNGnfpjD/glimglammeme.jpg
Gotta add all this to my RIL now. Thanks for running the contest! It was a lot of fun!