Switcheroo! The Results! · 7:21pm Aug 1st, 2015
The time has come. The results are now in!
And let me tell you... This was a damn close game for the entrants. Basically came down to how one person would vote that decided the whole thing. No, seriously, it did!
But first, before we get to the ceremony, I'd like to congratulate and thank the participants who submitted extraordinarily strong entries to this very contest. All of them are excellent masters of the written word and quite worthy of adoration.
horizon, Chaotic Note, bookplayer, ABagOVicodin, spideremblembrony, PaulAsaran, and FanOfMostEverything
Thank you for participating!
Now then... Click past the break and let's get this show started!
Alright then, here we go!
3rd place!
Third place was actually a tie between two entries:
2nd Place
And now... The 1st Place winner...
Drum roll please...
1st Place
Well done, FanOfMostEverything, well done indeed! Here, let's have a few words on the winning entry from out awesome judges:
Skeeter The Lurker:
This was a tough choice for me, like, seriously. Solid story, solid execution, solid grammar... There's few flaws to be found in this, honestly. Applejack is played out perfectly and it hits pretty close to what the source material was. If I wasn't so taken with Kindest Silence, this would have been my top pick hands down. But as it is, this is more than deserving of my second pick.
Eldorado:
Definitely the most solid execution on the list, and an agonizingly close second for me, edged out only by my love of good alt-universe. Really, this contest could have been a coin flip. Here you’ve got one of the best-written Applejacks I’ve seen, despite the occasionally hard to read dialect, and a presentation that makes this really feel like the unseen B-plot to the source episode. I’d make a joke about it being cut for time or something, but I’d say it’s actually a better handling of the material than the source episode, and it brings quite a lot of original thought, too. It’s great insight into Applejack’s character, and even goes beyond the source-borrowed “replacement” dilemma as she is made to question her entire role in life. Good, believable interactions with the rest of the Apple family, too. Really, there are no serious weak points here. About as close to genuinely flawless as a story can get.
RainbowBob:
Wonderfully written Applejack with a prose that fits her character to a T. Plus, the overall pacing was fantastic and gave a good show at the reason for the contest as a whole. Heck, I thought it was better than the original intended episode. It even fits the show wonderfully and I do believe I wouldn’t have noticed it any different than an actual episode. Wonderfully done.
Pearple Prose:
This story is just really solid all around - clean prose, excellently done Applejack, and very strong use of the prompt. Very accurate to the tone of the show, too. Only real criticism is the Apple family dialogue which is filled with junk like ‘Ah’ and suchlike that makes it difficult to read and is very much unnecessary.
FloydienSlip:
This wins, hands down. Not only does it have the best Applejack I’ve read in months, but it’s also just a really solid interpretation of Owl’s Well That Ends Well. The prose is tight, the narration is flawless (except for the written-out accents), and the concept is original. Excellent work.
Garnot:
It delivered on the 'reimagining' aspect that the contest stands for in the first place while keeping things in a way that would not be at all off from the source material. In fact, this could very well have been a very fitting alternate to what we received in the actual source material. Despite keeping to the source very well, it still managed to be its own entity complete with similar, yet different moral and plotline. All in all, the originality of the piece added to the overall effect. Far as I could tell, there were no real errors in grammar nor punctuations. A few lingering sentences and sections where word count could have been trimmed, but as a whole, the story was well written and did everything right without any real issues.
It was an absolute joy to read.
SpaceCommie:
Other reviewers have noted that this has “clean” prose. I have to disagree. It’s better than that. The style is engaging and effective, accompanying a narrative voice that suits Applejack perfectly. It’s not Applejack’s voice, but it’s a textbook example of how to use a third-person limited perspective. But enough dallying over the technical details. What you should know is that this is also an original and compelling portrait of the Apple family and Applejack’s place in it. Bonus points for the depiction of Big Mac, which as far as I know has never been done in quite the same way.
And there you have it. The winner of the first ever contest I have held. I've gotta say, I rather enjoyed doing this and the turn out was damn impressive, don't you think?
Please give a round of applause to our excellent judges, I couldn't have done it with out them:
Now, what about you all? Who did you think would win? Who's did you like the best? Was there an idea you wanted to do but just didn't have the time?
And... Would you like me to try and make another contest like this? I may, actually. I'm rather pleased with the turnout and execution of this.
That's all we've got for today! Have a great day and I will see (most) of you at BronyCon!
~Skeeter The Lurker
Well. I'm in shock.
Seriously, did not see this coming. Thank you all, for both the opportunity and your enjoyment of the piece. I swear I'll never write that thick a Southern accent again.
3287325
I personally enjoyed it, heh.
But yeah, well done, dude. It was an incredibly close race.
~Skeeter The Lurker
I can help judge for any future contests you have if you want. I tend to have a lot of free time on my hands.
Heh, I'm actually going to Bronycon this year. Maybe we can get a bunch of guys together for some drinks one of the nights, hm?
I've actually come to regret not joining this contest.
Massive props to 3287325. Congratulations!
3287361
I'll be wandering around all day. Look out for me... Lurking.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Great job, everyone. Some pretty good stories here.
Let's do it again sometime.
I am okay with this. Good job, FOME! :D
3287325
Congrats! Your fic is at the top of my "to read" list and I'm really looking forward to it. The idea is terrific and I'm glad to hear all the good words about it. The world needs more great AJ fics.
Congratulations to 3287325! (Further congratulations to all my fellow authors, for pulling a wide range of interesting stories out of the tricky constraints of the prompt.)
Considering the quality of the competition, I'm simply honored to have been several judges' top picks. I also get the sense that the gap between second and third(s) was as tight as the gap between first and second, and that's as it should be; those were good stories too. My own reviews noted the solid construction of all my fellow medalists, including our deserving winner.
3287329
Just try not to start it on a Writeoff weekend or end it on a Writeoff weekend, so that I don't forget about it amid the scramble there.
I'd definitely be interested in another competition.
3287606
Seconded.
Huh. I thought One Night at Fluttershy's would be First Place due to all the good reviews it received, but I guess Fruit of the Problem deserved it too. Read the story myself and it was pretty good.
As for another contest, I'll gladly participate another one of yours.
3287588
Looking forward to your reviews of them, dude!
3287606
Like I said above, it all came down to how one judge called it. And I loved that, honestly!
I'm pretty sure I've got an idea for a next one, but I'm gonna wait and check what goes on in the future.
~Skeeter The Lurker
3287897
Then you have some reading to enjoy!
3287915
Well... Shit. How'd I miss that...?
Thanks, bro!
~Skeeter The Lurker
Oh, look, apparently a couple judges accidentally mixed up "FanOfMostEverything" with "PaulAsaran." Such a silly mistake to make, but I suppose it makes sense considering how closely alike the names are. What a shame.
...
No, seriously, this was a great competition and I'm happy to have placed at all. I can't say for certain if I'd join another contest right now, but only because I don't have time to do so. I definitely think more contests like this should happen, though.
3287325
Congratulations! And personally? I prefer to see AJ with the accent. I think these guys blow that topic way out of proportion.
3288006
I'll let you know if I do, indeed, do another.
Thanks so much for the entry and nice work on tying for third with BP.
~Skeeter The Lurker
3287897
way ahead of you :V
3288076
Yeeeaaaahhhhhh... I saw, thanks to horizon...
Can't believe I missed that blog.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Wohooo! That was a close one, I tell ya'll. literally ended up pulling some of my already thining hairline out on this competition. Congrats to the winner (FOME), and congrats to all the other entries, even if they didn't place. Every story had something worthy of reading, and while the ones that did not make it did so due to reasons some of us judges might have not entirely have agreed with, I will say that all the stories were still fun to read in their own way, and I would encurage every contestant to keep at it. As my grandappy used to say in between bouts of PTSD-induced rambling: "Believe in yourself, and create your own destiny. Don't fear failure".
Actually, the above statement could have still been part of the PTSD-induced rambling, but I choose to believe it had a deeper meaning
At any rate, good on ya'll for being here, entering, and giving it your best college try. I expect to see more good stuff from everyone. Till we meet again in the next contest Skeeter (or anyone else that contacts me) chooses to have.
Stay frosty.
3287600
book, I loved how you wrote Luna in Sleepless. Teach me your secrets.