Sunset Shimmer Shipping Contest - My (VERY!) Unofficial Selection · 1:27am Sep 19th, 2017
So, how many of y'all know about the Sunset Shimmer shipping contest? Basically it's a contest to see who can do the best job shipping Sunset Shimmer with some other canon character. Oh and there should be some sort of theme about "Changing Seasons" but that's largely secondary.
Anyway, I submitted a story. So did fifty three other people! The judges have doubtlessly had a doozy of a time reading em, and they're gonna release the results on Friday, which is apparently Sunset Shimmer day or something, and I'm sure they'll do a great job!
But I'm impatient. Maybe some of you are too. So what I did was, I read almost every single story in the slate. (I'll get into the "almost" in a bit.) Partially for fun, partially because I wanted to scope out the competition, and partially because, well... why not, right?
From these stories I have chosen... well, not exactly a clear winner, per se. More like two tiers of stories: Tier One being the ones that I think are most likely to win, and Tier Two being the ones which I think are less likely but are still quite strong. And then a bunch of honorable mentions. I'll try to say what I liked about them, and maybe a little about what they could have done better, and I'll stay away from most spoilers... but if you want to avoid all spoilers you should just click em, because I've left all my choices at the top.
Now, about that "almost": I didn't read any fics about characters who only appeared in the EQG shorts, because I haven't watched those. That means nothing with Juniper Montage or Starlight Glimmer, which is to say: Acting Like You're Happy, Sunlight Glimmer, Changes on Film, and Natural Emotions. Sorry to the authors of those stories: I'm sure you worked hard, but I'm simply unqualified to make a judgment there.
Anyway, without further ado, my selections!
Tier One: Love is in Doom - Tripped Out - Shot on Goal - The Girl Who Couldn't Change - ... But It Often Rhymes
Tier Two: Dappled Shores - Suns and Roses - Sunset and Sunrise vs Evil - Voices Lost - Compati
Tier One
Love is in Doom, by Aragon
So, fun fact (and also full disclosure): I actually came up with the name Love is in Doom. Lame puns are the best names, it's scientifically verifiable.
So, premise: The Humane Seven have to save the world from a couple of apocalypses, in gloriously bloody fashion. Like, we're talking RIP AND TEAR levels of gratuitousness. But maybe a pair of them can find love in the process?
Now, Aragon is really good at this whole writing thing, and also making characters differ from canon but doing it so hilariously, and so weirdly canonically anyway, that you don't mind one bit. Take this bit, for instance, where Sunset tries to get Rarity back to Sugarcube Corner so they can reconcile, by telling her Fluttershy's passed out again.
“…Oh.” Rarity saw this, and squinted. “I see. It was all a lie.”
“Yes.” Pause. Sunset bit her lip. “Well. Kind of? I’m a method actress.”
“Hi, Rarity!” Pinkie Pie said, coming from the back of the store, clown nose on, dragging out an unconscious Fluttershy. “Bye, Rarity!”
Trust me, he's got this humor thing locked down. Besides that, he did a fun thing with the changing seasons: read the story to find out. But is he as good at developing the relationship between Sunset and Rarity?
Well, uh... no. But remember, I said he was really good at writing hilariously? So what I mean here is that the Sunset/Rarity relationship, while not quite as strong as the humor, is still pretty strong and ties in thematically with the rest of the story, so honestly it's good!
(Mind you, I will have to deduct points for the bit at the end, where I think he implied Sugarcube Corner was fuckable. Yeah, I know, it sounds weird. You'll know it when you see it.)
Overall, I don't know if it's the strongest romance, but it's a pretty darned fun story and I expect it to do very well!
Tripped Out, by Majin Syeekoh
This is a story about sex, drugs, rocks, and roles.
... okay, that is a killer opening line, which is unfortunate because I don't actually know what else to say about Tripped Out. I mean, I could say that it's really good, and weird in interesting ways, and I liked it a lot, and I like how the stakes creep up on you in interesting ways, and how all the principal characters are really good and move the plot along.... Okay, maybe I do know what to talk about?
Sorry, but I just feel like this story is good in ways that I don't even fully understand. It's a very non-traditional story - after all, what traditional story interleaves an acid trip (for science!), unrequited romance, and multiversal annihilation - but it absolutely develops its Sciset really well, uses Adagio in an unusual but plausibly interesting role, and is basically really strong all around. I think this one stands a really good chance of winning outright.
(The one thing I'm not sure about is, the story only includes the "Changing Seasons" thing in a single line. But it's a pretty dang good line.)
Shot on Goal, by Scott Curl
So, this contest has been talked about a lot in the FiMFiction Discord channel (click the "Chat" button at the top of the screen if you want in), and people have been talking about what they think are the strongest entries. Many of the stories I'm placing in Tier 1 and Tier 2 were stories that I heard about from the people in the #writing-help channel: they're pretty smart fellas!
But even the smartest fellas can miss some diamonds in the rough, and let me tell you, Shot on Goal was one of those diamonds.
It's the shortest of all my Tier One choices, and perhaps the most unusual in a specific respect: it's a SunDash story, but Rainbow Dash almost doesn't appear in person. And frankly, the description's first line doesn't do this story many favors:
After nearly destroying Canterlot High School and ruining the Fall Formal, Sunset Shimmer is already not feeling too chipper.
This story's actually set after Rainbow Rocks. Not after EQG1. So that's confusing.
Anyway, here's what's great about this story. Sunset Shimmer is chatting with a unicorn doll whom she's pretending is Celestia: plushie therapy, if you will, which is a concept I can 100% get behind. And Sunset is wonderful. She's talking about her life, her fears, her time spent with Rainbow Dash, and she's doing it so vividly, and she's so full of personality, that you can hear her saying it.
“Now that I say it out loud? No, she wouldn’t. Knowing Rainbow, she’d probably introduce herself to you and ask you if you know how to play soccer.” The thought sent a chuckle up from Sunset’s belly, causing her to break out into a laugh, leaning over the railing.
“And then! Then she’d put you in front of a goal, and kick the ball at you, and she’d say ‘Oh! Wow! She’s got even better hands than you, Sunshim! Oh, wait, she doesn’t even have hands!’” Sunset laughed so hard that her stomach hurt.
There's something... joyous about this, something I love that makes her leap off the page. All in all, this fic is an incredible character piece, it does a fantastic job showing what Sunset loves about Rainbow Dash, and it's an absolute pleasure to read. And also, Rainbow Dash calls Sunset Sunshim and that is adorable oh my god I love this story why didn't it get mega ultra acclaim
The Girl Who Couldn't Change, by R5h
Okay, yes. This is the one I wrote. And yes, maybe this is just a level of bias in thinking that this is one of the strongest stories in the contest.
But honestly? I don't think so. I think I did a really, really good job with The Girl Who Couldn't Change, and that to say otherwise would be false modesty. I think this is the strongest complete story I've ever written. I think I did a good job crafting EQG!Chrysalis's character, and getting to the core of her as a person, and developing her burgeoning antagonistic/romantic relationship with Sunset Shimmer, and weaving in the seasonal metaphor... true, the story starts a little slower than I wish it did, perhaps, but otherwise I think I made something fantastic.
And if you don't agree? Feel free to read it and tell me why. I'm always looking for feedback!
... But It Often Rhymes, by Posh
Didn't Van Halen have a song about this?
Anyway, the premise of this one is that Sunset had a relationship with pony!Cheerilee, but broke it off when she went to the dark side, and since then has been somewhat uncomfortable with the fact that human Cheerilee is teaching her class... and now that she's graduating from CHS, it's time for those feelings to boil over.
Of all the entries which I think are the strongest in the contest, But It Often Rhymes is the most purely romantic among them. And like Shot on Goal, I think this story also didn't get the acclaim it deserved, because hoo boy. The relationships between Sunset and both versions of Cheerilee are really well explored, deftly woven into Sunset's established backstory, and evolve (and in one case, decay) naturally. I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about it, and honestly? I feel like this stands a very good chance of winning.
Also, I really liked this line:
Sunset stares – she can't help but stare, because this filly is the most magnificent thing she's ever glimpsed. She gulps when the filly notices and turns a diamond-studded grin on her.
I can't help but feel that if I had braces (which I never have), and if I felt insecure about them, this line would have made me feel really good about them instead.
Tier Two
Dappled Shores, by MaxKodan
MaxKodan is a cheeky little bugger. How do I know this? Because he decided to make his story about a change in TV show seasons. So that's fun. (And I mean that in the least ironic sense possible: I appreciate cheekiness and wordplay at all times.)
So, what's the plot of this story? Sorry, it's spoilers.
...
Literally. Sunset accidentally-on-purpose spoils herself and Rarity on a show they've been marathoning, and it's such a grave offense that Sunset needs to make it up to her by any means necessary. Stakes are low, allowing comedy to play out hilariously, with a wonderful ending to tie it off. The gags are great - for instance:
The first surprise had been that AJ knew how to shape fritters into letters. The second surprise was how easy it had all been. The third surprise had been someone’s lacrosse ball rolling down the hallway and directly under Sunset’s foot.
Incidentally, Rarity’s first surprise had been a dress full of still-hot and very smashed apple fritters which almost, but not quite, said “I’m sorry’. Perhaps, had she not had to run screaming for the bathroom to remove said dress and avoid second-degree burns, it might have still turned out okay.
Beside that, the story feels longer than it is, and I mean that in the best way: it packs a week of shenanigans into well under 5000 words. Honestly, this one could easily have ended up in my Tier 1: it's just that it didn't quite wow me in the same way that, for instance, Shot on Goal did. But it came darned close!
Suns and Roses, by Cyrano
This is another story that could have ended up in my Tier 1, and not just because of the name's sun/gun pun fun.
Basically, imagine that the portal to Humanstria didn't end up outside a modern high school, but in the garden of a stifled 1930s heiress. Imagine also that you were going to feel melancholy. Actually, scratch that last bit, there's no need to imagine.
Cyrano manages to take a very archetypal kind of story, and an unusual shipping pair, and craft something heart-stirring out of them - not to mention, this story does perhaps the best job incorporating a seasonal metaphor out of every entry. As summer dies and fall takes its place, it's impossible not to get the sense that Sunset and Roseluck's mad dash to freedom is similarly running out of time. Very well done overall.
Sunset and Sunrise vs Evil, by King of Beggars
Now, did you think shipping Sunset with Roseluck was weird? Try shipping her with a pony who's had approximately one minute of dialog. That's what King of Beggars does in his story, pairing up Sunset Shimmer and Strawberry Sunrise in a spooky getaway to a camp where a bunch of kids have totally died, which naturally makes it an ideal party location. This can't go wrong!
KoB does a dang good job writing the chemistry between Sunset and Sunrise, and the characters in this story are very fun overall. However, this story is a bit... disjointed. There's two separate conflicts here: one about Sunrise being accepted by Sunset's friend circle, and one about how the spooky happenings from the camp's past have come back to haunt them (oh no, who could have seen that coming). They don't overlap - the first ends before the second begins - and there's no, like, thematic tie-in, so the story just feels weird. Like two stories. (And the ending to the second conflict is deliberately nonsensical, but I'm not certain it's for the best.)
Nonetheless, this story's character writing is nice enough to squeeze it into Tier Two.
Voices Lost, by DwarvishPony
Adagio Dazzle wants to be heard.
Sunset Shimmer is in the unique position to listen.
Yeah, I'm quoting the description: it pretty much says what I would have said, more succinctly than I could.
So, with this premise, a burgeoning relationship - an extremely manipulative one, on Adagio's part - develops between Adagio and Sunset. Of course, Adagio doesn't count on actually developing feelings for the girl she's trying to use.
Technically, there's a lot to like about this story, and it's a cute and fluffy romance. The only trouble is, it's a bit too predictable. The SunDagio romance develops like a straight line: there's not much conflict between them, only with other people, so there's not much in the way of twists and turns. And that's a problem because... look, the way I see it, a story is like a rollercoaster. Even if you can see where the track is going, it can still be very exciting! That's why we reread stories over and over again. But you've gotta have an exciting track.
Compati, by Corejo
Before I talk about Compati (I'm not putting the accent over the i - sorry, Corejo), I want you, the reader of this blog, to do something for me. Think of the worst pickup line you can. I'm talking the smallest possible chance of success.
...
Has everyone thought of theirs? Good. Unfortunately, I'm almost certain whatever not as bad a pickup line as: "Hi, I ruined your life, mentally abused you, and caused you to turn evil when you were younger as part of a plot against my immortal sister."
Yeah, the plot of this story is that Nightmare Moon is responsible for Sunset's turn to darkness, and is still causing her nightmares years later: now, Princess Luna has to make it right. It's a danged neat piece of headcanon, and there's some very nice writing in this story, so it's definitely fun to read. However, it's pretty telly, and... well, like I said, a pickup line like that has a low chance of success. I didn't really feel the romance angle in this story. It felt more like a reconciliation rather than the beginning of a romance. So that's awkward.
Still, Luna's very well written, the character interaction is really nice, and I hope this story does well for itself!
And last but not least, my honorable mentions!... okay, that's a lie. More like mentions. Some of these are gonna get snarky, so be forewarned.
Honorable Mentions
- Most shoehorned-in music references/Most inexplicably British Sunset: Don't Look Back In Anger. Seriously, I'm pretty sure this story was only written as a vehicle to reference songs and bands the author likes. It's basically the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure of Sunset Shimmer shipfics. And seriously, why is Sunset British in this?
- Lamest set-up for a pun: Sweet and Sour. Not saying more. Don't wanna spoil.
- Most obliviously evil: The Bet. Long story short, Sunset and Rarity are manipulated into a relationship by Cadance, using Twilight as a lying duplicitous proxy. It's... actually really creepy. The fic seems to think Cadance is the fairy godmother, but she's closer to being the devil.
- Most evocative of that special time at night when there's no one else up and you feel like you've got forever in this magical midnight hour: Sunsetting. This story, in my opinion, wasn't very good, but it depicted a time of day that's kind of special to me. For that, it will hold a loving place in my heart.
- Most baffling lack of a climax: Complex Apartments. This fic chronicles the story we never saw in the year before Equestria Girls 1, where Sunset and Fluttershy were next-door neighbors. It did a pretty nice job building up the relationship between a manipulative, self-hating Sunset and the doormat that is Fluttershy, and then it... skipped the climax!? Which was, for the record, Equestria Girls 1, in particular the ending where Sunset gets rainbow lasered into remorse, and yes we know what happens, but that doesn't mean you can skip it! You can't just cut to the part where Fluttershy is helping a snivelling Sunset home! You're missing a crucial step, the keystone without which the arch falls apart! Ugh.
- Most ridiculous ship: Sunslime. For the record, that's Sunset x Smooze. Yeah, that Smooze. Honestly, I was hoping to win this prize with my Sunsalis story, so this is a bit unfortunate for me.
- Most unnecessary AU: My, How the Seasons Go By. A story set in, like, the fifties? And Marble Pie is Amish, and somehow this ties in with the author's other thing that involves the Vietnam War? Don't get me wrong, this fic wasn't actually that bad. I'm just saying it didn't do much of anything with its change of setting.
- Most incapable of winning the contest: Valentine's Shimmer. This isn't a value judgment: Valentine's Shimmer objectively fails the contest, because (spoiler alert) Sunset isn't in a romantic relationship with anyone, at any point during the story. That's one of the contest's stipulations.
- Largest harem: Five Bolts, One Sunset. The title says it all.
- Most weeaboo: Blossoms. This story literally spends five paragraphs describing everyone's yukatas. It takes place at a Japanese-styled festival that, from what I understand, doesn't actually exist. It is incredibly weebish.
And those are my thoughts! I'm curious: what were your favorite stories? Least favorite? Ones you think I treated fairly or unfairly? Please don't hesitate to post down below!
Thanks for including my story, it's really cool to see it mentioned alongside all those other great stories!
I'll also say that I will shamelessly use this to choose which stories from the contest to read next.
Nice to see you're still doing you even though TRG is dead.
I would read some of these because Sunset Shimmer. But also Romance. So nah.
Also wish you woulda included the authors with their stories so I didn't have to go to each story just to see who wrote what.
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Yeah, that's... kind of the point. :P You're welcome for having included you: you definitely earned it!
4672341
Yeah, it was fun writing the blurbs for each of these! Felt like a throwback. You should totally read some of them, though: they're really good! I'm not even a particular fan of romance myself, and they're awesome!
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I don't think you realize just how many people have tried to get me to read Romance.
Spoiler alert: They all failed.
I haven't read them all, but I agree with your thoughts on those I have read.
Although, it is a bit bias to put your own story in tier 1, The Girl who Couldn't Change was good, if a bit confusing at times. (I'll get round to explaining that for you soon!)
Tripped Out was certainly a fun and unique story, and while Twilight was adorkable in it, she felt a little OOC to me.
Five Bolts, One Sunset was fun, but nothing special. But I loved the twist at the end.
Don't Look Back in Anger was... odd. I somehow got it set in my head that it was set in 1993 and that lead to a lot of confusion between me and the author when I tried to say how superficial all the references really were. Someone else even went a step further and set it in 1970s Soviet Russia just to prove the point!
The setting that I somehow tricked myself into thinking it was set in made it more interesting then it really was.
Complex Apartments was so good... right until it skipped over the movie and didn't really address it in the conclusion. I wanted to see more of Fluttershy and Sunset as they went through the movie's events. It should have explored the absolute heartbreak and betrayal Fluttershy would have felt and the internal conflict of Sunset having to destroy her only friendship. It would have made the ending so much better!
Huh, I thought I read all the good stories from the contest; guess I missed a couple. I'll have to have to fix that post-haste.
Thanks for writing this, and good luck to all the contestants!