Sunset Shipping Contest: Journeys · 4:02am Aug 1st, 2018
Heya folks! Remember that time, last year, when I ran a Sunset Shipping Contest that received over 50 entries?
It was an absolute blast, we got a ton of great stories out of it, and our website was blessed with an overabundance of Sunset Shimmer.
But who’s to say we can’t do it again?
Introducing…
Sunset Shipping Contest: Journeys
Or as it’s colloquially known: Sunset Shipping 2: Relationship Boogaloo.
Words about Sunset Shimmer and romance await, with fabulous prizes ready for any who can win the judge’s hearts with the power of a good story.
But this time around, we’ll be doing something a little different.
Sunset Shimmer must start the story already in a romantic relationship with a canon character.
That’s right. The get-together story is the gold standard, and what everyone thinks of when they envision romance. So instead we’re doing something else.
This contest is then about exploring romance beyond the first kiss, and asking “What happens next?” There are plenty of trials and tribulations and stories to be told about dating, engagement, marriage, having children, or whatever else along the road of relationships. And I want to hear about some of them that also happen to involve Sunset Shimmer.
So bring on the shipping. Whether it's Sunset with any of her friends, her classmates, or more. We’ve had a ton of new characters introduced in both MLP and EQG since last year. Let’s see some Wallflower Blush or Vignette Valencia or Tempest Shadow or Somnambula. I encourage you to think outside the box and to give us something unique and that works!
If you wrote a story for the contest last year and want to write a sequel for it, you’re welcome to as well. (Sequels to non-contest entries will not be accepted.)
Start Date: August 1, 2018
Due Date: September 9th, 11:59 PM CST, 2018
Word Minimum: 1,000
Word Maximum: 15,000
(Word limit is a hard 15k. I apologize for any confusion I caused by being vague about it last year.)
Rating: E or T
Stories must be complete by the end of the contest, and must not have been published prior to the start of the contest.
Stories must be published on Fimfiction.
Stories must be submitted to the contest group, found here.
Prompt: Journeys
Whether they be literal journeys about traveling, emotional journeys and growth, or another interpretation of the prompt, your story should use the prompt as a central theme in some way.
Judges
- Oroboro
- R5h
- Aragon
- Corejo
- Pearple Prose
The story criteria we will be judging on are:
- Creativity - How inspired, interesting, and unique is the story?
- Technicals - How professional is the quality of the story?
- Theme - How well does this story fit the theme of the prompt?
- Characterization - How much do the characters feel like themselves?
- Impact - How powerful is the story on an emotional level?
- Chemistry - How well do the characters work together, romantically?
And of course, what you’re probably all really here for:
Prizes
I will be compiling the 5 winners of this contest, alongside the 3 winners of the last contest, into a print copy / short story collection, to be made available for purchase on Lulu*. (At cost, no profit to me.)
*With permission from the authors in question
1st place: $225, first pick at an art commission from either Adge (SciSet Daily) or Sam Rose (Motherly Scootaloo) or Chris the Blue, and a copy of the contest collection.
2nd place: $175, second pick at an art commission, and a copy of the contest collection.
3rd place: $125, third pick at an art commission, and a copy of the contest collection.
4th place: $75 and a copy of the contest collection.
5th place: $50 and a copy of the contest collection.
There will also be five honorable mentions, judge's pick, that will receive $20 each.
Special thanks to both Undome Tinwe and R5h for contributing money to the prize pool!
If anyone else wants to donate to the prize pool, whether in the form of money, art commissions, videogames, or cool merchandise, to incentivise all our wonderful authors, feel free.
FAQ:
- Can I ship Sunset with an OC? - No. Sunset’s potential romantic partner must be a known character from the main show, Equestria Girls or the official IDW MLP Comics. EQG versions of canon characters who have yet to make an appearance are also allowed.
- Can I do a sequel to an existing story? - Yes, but only if it was previously entered in the Changing Seasons contest. For anything else, we won’t read the prequels, and your story should ideally stand on its own either way.
- Can I write in an Alternate Universe? - Yes, but the story needs to be readable completely on its own. You can’t require another story being read to read yours. (Above sequel rule still applies.)
- Can I just do friendshipping? - Nope! Romantic relationships are a requirement!
- Can I submit multiple entries? - Nope! One entry per contestant. Though we wholeheartedly support writing more Sunset Shimmer shipping stories.
- Can I write a sequel to a previous contest entry that someone else wrote? - Yes, but only if you get the original author’s permission first.
- Can it be part of a larger anthology of stories? - Nope! Needs to be uploaded as its own individual story.
- Does the story have to end with Sunset in a romantic relationship? - Not necessarily. As long as the story starts with her in a relationship, it can end however. Romance should still be a major focus of the story, however.
- Is poetry allowed? - Nope! Prose only, sorry!
- Can I start the story in the present, then flash back and tell the story about how they got together? - No. Usage of brief flashbacks is okay, but the purpose of this contest is for stories about ongoing relationships, not how they got started.
- Can I write a story using the events of the Anon-A-Miss comic? - Yes, but I’ll hate you.
- Can my story be a part of the Beanis Cinematic Universe? - No, because Sunset being in a relationship with someone is against the fundamental tenets of the BCU.
Tips and Tricks
Writing is tricky even for the best of us, so here’s some snippets of advice to keep in mind, whether this is your first story or you’re a seasoned veteran.
- Romance lives and dies by its characters. If the audience isn’t falling in love with them, how are we supposed to buy that the characters are? While we have this easier as fanfic authors, since we’re working with characters everyone knows and already loves, you still have to put in the legwork to make them lovable and showcase what makes them shine.
- Let your romantic leads interact with each other, and sell us on their chemistry. They should be able to get along, banter with each other, have conversations about things that have nothing to do with how much they love each other or how pretty their eyes are. (Or not, if you’re aiming for a relationship that doesn’t work.)
- Romance is all well and good, but remember that you need to tell an actual story. Something with a beginning, middle and an end. A conflict, something that the characters must overcome, or fail. Something that changes, and the people who are affected by that change. Fluff can be nice, and a story about say, Sunset and Rarity snuggling up under the covers and simply talking about their day can be nice, and full of a warm fuzzy feeling. But at the end of the day, a story like that is forgettable, and we’re looking for more than that.
- The first idea you think of for any given story is the first idea everyone else thought of too. Dig deeper, figure what it is about the idea that appeals to you, find other things to add to it that have a similar appeal, combine it with other ideas, mix in other genres, and build something stale into something that feels fresh and original.
- Read these two blogposts about alien shipping syndrome, because they’re fantastic and have other fantastic advice in them. https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/366440/alien-shipping-syndrome-is-a-terrible-thing https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/596665/5-tips-for-avoiding-alien-shipping-syndrome
I think that about covers anything. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
Now then, get writing!
Special thanks to Sam Rose for doing such a wonderful banner for the contest! Check out their work!
30 days...hmm...to sequel from last contest or not...I'll need to think on this.
Can confirm.
See you all on the battlefield!
All right, I judged it. Now, let's see if I can compete.
4911743
Seconded. Once a judge, now a contestant. I take no prisoners.
4911732
How dare you activate my almonds with Pat Benatar and not use the Naruto AMV!
There were several parts to this post that I thought were funny but this straight up made me laugh.
MLP writers aren't immune from making objectively bad storylines.
Can't wait to see the fruits of another SSP!
Oh, another one of these? The stories last year were fun, so it'll be cool seeing what comes out of this one. Good luck to all the participants!
Well what a coinkidink, I’m working on a sunset shimmer shipping story right now!
4911732
I don't believe you. Sunset is clearly in an abusive relationship with her own misery.
No promises, but this sounds fun and I really need to publish more stuff, so here goes nothing!
Can I write a story using the events of the Anon-A-Miss comic? - Yes, but I’ll hate you.
best line of the entire contest i will hate them to
all jokes aside im hyped for this loved last years
Thank goodness. I utterly struggle without a word limit.
Interesting...
Dang it.
I remember last year's contest being enjoyable. Maybe I'll enter this one, though for the record: if, by some unlikely contingency, I end up eligible for a cash prize, I'm declining it (someone else can have it). I don't want or need an external incentive. This'll be purely for the challenge.
If I enter, that is. Now to go off and think about it.
I make no promises—certainly didn't manage it last time—but I'll see what I can do.
Hmmm... I have continuously said that the story I'm about to upload is my Swan Song... However, Toho's first intended swan song was so successful they kept making more.
Looking at the rules... Something is brewing in my head. I'll think about it.
Curse you, Oroboro. Curse you to heck in a handbasket. You would do this right when I'm in the midst of editing work on my big story due out in less than two weeks.
If I focus on this on the weekends I can probably produce something. Whether that something is good, though?
Completely unrelated note: where are our Princess Luna and Sunset Shimmer icons, FIMFiction? Seriously, you've had years to get this right and instead your focusing on less important things like site functionality. Shame be upon you.
Oh boy. :B
>tfw Beanis callout
I have a long-time fic idea that's fucking perfect, but I don't think I can do it in 15k. D:
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Double Ew!
Guess I’m out til next year
I'll be looking forward to read what everyone creates!
There’s no rating/content restriction, then? So I can ship Sunset with Spike?
The dog, not the dragon, because eww Equestrian Spike.
4911955
You can write Sunset x DogSpike if you want, but, uh, good luck
4911960
Ah, didn’t see it in that bit, thanks!
I have a question. Let’s say my roommate and I work on the fic together, bouncing ideas and writing it together, is that allowed? Or does it have to be solo works?
4911990
If you want to enlist someone to help edit, and bounce ideas, that's perfectly fine and is encouraged for everyone.
If you want to go full co-authorship, that's also fine, but all credit and potential prize money will go to whatever account the story is posted on. However you decide to split any prizes will be up to you.
4912217
No crossover characters, sorry.
I will be watching.
--Spade
I'll give it a shot, why not. The prompt looks fun.
Hmmmmm. I don't typically do well with shipping when it's not something I was independently inspired to write, but I've also had a terrible shortage of writing output this entire year, so if it gets me writing... why not?
I'm down. Hopefully, I can make the deadline.
Will the pairing be judged on how unusual it is, as a part of Creativity?
4912362
Its more uniqueness of the story premise than of any given pairing.
I’m intrigued. Again.
...Damn. So much for ...Bean It Often Rhymes.
Last year was wonderful. Let's see if we can do even better this year.
Good luck, everyone. And may the best writer win.
Not sure If I'm reading this right, but with AU being allowed, then can we put EqG characters in another universe as long as we explain it well enough that no prior knowledge is needed of that universe?
4912584
Sure. One of our Honorable Mentions last time was a pretty solid AU fic.
What I mean by "has to stand on its own" is that the fic can't be part of something like The Lunaverse, in a way that requires having read even one Lunaverse story.
Damn you man, you had to pull this trick as soon as I debuted a new story, long term project. If it weren't for that, I sure as hell would be trying my hand at this.
Sure, I might as well give this a shot. Been a few years since I last tried writing, but I feel like I have a wonderful Sunset idea that fits perfectly with this. Hopefully I haven't fallen too out of practice.
Question though... does Sunset have to interact with her partner in the present throughout the story, or can their interactions be told through brief flashbacks throughout?
4912705
As long as the story is still focused on an ongoing relationship and not just the start of one, then sure.
4912707
Cool, it will be established. Though, does it have to be obvious who it is at the beginning of all those flashbacks, or can I lead up to a 'big reveal' at the end?
4912708
That's fine, rule wise, though as general writing advice an explicit and obvious connection where the characters can showcase their chemistry with each other will probably make for more effective storytelling than something kept vague.
Though there are exceptions to everything, in the hands of a skilled writer.
Hehe, reading he rules and such, I have come to realize this isnt a contest for total Novice writers like myself
4912752 No reason not to enter, though -- you could still get some great practice and advice.
Doubt I'd win anything, but I might just take a crack at it.
Is Suncest allowed? Like, if Sunset dates an alternate self does that count as her dating a canon character?
4912846
Sure.
Time to cannibalize my unwritten plans for salvageable ideas! Woohoo!
Though this implies that I myself am an unwritten plan. It may be so...
Screw it. I'm in. Look forward to the stories that'll destroy me!
4911910
I already had a story concept that would work with this but alas the 15k requirement! It's a journey and everything!
4913400
4911910
To both of you, I say this: limitations can be good for creativity. And you'd be surprised what you can fit into 15k.
Ooooo I love a challenge and this looks fun! Ima give it a go if that's ok
Heyyyy, you made another contest! Yay, more Sunset shipping !
Quick question (apologies if it's been asked elsewhere): can entries be written and submitted first for the Writeoff that's about to go down this weekend?