Contest! Villain Exchange Program · 12:27pm Sep 1st, 2018
Well, they say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Hopefully I got some curiosity yesterday when I asked people to volunteer without telling them what they’d be volunteering for. Today, I hopefully answer all your questions. And if not, that’s what the comments are for.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my second contest. The prompt this time isn’t a two-dimensional matrix of princesses and roles. Instead, it’s based on something near and dear to my heart, toying with parallel universes. To whit:
Write a story with a pony villain in the human world, or vice versa.
You have at least two ways of going about this, moving a character from one world to another or focusing on their local counterpart. Floral Transplant and ”Quiescent Tempest” both act as an excellent examples of the prompt, aside from one being set in a preexisting AU.
Why do I say “at least” two ways? Well, doing both technically counts as a third, and you may surprise me with something I never considered!
Nitty-gritty is as follows:
• The deadline is 11:59 PM EST, October 10th 22nd. In the event your entry is in the submission queue when the deadline hits, drop me a PM or a comment here with a screenshot of your entry waiting in line.
• Limit one entry per entrant, though I’m allowing more than one story per character, so you don’t have to reserve them ahead of time. Bear in mind that this is me we’re talking about; I will read your story shortly after you’ve posted it, so make sure you’ve at least run it through spellcheck first.
• Word limit is 1,000 to 20,000 words, and that’s a very hard twenty thousand. That’s long enough to comfortably fit the winner of the last contest, and Aragon wrote that.
• No stories published before today, and no sequels to stories published before today.
• Everyone or Teen rating
• All entries must be submitted in the appropriate folder in the contest group. In the event your story doesn’t fit any of those folders, let me know and I’ll see what we can do.
• I’m currently accepting offers to judge the contest now that people actually have context for what they’ll be judging.
• Prizes are as follow:
1st: $100
2nd: $80
3rd: $65
Plan A for payment will be Paypal. If that’ll be an issue, we can hash it out when the time comes.
And now I’ll open the floor to questions.
What counts as a villain?
Any character who was first introduced in an adversarial context, whether that means major threats or minor nuisances. It doesn’t matter if the character later reformed and/or exploded*, just as long as they’ve opposed the heroes at some point. If you’re not sure if someone counts, ask in the comments.
* Counting the comics, Sombra did both, and not in that order.
I saw that footnote. We’re using the comics?
If you want to. Stories about Radiant Hope, Crystal Prep’s new dean of students, or the creepy librarian Shadow Lock are as welcome as any other.
Can I use more than one villain?
If you can make it work, sure! I’ve already included a “Both” folder in the group for stories that perform multiple swaps.
Do they have to be villainous?
Not necessarily, though they do have to be in character.
How do Sunset and the sirens work with this prompt?
Strangely. Given that they’re already Equestrians in the human world, technically any story involving them would fit the prompt. And that’s far too easy. A story using Sunset or the sirens to fulfill the prompt must use one of the following forumlae:
• The Equestrian in Equestria.
• The human analogue in the human world.
• The human analogue in Equestria
• Something weird I haven’t come up with.
Note that you’re free to use the ones we all know and love/tolerate/despise (circle whichever applies) if you’re using a different character to fulfill the prompt.
What about characters where we've seen both their pony and human versions? (Luna, Filthy Rich, etc.)
(Thanks to Bookplayer for pointing this one out.)
You'll have to put one of the villainous versions in the other's world... with one exception. If you're dealing with a superpowered evil side (Nightmare Moon, Midnight Sparkle, etc.) you can invoke that evil side in the analogue to fulfill the prompt. Note that this doesn't require dark magic; there have been many stories that have given Vice Principal Luna a grim yet entirely mundane history.
What about AUs?
As long as the story doesn’t rely on preexisting material, you’re free to use novel timelines. That said, you still need to fulfill the prompt; if your AU has the characters as ponies, you need to focus on a human villain, and vice versa. Put the story in the appropriate folder based on the local species.
What if it’s anthro?
Base it on the universe from which you derived yours. And if it’s a wholly original melange of pony and human… 
We’ll cross that bridge should we ever come to it.
What should we write?
That’s up to you. The only listed requirements are character and setting. Plot is left as an exercise for the writer.
Can I write something set in the Oversaturated World?
You’re always welcome to. You just can’t submit it to the contest.
But FoME, I despise the world of technicolor stick people and have ensured I remain untainted by its foul, toyetic presence. I know not of what some deign to call its, ahem, “characters,” much less its setting. How may I participate?
Seriously? Not even pop cultural osmosis through the featured box or something?
Nope.
And you still want to participate in an explicitly EqG contest.
There’s money involved. Also, you’re the one writing this entire conversation.
Point. Okay, so you remember these three from “Shadow Play”?
Yeah?
They’re the villains from the second Equestria Girls movie. The rules let you write something with them in Equestria. Have fun.
But I only know them from “Shadow Play.”
And you’re the hypothetical person who wants to enter an EqG contest without knowing anything about it. From left to right, they're Aria Blaze, Adagio Dazzle, and Sonata Dusk. GLHF.
I believe that’s everything, and I’m probably wrong. Questions, concerns, aspersions on my character? That’s what the comments are for. Have at it!
Man I don't know what the fuck it says about me that the literal first thing I did after seeing this post was to race to the wordcount limit, to see if it was large enough. I look forward to crying while editing my 27k draft to make it fit.
4929502
The fact that you think you're only going to write 27k makes me laugh like an angry duck.
Looks like I need to write a sequel to that Adagio vore fic.
Real talk -- you're just farming RCL content, aren't you?!
4929512
Actually, the prompt evolved from a story idea I couldn't quite beat into submission. Any and all future RCL entries are a pleasant but unintended side effect of
getting other people to do my whelping others appreciate the joys of exotic spacetime manipulation and character juxtaposition.4929514
Please don't manipulate space-time too much. I sort of need that to live
for now.I'm having trouble understanding the vice versa part.
Write a human villain in the pony world
So Hitler in Equestria would fit the prompt?
How about arguably not evil humans? Elon Musk invades Equestria?
What about fictional human villains? For example, Umbridge in Equestria? Or the Grim Reaper (Death in a human skeletal form) in Equestria? CelestAI's server's are teleported to the physically real Equestria.
Would those all fit?
4929519
Specifically a villain from the Equestria Girls movies/specials. Sunset, the Dazzlings, Principal Cinch, et. al. No crossovers intended, and Optimalverse violates the "no sequels" rule.
Huh... I think I have an idea... for something to do with a character I normally despise.
4929521
Ohhhh... that human world. Gotcha.
This sounds like a fantastic idea for a contest! I probably won’t be participating, though, since I was guilty enough about Oroboro’s distracting me from other writing projects. But I’m all in favor of asking people to write more villains, so I’m definitely happy to see this and I will be keeping an eager eye on the entries
Hm . . . I already have an idea for an EG fic that involves John Q Discord, but I'm not sure if it fits the spirit of the contest since he wouldn't act like a villain, reformed or otherwise. I'll have to give it some thought and see if I can come up with another idea.
Ooh... I don't usually participate in contests, but this looks like a perfect excuse to dust off an old idea of mine. Let's see if I can actually get some writing done for once.
4929530
As noted in the FAQ, the focus character doesn't have to be villainous in the story; they just have to be in character. John Q. Discord most definitely qualifies as a viable option should you choose to pursue that idea.
4929538
All right, thanks, I might give it a try.
Two questions:
I assume the annoyances clause is intended to reffer to characters like Diamond Tiara, Trixie, or Gilda. What about even more minor annoyances like Snips and Snails or Moondancer?
And, along similar lines, with characters like Snips and Snails and Photo Finish and Trixie, who have gotten screen time in both worlds, are you limited to crossing human characters to Equestria or vice versa, since the human analogues are already characters of their own?
Edit: Never mind, I settled on a different idea. You can make calls on these for other people, or wait until someone else asks you.
What percentage of the story would you say has to be set in that world for it to qualify?
And (I know I'm going to regret asking this) for what percentage of the story does the villain have to remain a villain?
I kinda avoid outright cash style contests. It kinda dilutes the whole reason people write fanfiction. Granted, money is always a goto incentive and catches the most interest, but I find it leads to a lot of unnecessary drama when passing out judgment on fics. Not that I'd care what people would say about my opinions, at the end of the day a judge gotta judge.
Worst case scenario, should you find yourself shorthanded and overwhelmed by number of entries, let me know. I don't mind being a substitute judge.
4929553
If you do, feel free to put it in the running anyway. You have nothing to lose and one or more guaranteed readers to gain.
4929577
For the record, I'm going to say that Moondancer doesn't qualify, being more of a tragic figure than an antagonist. (Really, one could argue that the real villain of "Amending Fences" was Twilight herself.) Snips and Snails do by virtue of the humans acting as Sunset's flunkies in the first movie.
As for the matter of those whose analogues have been fully explored, I'm going to have to say yes, worldshifts only. Otherwise, someone could just write a slice of life fic about, say, an average day in pony Filthy Rich's life, and that hardly seems in the spirit of the contest. That said, I'll make an exception for inflicting manifested dark sides on equine or hominid counterparts. That one's important enough that I'll add it to the FAQ.
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Eh, it went pretty smoothly last time, but I understand your concern. I'll get in touch should the need arise. Thanks for the offer.
4929594
Crap, sorry, missed you in the previous reply.
I can't give hard limits to four significant figures or anything, but the prompt-fulfilling character or circumstances should be the focus of the story, or at least a plot-critical element of it. A cameo or quick in-and-out jaunt isn't going to cut it.
As stated previously, they don't need to be villainous at all, just in character. Of course for someone like, say, Tirek, one may be hard to separate from the other.
Start of blog post:
End of blog post:
...Oh, that human world. Silly me, and here I thought you were talking about the world containing places like "New York City" and "Denmark" and the like.
You know, for all of the classic "cartoony pony on earth" stories I've seen, I don't think there exists a single "cartoony Equestria Girls human on actual real Earth"-story.
> "Not, unless perhaps an advanced civilization of aliens had decided to make first contact and chosen a cartoon character as their proxy."
Which, come to think of it, would totally make sense, since cute cartoon characters are perfectly non-threatening and people already associate them with their assigned personality established by pop-culture, so aliens creating a fake Twilight Sparkle to be their spokes-pony without an actual real Equestria existing would totally make sense.
Then of course poor Twilight doesn't remember being created and tries to find a way back to an Equestria which never existed in the first place, eventually finds a bunch of pods holding her not-quite-completed friends, tries to "free" them, which only creates more drama as their false memories have not yet been finished writing to their empty brains, so Twilight ends up running off with a mentally undeveloped "Rainbow Dash" acting more like a frightened and confused foal, clinging to her only because she is pony-shaped like her.
Okay, so is that October 10th 2019, 2020, 2021, or...?
Wait, 2018? No, I don't think a year is enough time for me, even if I had a time machine to go back to January 1st and start writing, sorry!
Ah well, maybe
next timethe time after thatthe timeafterthatwhen Snowdrop spreads the joys of winter in Tartarus.I just don't have the ability to work on the same timescale as other writers.
Do I understand you correctly to say if I write a story about what Ponyverse Gloriosa Daisy has always been like in Equestria, this is an acceptable story?
Welp. I guess I'm doing this now. Leave it to contest prompts to give me fun ideas.
4929772
That is an acceptable interpretation of the prompt, yes.
4929676
Well, now you have me picturing a long-suffering Tirek playing straight man to his partner and general nuisance Chryssie as they try to keep all the magical going-ons in Canterlot off the news.
Tirek: "We're agents of S.M.I.L.E."
Chrysalis: "Well, I am. He's more an agent of G.R.O.U.C.H."
Time to put my money where my mouth is. I'm in. Let's see if we can work the magic.
I'll see what I have in the tank, with or without Maretian. No promises (except that if I do it, I won't use Chrysalis).
I'm glad I'm only now becoming aware of this contest. Otherwise I'd come up with an idea, get hype, start writing, have all my time and/or energy taken from me, grimly press on, the writing would suffer, my mood would sour, and then I'd spend an inordinate amount of time staring at the ceiling thinking about what a failure I've become.
But IF I had known earlier and none of that stuff happened, I'd totes write a story where Beanis!Trixie visits Equestria to get the magic power she needs to finally beat Twilight at market share valuation.
4943627
Given how many people seemed to miss the announcement, I'm considering extending the deadline. Though I will note that BCU entries are invalid for the contest; part and parcel of the "no sequels" stipulation.
That said, I encourage you to write that story regardless.
I only just discovered this contest, but it's an awesome idea. I had been hoping to chance across some contest with a sufficiently juicy prompt, and this nicely ticks the Mark Rosewater box. (Which I'm sure FOME will get, but for the uninitiated: "Restrictions breed creativity", aka the only reason I started writing fanfic in the first place...)
12 days will be tight, but I may well give it a go.
From initial brainstorming: Does Mare-Do-Well count as a villain (she was a rival but not an opponent)? How about the Tantabus (does it count as a character)?
4944522
Ooh, Mare-Do-Well is a tricky corner case. Tempted as I am to see what you might do with her/them, I'm going to rule that Dash was a villain protagonist in that episode, and no, that doesn't make her eligible. The Tantabus, on the other hand, is definitely fair game. Have at it!
Can I wrote Grover Norquist in Equestria? Peter Thiel? Roger Stone?
Because I am just looking for an excuse to write; "Pinkie Pie and the Predator Drone"
4945610
Sorry, the villain has to be from something pony related. I mean, you could definitely write that story, but as is, it's ineligible for the contest.
Also only just discovered this, lets see what lunacy I can do in 10 days...
(darnit, now I know why so many authors have a bunch of stories running at once...)
I think I'll participate in this one. Usually I only find out about these competitions when I see submissions on the front page, and there's only a day or two left. Nine days is enough time.
In case anyone wants to avoid doubling up, I'm taking Nightmare Moon on Earth.
I'm still leaning towards the Tirek idea I had if I get anything at all done in the deadline, but recent readings have made me think about somepony else.
I'm pretty sure there's been enough "baby Flurry Heart is the end of Equestria made flesh" to qualify her a villain, but I don't think I've ever seen a story going down that road with her EQG counterpart.
I have a really great idea, but unfortunately I don't have the time to write it in a week.
4947517
Well then, good news! You have more time than that.
Oh dang it. I saw the prompt, knew immediately what I wanted to do, and was background skimming the rules while assembling the plot in my head, when —
and this would have been an explicit sequel to Administrative Angel, so. :(
I guess I'll see if I can cobble together another idea, but the stars almost aligned on that so hard it's a little discouraging to start from scratch.
4930067
heh.
. . .
… are you actually using that idea?
4947527
I'm technically using that idea. As in, I thought up three or four scenes and spent the last weeks failing to kick myself into writing.
I do kinda want to write it... although if you want to take over the idea I'm kinda curious what your take on it would be, so feel free to PM me to compare ideas. Maybe we'll end up merging them, or they're different enough
for you to pull another Watch! Watch! and completely overshadow us allto make two contrasting stories out of it.4947584
Thanks for the offer, but I'm not going to stomp on the toes of something you've put any amount of effort into. Abandoned is one thing, but I would consider it very rude of me to swipe something in any state of active development.
Good luck with the story!
I'll figure something out.
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Good luck to you as well.
Don’t worry
I have a plan!
It’s a very bad plan, but a plan nonetheless.
4947526
So I only saw this today because I was re-checking the rules of this contest, and it's probably a) quite late to reply b) silly to request it but I can't not ask this: please write this story anyway. Administrative Angel stands as one of the best things I've read in the last few years, and getting a sequel would be like Christmas come early.
4955294
I completely agree!
4955294 4956463
Time Enough For Love first!
4956758
Well hopefully there's time enough for this afterwards.
I'm so sorryUhh, screenshot?
4956758
Is that an oblique way of saying "never"?