Scampy's SunFlower Shipping Contest — FINAL RESULTS!!! · 6:26pm May 1st, 2021
It's finally time!! Before we get into it, here's a neato announcement—at the last second, we got an anonymous donation to the prize pool, with a request that the money goes towards bumping up the judge's awards from $5 to $20! Thank you so much, anonymous money fairy 🙏
On that note, we'll start with the judge's awards (now worth $20 each!), then get into the top five \o/
I-A-M's Pic For Most Useless Lesbian
Rogue Sunset by HapHazred
This story was about an absolute mess of a human being and that really is the core of my award. For me, that’s the kind of character that I love both writing and reading about. This is one of the rare stories that gave us a really, truly memorable version of Sunset Shimmer; she was a wreck—a ball of chaos and disappointment and selfish decisions whose own worst enemy was herself. Her attempts at trying to flirt with Wallflower were hilariously bad, and she routinely shot herself in the foot. Peak useless lesbian.
Not just that, though. This was SunFlower, and the -Flower part of that was executed amazingly as well because this is one of the very few stories that characterizes Wallflower with a strong sense of agency. It reverses the roles that Sunset and Wallflower traditionally occupy in SunFlower stories, and it does it well.
~I-A-M
Aricene's Brain Genius Award
Burning Passion by FanOfMostEverything
Clever, twisty, concise worldbuilding, plotting, and character work. Four thousand words doesn’t feel like enough space to accomplish all of that, but this story is so deft and tightly written that it manages everything and doesn’t feel too short. It takes a real Brain Genius to accomplish all of this so well, and so please enjoy this Brain Genius award.
I had a hard time with this one, and I want to put in some words of appreciation for Wallflower of Canterlot and A Bright Night as well. I love stories that take canon as a launching point and delve into thoughtful, well-considered worldbuilding from there, and these really worked on those. Kudos to all of you and thank you for writing.
~Aricene
Lord Camembert's Commendation For Excellence In Gay Giggles (Gayggles)
Night of the Sunflower by Captain_Hairball
“Wallflower passed out and shat herself.”
This is the new standard for relatable protagonists. I laughed so hard at this story my spouse was worried I’d lost my mind.
Despite not being sold prima facie as a comedy, Night of the Sunflower used its crude and occasionally abrasive sense of humor to dramatically enhance Wallflower’s characterization, defining her as a self-deprecating, wry-witted character without straying into melodramatic territory. That is a fine line to walk when writing a character with so much self-doubt, and it rounded out the narrative in a manner that made this story stick with me long after I read it.
~Lord Camembert
Made Gay for Gadot Feel Extremely Gay Feelings
No Time For a Sunset by Thought Prism
I’m not a fan of crossovers. Prior to No Time For A Sunset, there was only one crossover story on this site that I actually enjoyed.
With that being said, this story stuck with me from its very early entrance into the contest and didn’t let go. Despite lacking any familiarity with the source material—I don’t even have a cursory understanding of Lancer—I absolutely adored this story. Even in an alternate universe inhabiting different bodies, Wally and Sunset are both recognizably themselves—and recognizably in love. Their chemistry is palpable and absolutely heartwarming… and heartbreaking. (That tragedy tag is earned, folks.)
I wasn’t expecting gay feelings to come from a random crossover (in fact, I was initially suggesting that we disallow the Crossover tag), but Thought Prism blew my skepticism out of the water.
~Gay for Gadot
Posh Did Not Hate This
Silk Flowers Surround Us by RanOutOfIdeas
Silk Flowers Surround Us is about a couple living in a perpetual state of damage control. It depicts an unhealthy, codependent relationship whose participants choose to stifle any and all hints of disagreement rather than address them constructively. Underneath the fun dialogue and witty narration, it's kind of a disturbing take on this relationship.
It might seem strange that I'd pick such a story as my personal standout in a romance story competition, when so many other writers depicted a healthy and loving dynamic between our two leads. No matter how subtle the narrative twists, how gorgeous the prose, how razor-sharp the characterization may be, it's all in service of an ugly relationship that rests on a carefully built lie.
But I think there's value in reading, and writing, about ugly things – and ugly relationships, especially. RanOutOfIdeas gave us a beautiful story about one such relationship, one that I'm all too happy to recognize.
~Posh (the best and cutest one)
Made Scampy Cry The Most
Shattered by BoredAuthor817
The first thing that stands out to me about Shattered is how hauntingly casual most of the scenes are. Sunset and Wally are normal people living a normal life, doing normal things like being gay and in love. And... Self-harm addiction and suicidal ideation can and do happen to normal people. That uncomfortable reality is front and center in Shattered as both characters struggle to maintain the status quo.
The structure of the narrative is also just brilliant. The entire story is a pair of mirror images as Sunset and Wally experience the same or similar events with wildly different perspectives, all while both of them are hiding the same thing. Also, the idea of empathy magic forcing Sunset to act on her girlfriend's urges is something straight out of a horror movie.
Shattered perfectly shows how self-destructive vices can cruise under the radar for years, only to come to a sudden and violent head. It's not real until it is. It's not a big deal, until it is. Tying that cautionary message with the canonical magic of Equestria Girls, all while having excellent portrayals of Sunset and Wallflower, makes this story unforgettable to me. Despite being one of the earliest submissions, I knew the moment I read it that it would be getting my award.
~Scampy
Before we get to the top five, I just wanna say thanks again to everyone who participated in this contest. The writers, the judges, the people who donated to the prize pool, Lord Camembert and Fillyfoolish for their charity donations, all of you made this silly little idea into a huge success. You've all helped spread the cute gay purity that is SunFlower—I've even seen people referring to it as one of the "primary EqG ships" (which they should, because it is 👏). I had a blast hosting my first ever contest and I can't wait to do it again sometime soon 
With that sappy shit out of the way, here are the winners of Scampy's SunFlower Shipping Contest!
5th Place
And If You Don't Know, Now You Know by J Carp
The most standout aspect of Now You Know, and what truly brought it into the Top 5 of the contest, was how much it felt like it could have been a canonical ‘SunFlower Episode’ in the series. It takes a lot of author skill to execute the voices of an ensemble cast, and there was never a time when the voices of any character, Wally, Sunset, Derpy, Trixie—who routinely and expertly stole scenes the way only Trixie can—could be confused for any other.
It wasn’t just that every single character felt unique, though. Without giving too many spoilers, the aspect of the phone app as a plot device was such a beautifully crafted piece of creative flair that it really elevated the story as more than just a standout tale, and into a story that will stick with the judges as a great piece of EQG literature.
4th Place
Long-Distance by Bicyclette
Long-Distance is a wrenching story and more than one of our judges said that, though they won’t ever be able to bring themselves to re-read it, it will stay with us for a long time. Everything is ending, it may or may not be anyone’s fault, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The time it will take to reach that final tragedy doesn’t make it any less remote. Sunset and Wallflower are separated across worlds, and have only Sunset’s journal to link them. One of them will die and the other will live on. They’re left to learn how to cope with and share and grieve the time they have left.
Long-Distance is superbly written, with just enough detail about the nature of the tragedy to make it feel realized without overwhelming readers with exposition. There’s a novel’s worth of story in this short story, but none of it feels compressed. Sunset and Wallflower’s tightly written, wrenching, and affecting, and the last chapter left us breathless.
3rd Place
Obelus by applejackofalltrades
Writing about a character struggling with self-harm and suicidal thoughts is a difficult path to tread. In Obelus, applejackofalltrades takes it a step further by writing about what it feels like for a loved one of such a character to be on the outside looking in. There's a sense of helplessness throughout the story as Sunset grasps at whatever shreds of agency she can, no matter how irrational they seem to her friends. She has to do something, but she doesn't know what or how, and that feeling can be so suffocating. Dash and AJ are written perfectly too, adding a bit of variety and an outside perspective on Sunset's relationship with her girlfriend.
On the other side, Obelus' portrayal of Wallflower herself is so painfully real. That moment in the final scene when she's whispering, begging Sunset not to tell anyone what she almost did because she doesn't want to "go back to the hospital," is among the heaviest moments out of any story on the site. And Sunset's response mirrors the theme of the entire story—these kinds of problems can't be solved in one night, and that's okay. The most important thing is surviving the crisis, and whatever happens later can be dealt with as it comes.
2nd Place
training wheels by Mica
This story was an immediate top contender due to its hard-hitting themes, evocative prose, and portrayal of the SunFlower dynamic. training wheels is essentially a story about what it means to truly be vulnerable—and how beautiful, yet terrifying, that can be. The bike-riding metaphor presented in the beginning of the narrative is threaded throughout in a way that makes the events of the story, as well as its underlying message, hit even harder. Like being vulnerable, reading training wheels was not easy, but it was well worth it.
This competition tasked people with writing a love story. Botched Lobotomy, silly-billy that they are, wrote two in the same submission: parallel love stories about the same couple at two different stages of their lives, one as they're first coming together, and another as they part forever. With fluid first-person narration from an impeccably written Wallflower Blush, Botched skillfully juxtaposes the naivete and optimism of young love with the stark realities that adulthood brings.
If we've made this sound like a dour tale about the inevitable end of all romantic enterprise, though, then that's our mistake. There is a big, heaping spoonful of sugar in the bitter drink that Botched serves up, a reminder that the end of a relationship isn't the end of one's life. Young lovers grow up, and their stories don't always end happily with one another, but life goes on despite it all. Sunset and Wallflower have lives rich with possibility, made all the richer by the time they spent together.
That's the story that Botched Lobotomy tells, and that's why it ranks in at number one.
And... that's it! Contest over! Those of you who won can expect to be contacted by Gay for Gadot about receiving your prize money, along with a super special fancy digital ribbon, courtesy of Dave Bryant!
Super cute SunFlower art by Carnifex
Thanks again to everyone for making my silly contest dreams a reality, and congratulations to all the winners! There were a ton of wonderful stories submitted, and even though only a few could win, all of them were lovely to read
Bless up for SunFlower, the cutest and most canon of ships \o/
~Scampy
Well! Now I have a bunch of stories to read at some point. I really enjoyed reading all the little blurbs written about each of the stories featured here, and I definitely had a lot of fun participating in this contest! I am also absolutely honoured to have placed here, I am extremely glad you enjoyed the story!
Congrats to everyone who participated! And thanks to the hosts, judges, and everyone else responsible for making this contest as awesome as it was!
Well, can't say I'm suprised I didn't win nor mentioned. But, it was fun. Congrats to those who won though. I hope to see more in the future
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I hope my comment didn't come off as rude. I apologize to the person(s) who disliked my comment if it came of as such.
Well! This is both a pleasant surprise and a reminder of how many contest entries are still on my Read Later list. I appreciate the recognition of my much brain genius very yes big smrts.
Congrats to the other winners, and thank you for a wonderful contest.
Congrats to the winners!
One thing about this whole contest is that Wallflower/Sunset is more of a minefield than I certainly had expected when I started writing a story about them, because it's reaaalllly easy to accidentally portray something completely unhealthy and pass it off as romantic and wonderful, where the entire dynamic is that competent strong Sunset is just constantly rescuing and reassuring her sad, broken bird.
I noticed this by its absence in several of the winners, especially Obelus and especially-especially Training Wheels, which managed to be about these themes without portraying them as a worrying central aspect of the relationship. Training Wheels was my personal favorite story I read in the contest (I missed the winner somehow, so looking forward to that), but Obelus had the harder tightrope, portraying a moment where Wallflower's at her lowest, making it clear Sunset is needed but not making it at all seem like this characterizes their whole relationship.
Damn, I was impressed by the number of entries and the management of the contest as it was, but this blog post to wrap it all up is just the icing on the cake. I'm really stunned by the sheer variety of stories in the top 5 & judges' awards - guess it just goes to prove the levels of creativity on offer when given vague-ish direction.
I've gotta say thank you for giving a brilliant, spoiler-free mini-review to all of these stories as well. There are plenty here that, when looking at the book's title and thumbnail (the "cover", if you will), I'm ashamed to admit that I instinctively judged weren't worth looking at. But honestly? Now that I've read the reasons behind their inclusion in the top stories, pretty much all of them are going right on the RiL list.
Man, if only there was a memorable catchphrase to describe this critical mistake of mine...
Ayyy congrats to all the winner, and all who've participated
Lots of excellent entries that came out of this, damn.
Had a ton of fun writing for the contest, no doubt, and all in all, thanks a bunch to y'all for setting this up, huzzah!
Well, color me surprised. I was honestly feeling pretty shitty today but this news made my day. Thanks to the judges, and congrats to the other winners!
There were so many amazing works to come out of this, and I am honored to just have been a part of it. Thanks to all the judges for the work they must have had cut out for them going through 41(!) entries, and having to choose between so many excellent stories. And especially thanks to Scampy for both inventing this ship and making it canon.
5510481
You said it, not me. You're right though lol
cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/692239896773001217/838145506945400942/20200618_132651.png
Man, we had to kill so many darlings during the ~8 hours of deliberation we did while figuring out the top 5. Congrats to our winners, and to everyone who entered; y'all did great.
Congratulations to everyone who wrote something! We have all helped a good cause in this glorious day.
And, naturally, congratulations to those involved in the organization. That was a buttery smooth contest, even more so considering this was the first (of hopefully many!).
Cheers!
Wait, we had a sunflower contest?
I am shocked and overjoyed I managed to leave such an impact, especially given the sheer quality of entries here. This was a great experience, and I hope we can keep the gay flowing through this community we've built for a long time to come.
Aaaah, there are so many things to read that came out of this. Pat on the back of the judges for managing it!
Congratulations to everyone! I had a great time writing my fic, and now I have a whole bunch of SunFlower stories to read through thanks to this contest.
I made Scampy cry!
I don't know whether to rejoice or apologize...
At any rate, this was fun all-round. Big thanks to all who made this happen. Let's do another one soon :)
Hey I got good reviews from the judges so I don’t mind losing as long as I know the liked it......
Aww shit!
Uhhh well, this is unexpected.
Thank you! Really appreciate the kind words, and glad y'all enjoyed the story. Thanks for putting the contest together too, I imagine the hella smooth ride on our end was backed up by a lot of hard work on yours.
Congrats to all the other winners!
Who keeps downvoting these...?
You know what. For my first official Equestria Girls story and first SunFlower story, the fact that someone whose OTP is SunFlower liked it (aka Scampy) is a win enough for me. Congratulations all, and thanks for hosting, Scampy and judges.
5510484
You're insufferable
5510824
probably some troll...
\o/
Congratulations to all the pogchamps who won and entered!
Ah, I was wondering why I hadn't seen the results yet. Looks like this post managed to slip by me. Congrats to those that won and placed! I had a fun time writing something a little out of my comfort zone. And to Scampy, thanks for hosting!
Also, my condolences to the sore loser who felt the need to go through and downvote all these comments.