Nailah's Shipping Contest Results! · 1:53pm Jul 9th, 2021
I must say hosting this contest taught me a lot about what not to do for future contests. I realize the prompts plus randomly generated characters made this contest seem unapproachable from the outside. However, I did ditch the prompts halfway in, and we managed to get almost 10 entries. Each entry was good in it's own way, but at the end of the day, I had to chose who would win the top three. I mulled over it while also working at my new job. (I work night audit at a hotel.) So without further ado, here we go!
Honorable Mention- 12 through 15 by The Red Parade
Cyonix- A well-written story with that classic abstract-feeling Red style that has a very well-executed twist that hits very hard at the end, though the shortness meant that the setting and characters aren't given much establishment or exploration beyond that
Stinium_Ruide- The author uses the church as a meeting and bonding place to give a serene setting to inspire this, which was nice.
Petrichord- I went into the contest with certain expectations, and 12 through 15 defied them in the best possible way. Its structure and themes are balanced out through its superb language, and the work as a whole carries itself with the deftness of a tightrope walker carrying themselves over a dizzying gap. From start to finish, the story kept my butt planted firmly in my chair, desperate to find out where things would go next.
Nailah- 12 through 15 wasn't a story I was expecting to gravity with, as the themes of religion and romance are hard to balnce, and the overall style of the writing didn't really resonate with me at first. However, on a second reading, I realized the nuanance way Red Parade writes and how every line felt written sharply and with purpose in showing the connection of the characters without being sappy or preachy."
3rd Place-Seeking Fountain of Youth by Mushroompone
Cyonix- This is more of a slow-burn romance, though the actual romance doesn’t really take up much time until the end, and mostly the story is just centred around the interactions between Hondo and Braeburn. These interactions feel very natural, and Mushroom’s writing style of short paragraphs and dialogue-heavy scenes do very well at putting the focus on the two characters, while showing how their relationship slowly progresses.
Stinium_Ruide- The author has done a great job in bringing these unlikely individuals together, and even organically. Kudos!
Petrichord- The pacing may seem slow for some people, but the payoff is definitely, DEFINITELY worth it here. You'll very likely fall in love with Hondo Flanks - Hondo Friggin' Flanks, of all the characters - after reading this; I know that I did. The one or two artistic flourishes added in by Mushroom carry it all the further, and the end result is something whose intensity carries itself not with the power of a bomb, but the quiet inevitability of a distant tsunami closing in on an emotional shoreline.
Nailah- This was a slow burn romance that had all the typical beats but each beat was executed well and written with purpose, and I could easily see the connection between the two, despite the odd pairing given. The short paragraphs with the heavy dialogue focus made everything come together smoothly, flowing like a river.
2nd Place: A new new friend by Applejackofalltrades
Cyonix- A well-written romance with nuanced characters, and few grammar errors. Cheerilee and Tempest are both clearly and relatably flawed in their own ways, and their interactions were natural and easy to get invested in. Tempest is delightfully awkward, and the narration from Cheerilee’s POV is heartfelt and realistic for the whole story.
Stinium_Ruide- The authenticity of Cheerilee's character made her interaction with Tempest genuine. It is unsurprising that the story resonated with me.
Petrichord- My god was I invested in their relationship. My *god,* I wanted things to work out between the two of them. AJoAT grabbed my heart very early on and never let it go, and the chemistry between the two made me honestly want to see more of this ship - from here and from everywhere else. I'd better see sequels and spinoff stories, people!
Nailah- This story for me felt like a classical romance, the emotions within were strong and truly resonated with me, and for me that isn't an easy feat to pull off. The way that Applejackofalltrades made these two characters feel like they were meant for one another was truly heartwarming and wholesome, and I couldn't put it down. Truly, this is one for the books.
1st Place Winner-Silver Whistles by Jarvy_Jared
Cyonix- Beautiful writing. The characters are relatable, and surprisingly deep for such a short story. The interactions between Windy and Silver are genuine, and Jarvy has done a very good job with rooting the story in Silver’s perspective and expressing emotions through the narration. Very, very well done all around!
Stinium_Ruide- Authentic characters, genuine emotions, great pacing. A simple idea done brilliantly.
Petrichord- I seldom find a fanwork that does Windy Whistles justice; typically, she's played out either as a monomaniacal helicopter parent or a hyperobjectified MILF. Jarvy's command of her here, however, is marvelous! Paired with a well-realized Silver Zoom, the bonding between the two is as tangible as it is well-paced and well-executed. Well done!
Nailah- This story blew me away, it follows the old fashioned types of romance, and the way it builds from the start to the finish, was just wonderful. I couldn't stop reading, the more and more I read, the more and more I wanted to know exactly how it would all tie together. And it's like a bow on top of a well made present.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WROTE FOR THIS CONTEST.
Final note-If you won prizes, please get in contact with me via Dm's over Discord, and if you won 3rd place, get in contact with applejackofalltrades
Hey thanks for hosting this contest! It was a lot of fun to participate in and I look forward to reading all of these stories now >:)
Congratulations, everyone!! This was quite the challenge, and everyone who attempted deserves congratulations for that alone. Extra congrats to my fellow placers-- I'm very excited to check out your work!
Thanks to Nailah for running this contest, and to the judges for their time and thoughtfulness! I hope we delivered you some fun and interesting tales ^^
Congrats to all the winners! You guys had some amazing stories. Everyone did so well and had some interesting stories!!
Congratulations to the winners!
Well done everyone! I'm sorry I didn't get to finish my story in time (I'm still working on it now!), but the standard of entries was really high, this was a really good contest!
Despite some of the difficulty in meshing characters together, I found I really enjoyed this contest. I think everyone who participated definitely gave a great effort to each of their stories!
I had no chance but these stories are so incredible!