CategoricalGrant's CuddleFic Contest! 152 members · 43 stories
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CategoricalGrant
Group Admin

HELLO ALL! I'M BACK!

We are back with ROUND 2 of CATEGORICALGRANT'S CUDDLEFIC CONTEST, and this time, there's a theme to be had!

The theme is ME, and how great I am! WOW. Now, the main driver of this contest is to encourage writers to write me more of those sweet, sweet pony cuddles, but because I recently hit 1000 followers, this contest shall also honor me and all of my cuddle clout. This will be reflected in some of the contest rules regarding prompts, which are explained below.

HOWEVER, first we shall introduce the judges. Aside from me, the bombest pone writer on the interweb, we have two others who will be evaluating your entries. First, returning from the 2017 contest, we have Jake The Army Guy! Next up, we have a new judge- he's been following me and commenting on my stuff for a long time, and I trust him completely in his ability to discern good cuddlefics from bad ones. It's Texas Style Brony!

What about the prizes? Well, I'm glad you asked!

The GRAND PRIZE will be FIFTY (50) UNITED STATES DOLLARS and delivered by venmo or paypal to the winning party. No need to get governments involved, I have no intention of paying taxes if I can avoid it. That's right- the winner will get COLD, HARD CASH. (Actually, it's more of a soft, electronic cash, but the potential for conversion into the cold, hard variety is still present.)

SECOND PRIZE will be either a full color art commission from an artist TBD or a short (<3k words) fic request written for you by yours truly, whichever one you pick.

THIRD PRIZE will be whichever prize listed above was not chosen by the second place winner.

In addition, the potential for one or more HONORABLE MENTIONS to come out of the contest exists- the number of these will depend on the quality and number of entries. These will each receive an equal-value small prize (TBD) and a shout-out in the contest results thread along with the big three winners. Now, onto the rules...


ENTRY RULES (READ BEFORE BEGINNING TO WRITE YOUR STORY):

1. All stories must PROMINENTLY feature the theme of Cuddling, Snuggling, Hugging, Affectionate Rubbing, etc. What form this takes is up to you. It can be a parent and foal, a couple sharing a romantic snowy evening, one friend comforting another, or even something wacky and crazy you wouldn't expect. If it can rightfully be called a 'CUDDLEFIC', it belongs here!

2. All stories must be written explicitly for the contest. In addition, the story must be added to this group under the (CORRECT, ie. 2018-2019) contest entries folder, and you should link to the contest group in the long description of your story and indicate it is written to compete! In addition, make sure that the long description of your story indicates what prompt you've decided to use (see rule 6).

3. All entries must meet FimFiction rules, which means no greentext stories, script format stories, etc. , and must be complete at the time of entry. There is no rule regarding maximum length. However, the judges shall have the freedom to stop reading your story after 10k words and judge it on its merit therein, if they so choose.

4. There are very few content limitations, so long as the story is SOMEHOW related to ponies or their universe (see rule 3 above). This means that EQG (>no hooves), AU, crossover, Gen 1, etc. stories will be accepted. All ratings (E,T,M) and content descriptors (narcotics, gore, etc.) will be accepted EXCEPT for the porn tag- NO PORNOGRAPHIC ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED OR CONSIDERED.

5. The submission deadline will be 11:59 pm Central Standard Time (CST) on February 15 in the Year of Our Lord 2019. Do not pretend that you do not understand this deadline- two months is more than enough time! When submitting your story, make sure it is compliant with all rules (esp. rule 2- see it for complete instructions).

6. The story must contain one (or more, if you're feeling s p i c y) of the following prompts. Since the contest is all about me, I've chosen prompts that will make me happy. :raritywink:

Prompt A: Write my OC/ponysona Wave Function (of Profile Pic fame) into your story. He DOES NOT have to be a main character, speak, or even be named (although he can be/do any or all of these things if you so choose), so long as it is clear to me as I read the story that it is him. Wave Function is a purple unicorn that works as a doctor, loves cuddling, drinking, and arguing, and is incredibly emotionally damaged. You can find his reference sheet here. If you want more information about him or how he would act in a situation, feel free to PM me!

Prompt B: Write a story centered around medicine, surgery, or sick ponies. As those of you that pay very close attention to information about me might know already, I'm a medical student and this stuff interests me. This can be anything from an in-hospital cuddling story to a simple 'I'm sick with a cold and need hugs and hot tea' story, and everything in-between (or outside of the box)!

Prompt C: Write a story where Princess Luna falls hopelessly in love with somepony who probably doesn't deserve it. I may or may not own a 4' Luna plushie that I might or might not whisper sweet nothings to at night, so, that's where this comes from. Note that this Luna-Love does NOT have to be the main arc of the story, although it can be if you so choose.

Prompt D: Write a story where an obscure joke about American (or 'Amareican'/Equestrian) military history is made. Some of my earliest successes were comedy stories in this vein- make sure the joke is at least sort of obscure, though! If you're mentioning something we learned about in 4th grade history class, it's not neckbeard-y enough.

Prompt E: Write a story where the phrase 'Am I being detained!?' is used. I am a rabid libertarian and I want to hear this reeeeeee!

Prompt F: Write a story where the phrase 'Big...if true' is used. Inside joke. Just make it happen.

Prompt G: Write a story where an alliteration using the letter 'G' is used at least once. If you don't know what that is, don't try it. The alliteration should be clear enough in the text that I go 'oh, there it is'- by which I mean 4-5 words in length, at least. G is for 'Grant', btw.

Prompt H: Write a story where Spike wins epic-ly. Again, this DOES NOT have to be the main thrust of your story- but he should get a big win! A kiss from Rarity, a giant bag of bits, a signed rare comic, whatever!

Those are your choices. Make sure to indicate which prompt(s) you've chosen in the long description of the story. Note that a SPECIAL CHALLENGE consists of using ALL EIGHT prompts in a single story, and will garner you an immediate, guaranteed honorable mention in the contest! It might hurt your score overall since I have no idea if anyone can write a good story with all of those prompts, but I mean, come on, the memes, tho.

JUDGING:

Each fic will be rated by all three judges in four categories: Mechanics, Cuddling, Entertainment, and Thematics/Depth. In each category, each judge will assign a score of 0-10, with 5 being 'average' (except for maybe mechanics...see below).

Mechanics:This is your standard story organization, spelling, grammar, etc. As long as English is your first language, this should be easy points for you (9-10 from each judge). If English is not your native language, I'd advise that you find an editor (which is a good idea to have anyway, now that I think about it).

Cuddling: This is what we're all here for (what I'm here for, anyway). The judges will rank the quality of the cuddles/snuggles/other within your story. Are the actions immersive and engaging? Is the writing descriptive, and does it invoke the senses? Do I feel like I'm there? How does your cuddling tie in with your plotline, and cooperatively improve the other parts of your story?

Entertainment: You can write the most literarily compelling story of all time, but if all it does is leave me bored and confused, it's like I'm back in high school English class. Alternatively, filling your story, game, or film with compelling characters, good conflict, and (potentially) gratuitous amounts of explosions can help to cover up imperfections. Please note that you don't have to make a Michael Bay film to get 10/10- if a Slice of Life story keeps me anxiously reading, it will score very well here. Laughs, tears, and suspense are all good things to shoot for in this category!

Thematics/Depth: This is the sort of je nais sais quoi category- does your story make me really think? Do the characters develop? If it's more a comedy or adventure-geared story, do the jokes land and make you say 'gee, this author really grasps humor well!'? If you explore a deeper theme, is it written about tactfully and thoughtfully? If your story is truly quality and it wasn't reflected in the other categories, it will be reflected here. On the other hoof, if your story was written like a checklist and scored well without being inspired, it'll suffer here.


And, that's it! If you have any questions at all, shoot me a PM. Thanks again, I can't wait to read your entries!

JackRipper
Moderator

6691191
Can we use multiple prompts for the same story?

CategoricalGrant
Group Admin

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You bet! Just make sure to make it clear in your long description all of the ones you're using, so I don't miss any!

I'm definitely doing something for this contest. I won't be taken off-guard again!

I may or may not own a 4' Luna plushie that I might or might not whisper sweet nothings to at night

I may or may not also have a similarly sized Luna plushie that I got at Everfree Northwest this year waiting for me when I get back home after construction is finished... which is still going on even after spending 6–7 months in the hospital waiting for (and receiving) a new heart...

Damn, I've got two prompts right there...

JackRipper
Moderator

6691227
How about every single prompt at once?

can you make a story bout the equestrian mafia?

Comment posted by Cloudy Arrow deleted Dec 10th, 2018

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Note that a SPECIAL CHALLENGE consists of using ALL EIGHT prompts in a single story, and will garner you an immediate, guaranteed honorable mention in the contest! It might hurt your score overall since I have no idea if anyone can write a good story with all of those prompts

Note that a SPECIAL CHALLENGE consists of using ALL EIGHT prompts in a single story, and will garner you an immediate, guaranteed honorable mention in the contest!

Challenge accepted.

6691191
I'm assuming multi-chapter entries are allowed?

Be careful how you answer this, because assuming I can get anything done I'll be aiming for the Great American Cuddlefic that would dwarf every other entry in size. Yes, the fabled Great American Cuddlefic whose legend has been passed down through countless generations of aspiring cuddle monks like myself.

Definitely entering! Is there any limit to word count?

Happy New Year!

:heart: I'ma try to do a SPECIAL CHALLENGE and use all the prompts! Thankfully I have enough time to write this time - I have until two days after my birthday! :D Thank you SO much for this cuddly opportunity! :3

Also, ever since I saw your profile info, I've felt sorry for you. Spoilers: I might just cuddle w/you in the story since you would like a cuddle. :twilightsmile::heart:

6718670
Hiya! This is what the rules state:


"3. All entries must meet FimFiction rules, which means no green-text stories, script format stories, etc. , and must be complete at the time of entry. There is no rule regarding maximum length. However, the judges shall have the freedom to stop reading your story after 10k words and judge it on its merit therein, if they so choose."

6692483
Lol, that is a hilariously short answer for that comical threat No Rasin stated XD

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Stop copying my idea, LOL. I don't want too much competition it's hard to win these things! XD :rainbowlaugh: :scootangel:

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Lol, you guys are hilariously weird. I don't ship with my plushies. I treat them like my children or pets. XD

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Ah, thank you! And thank you for all the notifications and favorites, heh!

6691414
I'm sorry about your heart, though. :'3

6723260
Hee-hee, you're welcome. :)

I love your profile pic!

6723265
No worries. T'wasn't my first heart transplant, so the recovery process ain't new to me. :heart:
And believe me, I began embracing my weirdness yeeeeeeeeears ago. :pinkiecrazy:
By the way, thank you for all the shelf additions! :twilightsmile:

6723252
Too late, I already have all the prompts in mine, regardless of shoe-horn-ism. :trollestia:

6723266
Thanks! It's of one of my original characters. The artist is Jitterbugjive, if you wish to check more of his work out!+

6723559
Cool, thanks! :heart:


6723283
Aw, that's good to here. :.3 And, LOL, and YW! :pinkiesad2:

6723296
LOL here's some competition! :derpytongue2:

6727060
Yus, much competition! Though unless you’re writing a story in the Grim Darkness of the Grim Dark far Grim Dark future... Grim Dark, then I don’t think our ideas will overlap too much...

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XD probably not

6691191
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Word count before editing: 9545. Pwew. :twilightsheepish:
All prompts used. In the Grim Darkness of the Far Future, there is only Snug. :trollestia:

CategoricalGrant
Group Admin

6730731
The MAD LAD did it!

6730731
6730878
Editing in progress, lads. :coolphoto:

6730878
So... I know you said there was a 10k word limit... :twilightsheepish:
I may have gone over slightly. :twilightoops:
And, in truth, it could do with one more scene... :facehoof:
So how strict is that 10k limit? I just don’t want to have the last scene or two ignored.

CategoricalGrant
Group Admin

6734119
K, only over by about a hundred words. :twilightsheepish:

Comment posted by Kikio3000 deleted Jan 28th, 2019

6734119 (I deleted my last comment since I posted it twice accidentally.)
My comments on the prompt rules:

The theme is YOU, LOL. (How narcissistic, it's OK, we've all been there....)

The artist for one of the prizes and the equal value Honorable mention prizes are still TBD? I'm feeling SPICY for ALL the prompts, and cool OC! (Why does he love drinking and arguing, LOL? Also, your ponysona loves cuddles- just like you! XD And, medical stuff "interests" you...I thought that since you mentioned 'sick' ponies, you would feel obliged to help out as well, haha.
Tho, it's great that you're a medical student!
LOL, you really love your Luna to be whispering 'sweet nothings to her', LOL.
Cool, Amareican history prompt! XD
That's cool that you are a libertarian.(Reeeeeee! XD)
Also, please let me in on the 'Big...if true' inside joke!
Finally, I see you liek Spikes. I'm glad. :)
You: "The Memes, tho!" Me: XD

My story is 50% done, I should have it ready before my birthday (Feb 13) Godwilling.

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I'm entering, Jack.

I'm coming for your Cheetos :moustache:

6691191
Dang, doesn’t look like I’d be able to write one in time. Plus, I can’t exactly think of anything... :fluttershysad:

Well, someone told me to submit the random Ember/Thorax story I just wrote in an hour here, so, um, I did that :pinkiesmile:

6762925
XD Hi It's me lol

LOL I'm almost finished writing but I made my story too long for the editing process XD I hope I can get it in in time

6762944
It was her! Blame her, everypony!

And go for it, you can do it :)

6762949
Thank you! I'll try my best to finish editing today.

6734119

I know it's late, but I'll try my best to finish editing it today.

6763000
If you need an extra set of eyes for proofreading PM me, I can spend a couple of hours and finish looking in time for you to post and relax.

I submitted at 12 exactly.

Will it still count? :rainbowhuh:

CategoricalGrant
Group Admin

6763815
*Narrows eyes*
Of course it will :3 I can't turn down cuddles

6763815
...I have no authority to answer that (although by my phone, both of the last entries appeared in my feed with literally seconds to spare!), but I have to remark on how utterly perfect your Luna avatar's expression is for your question 🌘

Comment posted by The Cloptimist deleted Feb 25th, 2019
CategoricalGrant
Group Admin

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Just letting those of you who entered know that judging is underway! I'm halfway done but the other judges are behind by a bit; we'll get the results out as soon as we can!

6783425
Thanks for letting us know, I can understand how busy you all must be.

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