Hello everypony!

I said I'd post the rules on here prior to the prompt release and, while I'm threading the needle a little close here, I have prepared all that you desire. Here is the list of rules for our first Writing Competition:

1. Genre Restriction: This is something I spoke about before in passing, but I feel I should explain in greater detail. For this competition -- as it's our first -- I'm restricting the genres to show-based fics. So, no crazy crossovers or Sci-Fi spin-offs. You can put OCs into a story, but I'd advise to not forget the original cast. It's also worth noting that EQG and vanilla Equestria are both in play.
2. Word Count Limit: This is less strict. Mostly, this rule is "Please don't go crazy." With luck, we'll have a minimum of three or four fics to read and some mercy to the judges would be appreciated. Just because you can write a longfic in the course of two weeks doesn't mean you should.
3. Creation Date: The contest begins on December 1st, with the release of the Prompt. Stories that aren't made on or after December 1st are obviously a no-go. This is about writing with a deadline, people.

That's all she wrote for rules. But while we're on the topic of deadlines... All fics must be submitted by December 18th, one week before Christmas. Barring any kerfuffles, a winner will be released on Christmas and receive their prize then.

And that segues into what I think everyone is waiting for...

The winner of the competition will receive a threefold prize, courtesy of yours truly. The rewards will be given before the end of December, with one exception, and are listed as follows:

• Free Promotion -- Surprise; a promotion group will promote your story. Okay, in all seriousness, this isn't a normal promotion. The Admins -- myself and Badwolf mostly -- will promote the winner author on our own Blogs, sharing your work with our Followers. This is on top of promotion within other Groups by us, on a story of your choice.
• Interview -- Shortly after victory, the author will be interviewed by yours truly. The interview will be posted up here in it's own thread, where people can look back and learn about our winners. This thread will stay pinned, and as we have more competitions, new interviews will be added, meaning there will always be a running tally of our winners.
• Cover Art -- This is the one I expect will turn the most heads. Yes, you read that right. The winner will be given a budget of $15-$25 to Commission a piece of cover art from an artist of their choosing. Please understand that this price is flexible -- it will be payed for out of my pocket and the economy sucks. However, if things continue as planned, the buy limit will be at the high end, sitting at $25. The only restriction is this must be a piece of Cover Art. However, it can be for whatever story tickles your fancy.

So, how do those prizes seem? If you're interested, sign up today! Tomorrow, the Prompt will be released, but that doesn't mean applicants can't join in later; it just means a head-start for those who join sooner. Reply to this post if you're interested in joining and you'll be added to a running roster of participants.

Good luck to all those participating!

Roster:

• Acologic
• doomie-22
• Book_Wyrm
• mushroompone
• DmitriTheWriter

I've exams on, but sign me up. I'll give a small one-shot a go.

6681012 Count me in!

Guess I'll give it a try. Don't care if I win.

6681012
I am absolutely in!! Love the challenge of a prompt

Can't say if I'm going to be joining until I know what the prompt is. It's hard to know if I'll have any ideas until than.

Count me in. May the best writer win. Also, if you have the story made before December 1st, but none of it is written until December 1st, does it still count in the competition?

6681349
How do you have a story made yet not be written?

6681377
I have the story made, with its basic premise, short description, long description, etc. but I haven't made any chapters yet. Will that still count?

6681379
So basically you have an idea, you just haven't written it. You would need to ask the mod, but I think that would be fine.

6681012

It's also worth noting that EQG and vanilla Equestria are both in play.

Does this mean that anthro stories are out? Can't say I would use it, but I thought I would ask.

6681379
That's fine; as long as the story hasn't been written already, it's gold. But you do know there will be a specific prompt -- presented tomorrow -- that's going to be the theme for the entire Fic, right?

6681412
I'd need to say that anthro is out. It's either ponies or Equestria Girls. Though I might have some ideas for an anthro or human themed contest later down the line...

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Okay everyone! Time for the prompt!

I kept it simple and open-ended, since this is my first time ever hosting one of these and I'll be damned if I bog it down with confusion. So, the prompt is: "Competition"

This can be any form of competition, from a mono-e-mono situation like Applejack and Rainbow, to a large-scale competition like the Friendship Games. This can also be any competition; you can use a pre-existing competition like the Running of the Leaves or the aforementioned Friendship Games, but I'd advise some creativity. See what interesting competitions you can come up with!

And away you go, my friends! Good luck! May the snazziest writer win!

6682135
If only I hadn't written Celestia and Luna's hat-throwing contest last year...

6683265
Good luck!

6683271
Thanks!

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Thank you for entering and I would like to wish you all luck and happy writing.

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6687088

Are M-rated stories with "sex/porn" tags allowed, or are the stories restricted to being rated "Everyone" and "Teen" only? I looked through the rules and couldn't find anything pertaining to this.

6687271
I don't see a problem with rated M stories but Quill made the rules so it's really a Quill question.

6687410
6687271

Well, I also don't see why it should be an issue. I don't know if I'd suggest it -- different people have different interests and an erotic story may or may not play to those interests. It's a riskier move than doing an all-encompassing genre story, but I won't say it's against the rules.

6688064 Okay, thanks for the heads up.

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Hello everyone!

I hope the writing is going smoothly. We're closing on our December 18th deadline, so I've made a proper folder for any completed entries. Feel free to place them there at your leisure, but make sure they're in before December 18th. The folder will be locked after Midnight on the 18th, so don't miss the window.

Also, it's worth mentioning to anyone else that, just because your name isn't on the Roster doesn't mean you can't enter. That's mostly for me and the other Admins, so we can easily pinpoint people who are involved. This is a freely open contest; so long as your fic matches the criteria, you're available for entry.

6694510
I officially begin writing on Saturday. My last exam was today.

6694611
Good luck!

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Alright everyone; we're in the final stretch! At Midnight, the folder will be closed... Which is rough, since there are no Fics in there yet! Come on people, I believe in you!

6699438
If no one else submits in time, do I win by default?

Wait, I can't submit my story either. Uh-oh.

6699464
Is the folder messed up? Or did you just forget to write one?

6699465
I wrote a story, it's just that the folder's messed up.

6699459
You have to send in a story still but I think that would warrant a win by default but I would like to have at least two people that win in stead of one.

6699467
What's wrong with it?

6699476
When I open the folder, it just says 'this is a folder for blah blah blah...', there's nothing with which I can add stories.

Try adding the stories from the story itself. Click the down-arrow beside the view count and select "Add to Group".

6699485
AHA! I have done it! Thanks.

I timed out, not finished. Ah well, I knew it would be tight.

6699913
Sorry to hear that.

6699488
Yup, you're the only entrant to publish a story in the folder; you win by default.

I might need to ask if the art can wait till after Christmas; I was expecting more time to build up funds. Christmas gifts are expensive.

6699940

Also yeah, that's fine.

That feeling when you want to join the competition, but you're also an admin...