Hey everypony!

I would like to announce the first whenever-we-feel-like-it Transformation group Mini-Fic Contest! We're inaugurating this tradition(?) in honor of our 500th member.

For this, there is no prompt, but we have two categories. All authors may submit 1 fic per category:
Human
Non-Human (No humans allowed)
The judges will select 1 winner from each category and they will be put into a special featured folder here on the group. Runner-ups may get the special treatment as well.
The winner will also receive a $10 commission from an artist of their choosing, paid for by myself. No refunds!

All fics are due Friday, July 12 19 at 9pm PST, a little less than 2 weeks after this posting. If we get a low number of fics, we will extend the date.

Rules are as follows:

1) Word counts must be between 3000 and 15,000 words.
2) Must be focused around transformation.
3) No bronies. Not even a little bit.
4) Must be rated Teen or Everyone.
5) No on-screen sexual acts. Off-screen is fine,
6) No excessive gore.
7) Must be an original story. You can add sequels or chapters after the competition if you like, not our problem then!
8) If you put it on FimFiction, don't publish it until the judging is complete, please. Give us a password to access it instead.

Create your fics in a manner accessible online and private message the links to me. Google Docs is a good option.

Announcing judges:
Ether Echoes
TwistedSpectrum
DDRMASTERM
Quite Quiet

The story must be rated teen? It can't be rated everyone? That seems a bit weird, but okay.

Also, for the transformation, do we have to describe it Animorphs-style, or can we just describe what causes it and then jump cut to the character reacting later?

1195241
The story doesn't actually need a transformation on-screen at all, though that is also acceptable. Everyone stories are acceptable.

1195241
It revolves around the theme of transformation and how the character/s react to the change. You can still have a good transformation story even though it's a basic poof or wake up one morning and you're in a new body.

Oh, I'd like to use this as an excuse to write my Chrysalis fic, but I don't have the time really.

1195366
Any time you can hammer out 3k+ words in the next two weeks.

Oh! Clarification:
Fics need to be original, but that doesn't mean you can't have sequels AFTER this is done.
We highly recommend that the fics be self-contained, but don't let that stop you.

1195457

Nevermind, thought of a better idea...

Ooooo, sounds fun. I've been itching to write something else transformation-based. I should really finish Dragon Your Hooves first (as well as the other stories I have in process) but ill see if I can't get something done for this.

1195366
Time is against me too, like I'm working on my own story but I don't think I'll be able to do it if I can't finish my latest chapter in time.

1195222
I have a question does human to anthro pony count in the human sections? I have an idea to enter two competitions at the same time as there's one over in the Anthropmorphics group. I'll lay out my idea if I can't think up of a good way to write this especially with it constantly changing in my mind as I type this.

The transformation:
Some guy's girlfriend becomes either an anthro Rarity or an anthro Fluttershy.
The theme:
Slice of Life or Adventure (with Romance)
Now the constantly changing plot:
1. The couple deals with the sudden change happening in their own home town and now learning how to cope with that new form.
2. Basic rescue romance, I have no idea why a bad guy wants to turn a girl into an anthro pony, all I know is that her future boyfriend saves her from him or they save each other.
3. The couple is brought to Equestria (where ponies are anthro) only she changes into a pony of that world. Now 2.5 variations of that idea showed up to me...
a. The transformed girlfriend suddenly believes she is that pony and has been living in Equestria her whole life but doesn't remember her boyfriend.
ab. EVERYONE but the boyfriend believes they've been in Equestria for years and has been dating each other since much to the guy's confusion.
b. The couple has to pretend that the girl has always been that pony while figuring out how to go home without the other ponies noticing.
I think that's it for now.

I just have trouble deciding if girl is a truly different person or just the "human" version of that pony turning into that other form. I better toss out this idea to the other group and see what he says. Also it's the kind of transformation story that I've always wanted to turn into but can hardly find. A transformation romance, where true love conquers all and everything. I think I'll explain a bit more in detail in the other thread some other time.

1195616
Anthro ponies strike me as tricky since you have to have the setting of Equestria be involved somehow, and that doesn't include anthro.

1195773
I'm pretty sure anthro counts as being part of Equestria since it counts as an alternate universe where all the sentient beings on Equestria are anthropomorphic, unless you're referring to plot 1 and 2. For Plot 1 I don't see how anthro is tricky because it's basically the same as someone becoming one of the full ponies in the real world, it's just that their bodies are at least able to keep half of their humanity. Plot 2 is basically the same thing I think, unless it happens in Equestria.

1195921
Oh, you mean an Equestrian pony?
Anthro pony normally refers to a bipedal, upright pony. We don't refer to Equestrians as anthro ponies, just because they are anthropomorphized.
If it's not bipedal, then yes it's fine.

No humans are allowed in the non-human category, at all. Not pony-to-human, not human-to-pony, etc.

1196029
That definition is confusing in more ways than one. @_@ I'm just talking about an anthro ponies looking like the ones in the pictures of this group.

I when you refer to bipedal ponies, the only thinking is normal ponies just being able to stand on their hind legs with no other human features whatsoever.

Man, this is one way to motivate me to actually write something. I doubt I'd win by any stretch, but it's a very interesting competition, and I'd be glad to give it a shot and see what everyone else comes up with. Good luck to all those who are also competing, and may the best writer-person-thing win!

1196102
Eh, hmm...
I'll put it down to a judge vote. Get back to you soon.

Hmm, this sounds like it could be fun...

1196102
Results:
1 For
1 Abstention
2 Against.

Anthro ponies are nixed until further notice, except as a midway point or other thing. Not 'all ponies are Anthros' or the like.

1197481
Of course ponies are not anthro, that's why in the same as an alternate universe like the humanized versions. I'd like a further explanation from everyone's reasoning for their vote, one from each of them, including you, in here, since it's a discussion about the rules.

1197705 Well, I was neutral myself. However, I'll ask you this. What is it about this decision that makes you so apposed to it?

1197705

Because the judges have to read all of the stories that are submitted, some of them don't like having to read anthro. It is the same reason why the 'no bronies' rule is up there, because a majority of the judges don't want to read 10 stories about how a brony died and went to Equestria instead of heaven.

As for why that decision is made? Once again, it is arbitrary, life isn't fair and all that. If you wanted, you could make a flashfic competition in the Anthropomorphism group?

1197758
Because it makes it sound like that anthro ponies don't count as actual ponies, while that is true but it's not in the same vein as the humanized versions since humanized also don't involved actual ponies, but they're still counted as ponies as long as they involve some form of Equestria. Whether Equestria is in the western, the future, the apocalyptic future, the past, another version of our world, or in the far alternate past, it's still an alternate Equestria and the ponies can be completely humanized or turned into griffons in these other Equestrias. Anthro ponies are still completely different humans if they were full ponies and is still close enough to be considered ponies their respected worlds.

Also, you got humans and ponies turning into "Monsters" and they still count as being part of an Equestria. So how is being anthropomorphic changes things?

(I got a notice that someone made a reply to me while I was writing this post now, if it's in this board, I'll be working on a reply for you soon)

1197828
As far as I'm seeing, I'm the only one who's going to even try to attempt to this type of transformation story in this competition. They're pretty rare in this type of theme, all I can remember is about three stories and one of them is about becoming Discord, I think. You're reasoning for not wanting to read an anthro transformation story is just like in the same reasoning I don't like reading TF/TG stories but they turned out to be written really well once I really decided to give them a try. In fact if it wasn't for my obligations and responsibilities I would've become a judge also and I will judge them fairly despite my biased opinion of the subject. The only evidence I have against this is that brony transformation stories are more expectant and numerous than anthro transformation stories, as well as being much more original than them given their rarity. All I'm asking you is to judge my story just like everyone else's and pass or fail like everyone else's.

However, I am willing to give up if I'm proven wrong that there are more than 3 people who want to write human to anthro pony transformation stories or a transformation story setting in an anthro Equestria.

1197910
I would also nix 'In this setting, Equestrians are all Griffins.'

Ah, TwistedSpectrum is a judge. Damn well deserves the position, he wrote the (IMO) best TF fic on the site...

1198067
Three questions for now.
1. But what if they're all mysteriously turned into griffons and it's about a former pony trying to get used to being a griffon or she and her friends quest to turn everyone back to normal?
2. So if half of the ponies are griffons and the half themselves (Say Pinkie, Rarity, and Doctor Whooves are griffons and Twilight, Fluttershy, and Derpy are still ponies for example) that would be fine.
3. I want you to clarify something for me, if by Equestrians you also mean buffalos, diamond dogs, and alicorns are now griffons too right?

1198029

As far as I'm seeing, I'm the only one who's going to even try to attempt to this type of transformation story in this competition.

Assumptions, you're certainly the only one vocal about it.

You're reasoning for not wanting to read an anthro transformation story is just like in the same reasoning I don't like reading TF/TG stories but they turned out to be written really well once I really decided to give them a try.

Another assumption, I probably won't read all the stories because I will be submitting, not judging.

Another assumption about why I may or may not dislike Humanoid-Equestrian stories. I'm not even going to bother with that.

In fact if it wasn't for my obligations and responsibilities I would've become a judge also and I will judge them fairly despite my biased opinion of the subject.

I am humbled by your impartiality.

All I'm asking you is to judge my story just like everyone else's and pass or fail like everyone else's.

I'm not a judge, and it's not a pass or fail test. It is a competition. The error in logic behind having to convince judges that don't like that kind of story to accept them to begin with just seems incredibly faulty. You might win in the sense that you'll get your story in, but I don't really see judges reacting favorably to a story that they A) didn't want to read, and B) got in because of complaining.

However, I am willing to give up if I'm proven wrong that there are more than 3 people who want to write human to anthro pony transformation stories or a transformation story setting in an anthro Equestria.

I don't think it really matters if you give up or not, them's the breaks and all that.

1198116
1) Approved
2) Not approved
3) Pointless question.

1198123

Another assumption, I probably won't read all the stories because I will be submitting, not judging.

Another assumption about why I may or may not dislike Humanoid-Equestrian stories. I'm not even going to bother with that.

Darn, I'm sorry about the assumptions.

Sorry about that as well, then this isn't the time and place to ask about those then.

I'm not a judge, and it's not a pass or fail test. It is a competition. The error in logic behind having to convince judges that don't like that kind of story to accept them to begin with just seems incredibly faulty. You might win in the sense that you'll get your story in, but I don't really see judges reacting favorably to a story that they A) didn't want to read, and B) got in because of complaining.

Actually I'm being idealistic right now, but those are excellent points. I'm actually trying to debate with them to understand their reasons further. Right now the answers I'm getting are faulty as well, I want to understand their reasons and hopefully come to an acceptable compromise or understanding of each other.

I don't think it really matters if you give up or not, them's the breaks and all that.

Yeah, but giving up without understanding something is the same as turning away from the truth. I'm pretty sure things would've been easier to understand had I submit the story instead of discussing it. By discussing this issue before submitting I'm learning new ways to write a story.

1198177
Okay, one more question regarding your previous post.

If I change the story into an interdimensional transformation mystery that involved everybody in Equestria, two humans, with one of them being affected along with some of the mane cast would that be okay? It involves another pitch.

Here's what it might say in the summary:
Ritchie was enjoying a nice vacation with his girlfriend, Lisa, when suddenly a portal appears out from under them and they fall in. As they fall, he witness his girlfriend turning into a yellow pegasus thing and when they landed, Lisa doesn't remember him and claims to have been this "pony" all her life. Will he be able to restore his girlfriend's memory or will she be this "Fluttershy" forever?
-
A mysterious flux in magic has thrown everything off balance in the land of Equestria, ponies' magic are misfiring and most of them are gaining humanoid bodies from the disturbance. Twilight Sparkle, one of the victims of the humanoid curse, has finally received a letter from Celestia about the source of the cause and gathers the girls to stop it (while finding out that two others (plus Fluttershy) have suffered from the curse). When they come to get Fluttershy, she's holding a strange creature in her arms and is strangely protective of it. Can they solve the magic flux in time and return everyone to their original bodies before the destruction of all reality happens while taking care of this strange creature?

If the limit wasn't 15,000 words I probably would have trouble with this kind of conflict, but I think I can make it work.

1198498
Acceptable.

Just curious on what excessive gore means. What sort of gore would be off limits? Or is it amount of times it appears?

1199463 I think what 1195222 means by that is that the story shouldn't be at the gore levels of an M-rated shooter or something like that.

1200492

that can be a bit tough to judge, some shooters are m-rated and the most blood is a small cloud when the enemy gets hit (call of duty: MW series) and others are flat out messes (RE4, Gears of War).

1200508 I'll let Ether have the final say but I'd say to keep it at PG-13 levels or less.

1200564 fair enough

1200567
Ask yourself first if it is excessive gore. If your answer is 'yeah, this is pretty fucked up' then it isn't approved. Otherwise, it's a judgement call, so make your best judgement.

Blood isn't excessive. Even Temple of Doom's sacrifice scene isn't really that excessive - that's about your borderline right there.

1200508

If you have to ask would be a good rule of thumb. I would think.

1201815 1199463 An alternative is if you hesitate to show it to a ten-twelve year old it's most likely too gory as well. You most likely won't have trouble if you keep as much as possible out of it anyway.

1195241
1200567
1201815
1198498
1196943
1195466
Y'all be advised you have more time now.

1280218

So much for that now, I didn't even reach the word limit in time either, I only got up to 1424 words by the date's end darn.... :( and I don't any other places to create them places accessible in online.

Can we get an update on the status of the contest as far as participants goes? Will the stories that were submitted be listed before or after the judges decide on them?

1329188 I haven't had any briefing on the other questions, but there's three stories right now up for judging. Though I assume I'm supposed to keep any entrants and their entries hidden until we all hand in our assessment of them.

At least that's what I would do.

1332604

:nods: Thanks!