Oh noes a shipping thread. All hope is lost.

Hello there, I'm TheBandBrony. I've had a lot of discussions on the topic of shipping with new authors over the past few days, and every single time the conversation has turned to ponyXpony, I've had to constantly make one fact abundantly clear.

If you don't like the ponies you ship, your story will be shit.

Seriously, is it really even necessary to say that? If you don't like RariJack, here's an idea! Don't write RariJack. Of course it helps if you don't suck at writing, either, but you can be the most talented author in the world and this rule will still kill you every time. You don't have to love every pairing you write about, but if you can't stand the thought of Twilight Sparkle and Applejack taking a roll in the hay, you're probably best off not writing about it.

335034 People have been pairing pairings they hate?

This world I live in...

335044 People still use the enter key like MW3 gamers use the phrase "you all are good people"

What writer in the right mind would pair couples of ponies he/she doesn't like?

That's like saying: Hey, I don't like spinach, and I don't like brussel sprouts, but I bet if I mix them together, they will taste like the best fucking food to ever grace humanity!

I swear, people are stupid.

I was expecting tips on shipping ponies, but this is....adequate.

335034
I think that the truth is that you have to know how they'd react. It doesn't matter whether you like them or not.

335124 Idiot.

335144
Harsh, much?

335157 He's just teasing. I know him.

335165
OK zen.

335101 Agreed... I wasn't even aware that there was such a thing as shipping characters whom you hate...

That is, unless you are doing it to torture them in some horrendous fashion later down the line.

True, but then the polar opposite, which can lead to a story just being boring, is to have a writer who loves their characters so much, that they don't do anything to harm them, resulting in a critical loss of conflict potential.

Remember writers, be cruel.