The AppleDash Primer · 1:13am May 22nd, 2013
I hear there are people out there who don't really get AppleDash shipping. This primer is to offer a good place to start for people who don't understand or are curious about AppleDash. (It also makes a good check list for those who recently decided they like the ship.)
Now, I know there are also people who don't like AppleDash shipping. That's totally okay! Everyone likes different ships. As open as I am about the ships I don't particularly like, those are just my opinions, and I'm perfectly comfortable with the idea that other people might not like my ships. This isn't to try to convince people to like AppleDash.
But sometimes the top rated stories aren't the ones that showcase the pairing the best, they may have been written by high-profile authors or be fics that work best when there's already an understanding of the pairing. And the latest stories published will always be a grab bag of quality in all departments. So if someone wants to make sure they gave the ship a fair shake, these are my picks for the best we have to offer. If someone reads a few of these and is still uninterested in AppleDash then they probably just don't like the ship. (Still fine!)
So you want to give AppleDash a try. . .
Where to start:
If you want to test the waters with something short, go with Trial Run by UnlicensedBrony, for a cute, well written ship fic, or Pick Me Up at Seven by Jondor, for something with some extra humor. Both don’t do much more than get the relationship together, but both are totally in character, and enjoyable to read.
For something longer, Left Behind by Gold offers a Disney-movie like romance/adventure, complete with a great villain and exciting rescue. Another long form option, and one that’s been the starting point for many, is Those Blue Wings by Tchernobog, which features Tchernobog’s enjoyable subplots to keep the story moving along.
If you’re more interested in seeing how a relationship would play out than how they got together, The AppleDash Project by bookplayer and Awkward, But Worth It by bahatumay are episodic fics that follow the progression of the relationship. Both rely on comedy and are broken up into bite sized chapters of only a few thousand words.
Where to go next:
Treating Her Right by Rated PonyStar
To Touch The Ground by Blue Harvest
Fighting Feelings by TAW
Pillow Thoughts by Will P. Sherman
What Would Daring Do? by CommissarAJ
Advanced:
If you’re looking for fics that go a little deeper into the relationship, there are some really good ones out there. These fics explore some tough issues the couple might face as part of their relationship:
Chocolate Covered Grapes by Callisto, is a fic about the beginning of the relationship, but one that frames it with struggles surrounding Applejack and Rainbow Dash accepting the impact of their parents, or lack thereof, in their lives.
D-I-V-O-R-C-E by SanityLost, and Wet Feathers by bookplayer both take aim at the obvious flaw in AppleDash: Rainbow Dash’s dream of being a Wonderbolt will take her away from Ponyville one day, while Applejack is unlikely to leave Sweet Apple Acres.
While there are plenty of fics out there that deal with Applejack being afraid to reveal that she’s a fillyfooler, Burning Bridges by Ninestempest offers a twist on it, with a specific reason that Applejack can’t tell her visiting mother about her relationship with Rainbow Dash.
Keep the Earth Beneath My Hooves by BronyNeumo goes for a tragic look at the love and sadness involved in end-of-life care.
Mature:
If you don’t mind sex, these fics feature good stories with some steamy stuff worked in:
Stuck by Callisto
The Cupcake Chronicles by MilesPrower06 (sex and gore tags)
Trixie’s Magic Bit and the rest of the Trixieverse by Applejinx (Don't let the first chapter fool you. Give it a few chapters.)
Sex, Lies, and Cowpony Hats by O
Just remembered that I never did read Those Blue Wings.
Plans for evening have been changed accordingly.
I thoroughly enjoyed Those Blue Wings. It's a great romance fic for anybody.
Wet Feathers is still my favourite AppleDash story, except maybe for Treating Her Right.
Then again, I don't read as much AppleDash as I maybe should.
1096769>>1096817
I can't help but notice that two of your own stories are on the list. Not a big believer in modesty, huh?
But yeah, I'll definitely agree that Wet Feathers deserves to be considered one of the best, though I haven't read The AppleDash Chronicles yet. Trial Run also earns its spot here; my face hurt from smiling by the time I was done with it. That was the fic that cemented AppleDash as my current second-favorite ship.
1098675
I am usually a believer in modesty. However, I also know that objectively speaking, I'm among the most watched AppleDash authors, and my stories have been called influential by a number of readers. So making a list like this and leaving myself off ran the risk of being incomplete.
I will say, I'm not doing it to advertise. I tried to bury my stories underneath other, equally good or better stories.
I was wondering if you would mention "Treating her right" and was ready to complain if you didn't. But you did!
"Treating her right" was the first shipping story I ever read (back then, I didn't had a account here, I was reading fanfics of EQD) and also the story that introduced me too shipping from the very beginning.
What does bother me is that Forcast isn't mentioned....but on the other hand, it is more of a fic I would use to introduce people to Carrot Top, the flower sister and especially Berry Punch.It's been over one year hence since the original primer was posted. Perhaps an update is in order. Lots of AppleDash stuff has come out since then.
2699683
While this is true, the thing is this list is stuff I've read that, in my opinion, are good places to start or things I'd recommend. While I've read some more AppleDash since this list was written, not much of it is either stuff I think would be a good starting place, or shining examples of taking on a deeper theme. I could probably switch out some of the "where to go next" list, but honestly those were just some good fics that people into AppleDash might like.
If you can think of any that you think belong on the "Where to Start" list (things that represent the ship without requiring you to already ship it from the beginning, or show how the ship really works) or the "Advanced" list (things that explore an issue in the relationship in a deeper way) I'd be happy to check them out.
2700158
Well, hopefully it doesn't come across as immodest, but I've been working on the fic where Applejack has her heart condition, and it got me thinking. I wonder if you shouldn't look at adding some of the contest entries where it explores Applejack and Rainbow Dash's rivalry to their benefit to the "Advanced" portion of your list. No names come off the top of my head, but Skirts' entry caught my eye, and his wasn't even the winner.
Also, Appledashery could be a good option... eventually, and The Sunshine Chronicles looks at their life as a full-on married couple finding out AJ is with child. (Hopefully that last one doesn't come across as an immodest plug.)
2700773
I haven't read Skirts contest entry, but it's on my Read Later list. I did read the winner, which I really did like, but I'm not sure it said much that hasn't already been said by another story on the list.
As for the others-- the stories on here have to be finished, and the only exception I made was Awkward, But Worth It, which is the exception that proves the rule, actually.
Being a primer, this list is for people new to AppleDash, including people who aren't sure if they like shipping at all. So all the stories listed here are well crafted stories, including character, pacing, believable story ideas and reactions, etc. Shipping doesn't have a great reputation for writing, and these are meant to change minds. bahatumay's story is episodic, so it doesn't matter if the overall thing feels right as long as the chapters are solid.
So, fics on here have to be finished, and when they are finished they have to feel like they were well planned out, without a bunch of unanswered questions or filler chapters.
I think it's saying something that out of the sixteen non-Mature fics here, there's five I've already Favourited, one that I tried reading but didn't like, and eight that were already on my Read Later list. I added the other two to my RL, too.