2010 Fanfiction Awards - Suggestions & Planning Thread

[The Great Butler]

With Dragonfree's permission and assistance, I, along with Bay, shall be doing the awards this year.

Things this year will run quite similarly to 2009 and 2008, so for further reading on those years, here are the 2008 awards thread and 2009 planning thread. The 2009 results can still be found stickied on top of the main Fan Fiction forum.

For practicality, here is a list of subjects that awards were given for last year:

Overall Fiction Awards
-Best Pokemon Chaptered Fic
-Best Pokemon One-Shot
-Best Non-Pokemon Chaptered Fic
-Best Non-Pokemon One-Shot

Other Fic Awards
-Best Plot
-Most Original Overall
-Best Setting
-Best Writing Style
-Best Expansion of Canon
-Best Character Development
-Best Characterization in a Short Story
-Best Original Species
-Funniest Fic
-Most Frightening Fic
-Most Heartbreaking Fic
-Most Heartwarming Fic
-Most Suspenseful Fic

Pokemon Genre Awards
-Best Trainer Fic
-Best Pokemon-Centric
-Best Canon-Character Centric

Character Awards
-Best Human Main Character
-Best Non-Human Main Character
-Best Human Supporting Character
-Best Non-Human Supporting Character
-Best Human Villain
-Best Non-Human Villain
-Best Minor Character
-Funniest Character

Fic Moments Awards
-Funniest Scene
-Best Action Scene
-Best Plot Twist
-Best Fic Quote

Author Awards
-Best Established Writer
-Best New Writer
-Most Dedicated Writer
-Most Improved Writer

Reviewer Awards
-Most Helpful Reviewer
-Most Dedicated Reviewer



(to be continued in next post)

 

[The Great Butler]

It looks like the awards themselves will remain pretty much constant from last time. As for nominations, right now I'm just running with a projected timeframe for eligibility of January 2010 to Feburary 2011, though that will probably change.

 

[Bay]

Hey, everyone! Bay, also running the awards. Just real quick, you guys can post your suggestions on new categories, categories that needed to be out, etc. Also, other suggestions like when nominations and voting can take place is cool too. If there are questions also you all want to ask, feel free.

What The Great Butler posted is just the primarily list of the categories and the timeline he feels is right for which fics can be nominated. Again, if you feel things should change and such, feel free to comment.

I'm a bit busy at the moment and won't give my full thoughts on this until probably Friday, but so far I think the categories and the timeframe is good. More thoughts on this later when real life isn't hectic for me. x_x

 

[Breezy]

*shrugs* Um, guess I'll start with basic award trimming, written in barely incoherent babble. I think last year's fanfic awards did a good job on trimming down on the ones that weren't as popular as other categories, so I figure we should at least think about doing the same for this year's. The following categories received 1-2 nominations:

Best Non-Pokémon One-Shot
Best Characterization in a Short Story
Best Original Species
Most Frightening Fic
Most Heartbreaking Fic
Best Pokémon-Centric
Best Canon Character-Centric
Best Non-Human Villain
Best Minor Character
All the categories under "Fic Moment Awards"

-Funniest Scene
-Best Action Scene
-Best Plot Twist
-Best Fic Quote​

The ones I put in bold were the ones that I am kind of iffy on. I know there is a difference between a "minor character" and a "supporting character," but I'm wondering if it's that important to divide the two, especially since "minor character" only received one nomination anyway. That and I think that the nominator was more apt to shove the minor character under the "supporting character" award anyway because I'm not sure anyone really knows what "minor character" entails.

While I do like the concept of the "fic moment awards," it was a highly unpopular category for some reason. It might be because you did have to understand the basics of the story to understand the context of the quote, IMO. Sure, your plot twist may have been "HOLY CRAP" worthy, but if I don't really know your plot to begin with, then I don't think I can fairly judge how epic your plot twist is. I'm actually surprised that we kept this one in; I read some good arguments about why it shouldn't be a category. Most of them were something along the lines of it being slightly repetitive of the "best plot" category. I do think "funniest moment" and "best action sequence" are categories that can standalone. I do think "best fic quote" is somewhat relatable to "funniest moment," given that I think that most people nominated "funny" quotes anyway, at least in last year's thread.

Dunno. I think that entire category should be entirely revised, focusing more on standalone moments than moments that may require some sort of knowledge of the entire fic. I have no idea what new awards you could put in it at the moment (yes, I know I'm being so helpful right now =P), but it would be nice to see that category fully utilized.

As much I would like to rip apart the genre specific categories ("frightening fic" etc.), I know they pretty much just ... have to be there just because. Though "heartbreaking fic?" Wouldn't it be better called as "best tragic fic" instead, not unless you guys really like that it ties back to "best heartwarming fic." =P I'm actually surprised that we don't have some sort of "best fantasy" category (not unless I missed it somewhere), since I think it's one of the more popular genres. I would like to call out "frightening fics" and if it's a necessary category this year. I've lurked the forums pretty regularly this year, and I can't, unfortunately, recall any "frightening fics."

...Or maybe I'm just biased toward the titles since they seem to entail emotion rather than the actual "horror" or "tragedy" genre. I figure people would assume that frightening = horror, but there are various types of "horror." Does "frightening" connotate a specific type of horror or am I just being rambly now?

I'm not sure where I was going with that. Either way, since it seems to be a relatively unwritten genre this year, do you think we need it?

So let me try to unscramble all my ramblings into fun bullet formation:

• Is the "minor character" award repetitive to the other character awards we have listed?
• Does the "plot twist" award demand too much to be under the "fic moments" category?
• Could we add more awards to the "fic moments" category to utilize its potential? If so, what could we add?
• Are there potential genre-specific categories that we could delete if there are little to no authors writing in that genre?
• Could we replace these awards with more genres that are written more frequently? Would fantasy or sci-fi warrant its own category for example?
• Would naming a category based on an emotional aspect (frightening, heartwarming, heartbreaking) rather than the actual genre (horror, tragedy) deter people from nominating/voting somehow because of different definitions between the two? (Genuinely curious about this one, not really making a critique =P)

Edit: I lol'd at the one star menace.

 

[Dragonfree]

Just to explain why it was "Most frightening/heartbreaking fic" as opposed to "Best horror/tragedy": there is a distinction between the best work of a particular genre and the work that evokes the strongest emotional response associated with some genre. You can have a very good story that is legitimately horror without it being the most frightening horror story, while something with inferior plot and characters could do much better with the actual frightening bit. I'm also personally not keen on awards that seem like they positively ought to have repeat winners: how could the overall "Best Pokémon Chaptered Fic" not also necessarily be the best member of its genre? (I realize the "Pokémon Genre Awards" are in danger of this as well, but at least there are plenty of fics that don't quite fit any of those categories and the description of those awards stated they ought to be judged on how well they do with the fundamental elements of the genre, not just overall quality.)

 

[pokenutter]

Just something a bit off-topic; I've been on Serebii for less than 2 months, and I don't know when the awards are posted. Can someone please tell me? What about the selection process?

 

[bobandbill]

I've been not too active for good amounts of time here but oh well, two cents away! (Wassup to the one-starrer =D)

I do agree that the 'minor character' awards may be too iffy...and I also agree with the comment on the 'fic moment' award, they never seemed to do too well overall to me - leastways on the 'best plot twist', etc, as you would have to know the whole fic to appreciate them for starters while the other categories don't necessarily need the set up (but I always wondered what if multiple scenes from the one fic is nominated? Do they all get taken or does someone choose which one?)

Just something a bit off-topic; I've been on Serebii for less than 2 months, and I don't know when the awards are posted. Can someone please tell me? What about the selection process?

Well the general process is that we first discuss what awards to have (like we're doing now!) Then a thread sticky is made in the main section for nominations - anyone can nominate x amount of fics for each category and all. After nominations finish (say after a few weeks/month or so) another thread is made for voting (voting typically done on dragonfree's external website and then said vote confirmed via posting in the thread so the voting remains 'secret'). That's the general gist of it anyways.

 

[Giratina!]

Breezy makes a point with the plot twist thing. While putting something along the lines of "Lord Jimbob is actually Bobjim's tyrannical future self" is all well and good, it doesn't hold much meaning for those who aren't completely familiar with the story, which is most likely the majority of the fanfiction section. XD For this same reason I also think we should keep the focus of the moments categories towards more singular things, and perhaps clarify the definition of 'best fic quote' as well. Is it best dialogue, best one-liner, best bit of narrative, or a general combination of the three? (I know, I have no right to be talking since I'm shamefully inactive nowadays, but BLAH.)

EDIT: Actually, it says I rated it already too... and I know for sure that I didn't ever rate this thread.

 

[disclaimer065]

The only concern I have, and it's probably pretty trivial, but the "Most Original Overall," category doesn't really make much sense to me. It might just be the wording (the 'Overall,' seems unnecessary), but it seems like that's a pretty abstract category. What makes one fic more original than another (rhetorical), and how do you tell which of two original fics has more originality? After all, originality is pretty subjective, but then again so is every category... I dunno, it just seems too "apples-to-oranges"-like. Perhaps one is original in one area and another is in an entirely different area. [/ramble]

P.S. I think that 1-Star was me. I don't recall ever doing it (not to mention I have no reason to), but it says I already rated the thread...

 

[Mrs. Lovett]

I'll offer my opinions here while commenting on what others have said.

For this same reason I also think we should keep the focus of the moments categories towards more singular things, and perhaps clarify the definition of 'best fic quote' as well. Is it best dialogue, best one-liner, best bit of narrative, or a general combination of the three?

I think that the 'Best Fic Quote' is just an overall memorable quote, whether it be for humor, irony, or something else. We should set a limit on it though, since we have categories for Fic Moments that could easily substitute for a particularly funny scene.

"A quote should be a snippet from any part of the story that's under a paragraph long." (Or something like that.)

The only concern I have, and it's probably pretty trivial, but the "Most Original Overall," category doesn't really make much sense to me. It might just be the wording (the 'Overall,' seems unnecessary), but it seems like that's a pretty abstract category. What makes one fic more original than another (rhetorical), and how do you tell which of two original fics has more originality? After all, originality is pretty subjective, but then again so is every category... I dunno, it just seems too "apples-to-oranges"-like. Perhaps one is original in one area and another is in an entirely different area. [/ramble]

The most original concept is something new and fresh that comes into the fanfiction forum, and gives people a feeling of "Oh, that's different!" To me, the point behind these categories is to keep things broad, so people may nominate things that fit their own definition of originality. Sure, they could be broken down into smaller bits like 'Most Creative Crossover Idea' and 'Most Creative Trainer Fic', but in my opinion, it would add an unnecessary amount of categories, possibly more than there are fics.

Would naming a category based on an emotional aspect (frightening, heartwarming, heartbreaking) rather than the actual genre (horror, tragedy) deter people from nominating/voting somehow because of different definitions between the two?

A possible solution would be to divide it a little. Genres don't really speak for the entire fic, since a horror fic can be hilarious, and a comedy can have some heartwarming/breaking moments. Still, the majoity of a story can be scary and/or heartbreaking, giving justification for the categories 'Most Frightening', etc. So, while we should have defined genres, the Fic Moments should serve as their 'subcategories' to include all the smaller things within a story.


Now here's a wrap-up of how I think the categories should be organized. Feel free to agree/disagree; this is just what seemed logical at the time.

Spoiler: Changes in white

Overall Fiction Awards
-Best Pokemon Chaptered Fic
-Best Pokemon One-Shot
-Best Non-Pokemon Chaptered Fic
-Best Non-Pokemon One-Shot

Other Fic Awards
-Best Plot
-Most Original Overall
-Best Setting
-Best Writing Style
-Best Expansion of Canon
-Best Character Development
-Best Characterization in a Short Story
-Best Original Species
-Most Suspenseful Fic

Pokemon Genre Awards
-Best Trainer Fic
-Best Horror Fic
-Best Comedy Fic
-Best Pokemon-Centric
-Best Canon-Character Centric

Character Awards
-Best Human Main Character
-Best Non-Human Main Character
-Best Human Supporting Character
-Best Non-Human Supporting Character
-Best Human Villain
-Best Non-Human Villain
-Best Minor Character
-Funniest Character

Fic Moments Awards
-Best Cliffhanger (Whatever happened to this? Cliffhangers are a good tool to use, if you do them correctly.)
-Funniest Scene
-Most Memorable Quote (Changed the wording a bit.)
-Best Action Scene
-Most Frightening Scene*
-Most Heartbreaking Scene*
-Most Heartwarming Scene*

** I added these here because they seem more appropriate as moments rather than entire fics.

Author Awards
-Best Established Writer
-Best New Writer
-Most Dedicated Writer
-Most Improved Writer

Reviewer Awards
-Most Helpful Reviewer
-Most Dedicated Reviewer

Though, the problem of what's being written right now and what isn't should also be considered. I don't think we should alter the categories, but let them filter themselves out through how many nominations they get. (If no one is nominated for Best Horror by the deadline, for example, then we just leave it out this year.)

 

[bobandbill]

EDIT: Actually, it says I rated it already too... and I know for sure that I didn't ever rate this thread.

No, it wouldn't have been you - it's a common glitch with ratings in which the system sometimes think you have already voted. In fact it also thinks I have already voted. XD Not that it really matters - I mean, before ratings were removd for fics thre were on-star bandits, so to spak, but for a fic awards thread? Kinda pointless.

 

[The Great Butler]

Is the "minor character" award repetitive to the other character awards we have listed?

Perhaps it should be discussed to create a distinction for this category; e.g. an appearance/role limit.

Does the "plot twist" award demand too much to be under the "fic moments" category?

I think not; one of the points of these awards, I think, is to encourage people to check out new fics, and this category does that.

Best Non-Pokémon One-Shot
Best Characterization in a Short Story
Best Original Species
Most Frightening Fic
Most Heartbreaking Fic
Best Pokémon-Centric
Best Canon Character-Centric
Best Non-Human Villain

I've trimmed your list to the categories I think aren't necessary keep.

"A quote should be a snippet from any part of the story that's under a paragraph long." (Or something like that.)

I agree with this. It could be a general statement, possibly up to a monologue by a single character.

(continued in next post)

 

[The Great Butler]

I like Mrs. Lovett's suggestions for an overall category list. How does this sound to everyone?

Overall Fiction Awards
-Best Pokemon Chaptered Fic
-Best Pokemon One-Shot
-Best Non-Pokemon Chaptered Fic
-Best Non-Pokemon One-Shot

Other Fic Awards
-Best Plot
-Most Original Overall
-Best Setting
-Best Writing Style
-Best Expansion of Canon
-Best Character Development
-Best Characterization in a Short Story
-Best Original Species
-Most Suspenseful Fic

Pokemon Genre Awards
-Best Trainer Fic
-Best Horror Fic
-Best Comedy Fic
-Best Pokemon-Centric
-Best Canon-Character Centric

Character Awards
-Best Human Main Character
-Best Non-Human Main Character
-Best Human Supporting Character
-Best Non-Human Supporting Character
-Best Human Villain
-Best Non-Human Villain
-Best Minor Character
-Funniest Character

Fic Moments Awards
-Best Cliffhanger
-Funniest Scene
-Most Memorable Quote
-Best Action Scene
-Most Frightening Scene
-Most Heartbreaking Scene
-Most Heartwarming Scene

Author Awards
-Best Established Writer
-Best New Writer
-Most Dedicated Writer
-Most Improved Writer

Reviewer Awards
-Most Helpful Reviewer
-Most Dedicated Reviewer

The suggestion of filtering out categories that get few nominations is a good one, I think. What do you guys think is an acceptable cutoff point for that? One? Two?

I've also evaluated the eligibility timeframe some more. I think it will be fair to spend the next couple weeks ironing out the details here a bit more, then open nominations after Thanksgiving weekend, have nominations run until New Years Day, then vote.

 

[The Great Butler]

Since I've given it some time and it seems everything is accepted, I'm going to go ahead and open nominations now that way there are a couple extra weeks for everybody to read up for nominations.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Wait, why are they so early? 2010 isn't over yet.

 

[The Great Butler]

Wait, why are they so early? 2010 isn't over yet.

That's why you have the rest of the year to submit.

 

[JX Valentine]

Although I have to admit I don't consider myself deep into the fanfiction scene around here (hence why I might not actually be able to post nominations), I'd like to see if I could help out by offering an explanation behind the deadline. Hopefully, it's close to right, but if not, feel free to correct me by all means.

Basically speaking, Nando's right: you've got until January 1 to submit stories. The nominations just start now to get us thinking about who we want to submit, but with a month and a half left, that's a long time just for a list of names. So, we don't really have to submit nominations right away: we can wait until the last week of December to do it.

Now, you're probably thinking -- understandable, too -- about the fics submitted in that last week, when we've already decided who we want to vote for. I'd assume, though, that until January 1, nominations aren't set in stone, so we can go back and edit or change our choices as much as we want so long as everything gets submitted. Beyond that, also keep in mind that with the awards, it's always that any fic submitted up to one year from the start of the last awards thread (can't remember off the top of my head if it's the nominations thread or the awards proper -- most likely the first) is eligible for being nominated. Of course, this logic would mean we should probably extend the nominations for another week or two, but on the other hand, that's what we usually do anyway, right? (Not ideally, of course, but I'm just saying it'd probably be totally plausible to ask for one if we need one, especially if not enough people submit nominations during the next month and a half.)

Besides, I'd hate to say it, but in a lot of people's cases, by the last couple of weeks before a deadline for a contest, they're probably already thinking about what's been submitted already. This is because they've already had more time to look over the older entries, whereas the newer ones might not get the same attention due to how close that deadline is. This isn't to say that there won't be any awesome work submitted closer to January 1. In fact, although I can't entirely remember if SPPf's subject to the same patterns as FFN, I'd imagine that with the Christmas/New Year's season right then, you'll probably get a rash of interesting one-shots, especially in your shipping forum. I'm just saying that any story submitted around the week before any deadline you set for nominations might end up being a little on the screwed side in terms of attention paid to it unless they're by someone who typically gets a lot of attention on the writing forums anyway.

And besides, November's somewhat late in terms of getting the nominations thread up compared to '08 (where they started in September), right? Or is this one of the issues you guys were trying to resolve by setting the nominations thread in the new year?

Basically, all I'm saying is it's probably a good thing to get the thread started now in order to get us thinking about who we'd like to see on the voting ballot. Our nominations don't even really have to be submitted until the last week of December (when the year is practically over anyway in our minds), and we could probably get extensions into the new year if we absolutely need them to think about last-minute entries. But other than that, I personally have no qualms about getting the awards up earlier. It actually makes me feel a little more excited about going back through the fics all over SPPf.

 

[The Great Butler]

Now, you're probably thinking -- understandable, too -- about the fics submitted in that last week, when we've already decided who we want to vote for. I'd assume, though, that until January 1, nominations aren't set in stone, so we can go back and edit or change our choices as much as we want so long as everything gets submitted.

Thanks for raising this point; changing a nomination is okay as long as you don't do it too many times. The only requirement is that you make a new post stating the changes.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

That's why you have the rest of the year to submit.

...And then people will have exactly one day to nominate it. A nomination period should never overlap with the submission period. Ever. That's just shoddy planning.

Regarding the thought that people will have already been thinking about what to nominate, consider the Oscar winners that aren't out until the last few weeks of the nominating year. Sure, names will have been bandied about all year, but talk and actual nomination are two different things.

And I can think of at least one winner from last year's awards that wasn't submitted until Dec. 31st. If nominations are permitted this far in advance, it cuts out a MONTH AND A HALF from people's lists.

 

[The Great Butler]

...And then people will have exactly one day to nominate it. A nomination period should never overlap with the submission period. Ever. That's just shoddy planning.

See this? That's where the chance was given to bring up things like this. And you're not the only one who might not have their material submitted immediately within the six week space. Further, even if I put space between the closing of submissions and the nominating, what of the stuff that just missed the submission period?

Now, I will have to ask you to refer any further comments on this matter to the discussions thread and refrain from derailing this thread any further. I don't want to have to get actual mods involved.