Maaaaan I should’ve had this done ages ago. x_x
But for reals, finally finished up my ballot, complete with unnecessary comments. As always, I tried to pick some of the not-already-nominated fics, but it was a tough choice this year. I might've had maybe three pages worth of links before I got to these.
In
any case, I wish everyone luck in the awards proper!
Overall Fiction Awards
Best Pokemon Chaptered Fic
Requiem by Sidewinder
Sidewinder’s pretty much kept it up this year. Requiem’s always been something fresh, new, and exciting for me, but this year’s chapters added even more depth and intrigue to an already pretty awesome story. Everything from the characterization to the most minute plot points were executed with fantastic care. It’s just a fic that shouldn’t be passed up, plain and simple.
Best New Pokemon Chaptered Fic
First Nomination: Pokémon: Black & White by johno1995
Mad props to anyone who can write a really good, highly detailed trainer fic/game retelling using script fic. That sounds like a formula newbie writers use, but my God, johno1995 shows off how that can be so very
good.
Second Nomination: Monsters Among Us: A Pokémon AU by GingerDixie
AU is definitely right here. Monsters Among Us is a gritty fic in which Pokémon are equal to humans in pretty much every way except, you know, dignity. But it’s a gritty fic that doesn’t go into over-the-top grimdark territory (which really is a difficult thing to maintain),
and it constructs its world so carefully and thoroughly that it’s very easy to buy.
Best Pokemon One-Shot
First Nomination: Important Announcement by Psychic
Because how can you argue against a fanfiction based on Serebii? For reals.
Second Nomination: The Best Game by Phoenixsong
It’s an adorable fic in which Leaf thrashes Blue Oak by being the coolest six-year-old ever.
Best Non-Pokemon Chaptered Fic
(No nomination)
Best Non-Pokemon One-Shot
An Icy Detachment by Dr.Horrible117
Fan of Adventure Time? Want a heart-wrenching story about the end of humanity, taking place during Simon’s slow descent into the Ice King? Well, grab a box of tissues and pull up a chair, folks, because here we have a solidly written story wherein there is no happy ending.
Other Fic Awards
Best Plot
First Nomination: Requiem by Sidewinder
You have a pretty ordinary brother and sister chasing after a super-powered sociopath driven by the dedication to six disembodied kings. Requiem is straight-up not like any other Pokémon fanfiction I’ve read, first off, and second, it’s a fast-paced fantasy thriller with more twists than licorice rope. It’s that good.
Second Nomination: Bridging Dimensions by Cyn
Man, how long has it been since I read a fic about an ordinary guy in the real world suddenly finding himself in an adventure because fate spat out a real, live Pokémon for him to mess with? Far too long, but the point is, Cyn delivers it wonderfully, with a nice kick in the tail to the story’s slackerish hero. It only gets weirder from there when he subsequently finds a portal to the Pokémon world, and shenanigans ensue.
Most Original Overall
First Nomination: A Leash of Foxes by Cutlerine
This may be Serebii’s first successful CYOA story, and it comes complete with Cutlerine’s usual flair for surrealism and storytelling. This fic is most certainly something new, different, and original.
Second Nomination: Drowning by starliteevee
It’s a fic about a Pokémon villainous team told from the perspective of inside members. Sure, that sounds like it’s been done. BUT! This is
Team Aqua, and the fic’s focus is on
making these characters think they’re just doing some ordinary, everyday job. It’s fascinating to see their minds work and catch glimpses of the darkness of their organization in the background, and starliteevee certainly knows how to make us want to know more about these characters and how her version of Team Aqua works.
Best Writing Style
First Nomination: A Leash of Foxes by Cutlerine
A dry, very British sense of humor is something that’s frequently attempted but seldom done well, but Cutlerine speaks it like a second language.
Second Nomination: The Unfortunate Truth to the Pokémon Trainer Ideal by SilentMemento
SilentMemento’s strongest suit is most definitely his attention to detail regarding characters. Every character he writes feels alive, and given that this is a story told entirely through editorials, you definitely get a sense of that here. So not only do you get a good glimpse of the way the Pokémon world works thanks to its essay-like format, but you also get a sense of a passionate voice driving each point. Sure, what he’s saying might not be 100% believable
or agreeable, but hey, the point is, it’s
authentic.
Best Description
First Nomination: A Leash of Foxes by Cutlerine
Just … yes.
Second Nomination: 399 words by Praxiteles
Sure, it’s pretty much 100% description with no discernible plot beyond that, but my god, is the description poetic. Behold—the end of the world. And apparently, dying is like going really ****ing insane via sensory overload crossbred with existential crisis. Who knew?
Best Setting
The Pokémon world,
Monsters Among Us: A Pokémon AU by GingerDixie
All of it. Like I’d mentioned earlier, GingerDixie sets out to create a complex world that’s both recognizably Pokémon
and something completely different from what we see in canon, and Ginger pulls it off with an incredible amount of detail.
Best Expansion of Canon
First Nomination: Pokémon: Black & White by johno1995
In short, I really do appreciate the fact that this isn’t just a trainer fic or a retelling of the BW canon plot. It’s also an exploration—an attempt to add character depth and explain a lot of what goes down in the games. So in that sense, this reads less like a traditional trainer fic (in which a writer sends a character off on a journey as wish fulfillment) and more like an attempt to capture everything that is BW.
Second Nomination: Indigo by gorgonfish
While it promises to eventually be a trainer fic about the darkness of the League, for right now, it’s a fascinating retelling of the original RBY games because it’s told entirely in posts from a normally mute character. As such, it does a really good job of exploring the canon characters and the beginning of the game from Red’s perspective—the exact perspective you’re supposed to assume when you play.
Best Character Development
(No nomination)
Best Characterization in a Short Story
First Nomination: Blue Oak,
The Best Game by Phoenixsong
It’s a short fic, but you really get everything that is Blue/Green/Gary/whatever you’d like to call him summed up in one convenient package, starting from literally the first sentence.
Second Nomination: Pryce,
The Unfortunate Truth to the Pokémon Trainer Ideal by SilentMemento
Like I said, you really do get a good sense of who Pryce is by reading his thoughts and voice throughout the fic, and given this format, that’s really what makes this whole shebang.
Best Romantic Relationship
(No nomination)
Best Non-Romantic Relationship/Interaction
First Nomination: Dorian and Shelton,
Requiem by Sidewinder
It’s amazing to see these two play off each other. Sometimes, you get that sense of closeness and I-will-do-anything-for-you-ness that you get out of a brother/sister relationship, and other times, they smack each other around with fantastic levels of gloriousness. Emotions definitely run high between these two, so when one spirals down pretty dark paths (as Dorian wonts to do), you inevitably see intense reactions from the other.
Second Nomination: Jake and Jade,
Wandering Storm by Subzero Dragon
Directionless psychic and a snarky Espeon, both with hilariously little foresight. Enough said.
Best Original Species
Archopy,
Lost Evolution by elyvorg
(NOW NOMINATED IN AN APPROPRIATE YEAR. 8D) You have to admire the amount of detail elyvorg put into Archopy. Certainly, it’s an alternate evolution for a canon Pokémon, but it’s really that exact relationship—between the fan-created evolution and the canon evolution—that really makes this species so interesting. You
do get a sense of that primal rivalry emanating at least from the Sceptile, but there’s this grace and serenity from the Archopy as well. It’s just fascinating to see it all play out.
Most Suspenseful Fic
(No nomination.)
Most Heartbreaking Fic
First Nomination: Extinguished by 33Whimsicott33
It’s several pages of watching a small child die slowly and painfully. NO, IT’S OKAY, 33WHIMSICOTT33. I NEEDED THE CASUAL REMINDER THAT I’M HUMAN TODAY.
Second Nomination: An Icy Detachment by Dr.Horrible117
Yeah, it's not a Pokémon fic, but hey. Regardless of whether or not you're an
Adventure Time fan (I'm not, for one), it's very easy to feel for the main character. And then sob grossly at what happens to him by the end.
Pokemon Genre Awards
Best Trainer Fic
First Nomination: Indigo by gorgonfish
Indigo is already promising a lot, what with the premise outlined in Red’s opening post and the format of the fic in general. But also, it’s hard to argue with a retelling of a game plot pretty much everyone is familiar with, starring incredibly likable characters and told from the perspective of the actual hero protagonist. Indigo is fascinating already, and it can really only get better from here.
Second Nomination: Pokémon: Black & White by johno1995
Just in case you needed to know what it looks like when a script fic is done well … *motions to this fic* Also, although it’s a retelling of the BW games, it has a lot to offer, with carefully built characters and a
lot of explanation added to the shiftier parts of the canon storyline. It really is a well-done expansion of canon as well as an entertaining look at the trainer fic genre.
Best Horror Fic
Extinguished by 33Whimsicott33
What’s horrifying? A story about a small child dying. What’s even more horrifying? A story about a small child dying
told from the perspective of the small child dying.
Best Comedy Fic
First Nomination: Important Announcement by Psychic
Psychic just gets everyone and everything spot-on, hands down. Even if she doesn’t use names, you can totally tell who’s who, and you can’t help but laugh at how overdramatic our Serebiiland selves are.
Second Nomination: Hoenn Reborn by Deadly.Braviary
Deadly sets out to parody the Hoenn games using a healthy dose of dry, British humor … and let me tell you, it’s
refreshing to read. All too often, you see OMG LOL humor when people set out to write comedies, but here, the writing is tight, the wit stands on its own (without any lol randomness thrown in), and how can you argue with a fic whose main characters’ primary troubles involve
tax evasion?
Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Fic
First Nomination: Lost Evolution by elyvorg
And over here, you have the pleasant story of why humans shouldn't **** with nature. No, but seriously, Lost Evolution feels a lot like a classic sci-fi flick. You have your slow build up. You have your monster that isn't even named until chapter three. You have your possibly mad geneticists and your everymen getting roped into chasing after the monster. And while this might seem like I'm describing a formula for an "oh noes something escaped from the lab" kind of fic, it's not. Here, you really
do feel the intensity of the chase and the drama, and all of the characters get enough focus that your attention isn't focused on just the titular creature or the everyman human hero but on a whole bunch of different, fleshed-out characters all at once, which makes for a rather nice experience for a sci-fi fan.
Second Nomination: Blue Snow by pokenutter
It’s a rather cute transformation fic as it is, but I think what really makes it is how hard the main character screws himself over, just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. That somehow makes all of his struggles to adjust to his Pokémon self all the more fascinating to watch, if only because you
know all of this could’ve been averted.
Best Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Fic
A Different Kind of PMD Story (A Vulpix Tail) by Brutaka
Okay, it’s a reverse PMD story, but the premise is so hilarious it’s hard not to immediately nominate it. This fic tells the story of a boy in the human world who meets a girl who insists that she’s a Vulpix, and then shenanigans ensue like a fantastically cheesy 90’s harem anime. It’s awesome.
Best Pokemon-Centric
Snapshots by bobandbill
bobandbill does a fantastic job at capturing the dedication and empathy of a Gardevoir raised from a Ralts. You can sense the closeness between the Pokémon and the trainer here with the tiny details—the pangs of jealousy Gardevoir experiences, the sense of pride when she battles and wins for her trainer—and it all culminates into a rather fantastic moment at the climax where she’s torn between being a Pokémon and being a companion. It’s all rather heartwrenching.
Best Canon Character-Centric
First Nomination: The Best Game by Phoenixsong
Second Nomination: Indigo by gorgonfish
Character Awards
Best Human Main Character
First Nomination: Red,
Indigo by gorgonfish
I’m just really, really fascinated by the voice gorgonfish gives to this character. We all know about him, but in gorgonfish’s hands, Red seems like a new, unique character who’s absolutely fascinated by this new task heaped onto him … because gorgonfish is one of those rare authors who
remembers that Red is eleven.
Second Nomination: Edward,
The Legend’s End by Scaldiver
Edward continues to be basically the only beacon of sanity in an otherwise fantastically insane world. He may not be
the chosen one, but he’s the most rational, intelligent one out of the group, the one who will most likely drag the chosen one away from apparent danger. And hey, it’s not every day that the main character isn’t supposed to be on an epic journey in the first place, right?
Best Non-Human Main Character
April,
Through the Thunder and the Lightning by Brutaka
Bubbly, somewhat ditzy Emolga with a penchant for being fantastically kickass at the seemingly most random moments. Oh yes.
Best Human Supporting Character
(No nomination)
Best Non-Human Supporting Character
First Nomination: Kirlia,
The Legend’s End by Scaldiver
It’s always amazing to see how loyal this Pokémon is. It even landed one of the main characters in the hospital, just because he kinda sorta looked like he was threatening!
But seriously, Kirlia is die-hard dedicated to Nuria, and this sets her apart from any other Pokémon simply because of the way that loyalty plays off of the personalities of the other Pokémon in this fic.
Second Nomination: Celebi,
The Legend’s End by Scaldiver
Celebi literally shows up out of nowhere, and like many legendaries in this story, its aim is apparently to wreck Nuria and Edward’s lives. And it does a fantastic job at it too, what with its tendency to drop exposition … or drop everything for the sake of candy floss.
Best Human Villain
Ethan,
Requiem by Sidewinder
Ethan is straight-up
terrifying. He’s super strong and religiously devoted to his cause, and he most certainly can kill the main heroes with his pinkie finger if he merry well pleased. And by God, he tries.
Best Non-Human Villain
(No nomination)
Best Minor Character
(No nomination)
Funniest Character
First Nomination: Shane,
Through the Thunder and the Lightning by Brutaka
Even though part of his behavior in the prologue is fueled by a compulsion to finish what he started, this is still a guy whose response to knowing that he’s about to die is, “Welp. TIME TO WHIP OUT THE SKETCHBOOK.”
Second Nomination: Celebi,
The Legend’s End by Scaldiver
Speaking of priorities, is your chosen one getting thrashed by Houndoom? That’s nice. THERE IS CANDY FLOSS TO BE HAD.
Fic Moments Awards
Funniest Scene
First Nomination:
[spoil]Writers, not knowing what to do, ran around like roosters with their heads chopped off, spewing random nonsense about tiaras, chicken flavoured dishwashers, Nicholas Cage, “THAT'S MR. PSYCHIC!”, and other ridiculous-sounding things in the hopes of being funny and bringing laughter in their last moments. Indeed, each writer was laughing hysterically, but of course only at their own “jokes.” Everything else they heard was a bombardment of random, incomprehensible nonsense. Thankfully, the red light took them out of their confusion swiftly and silently, but for one unfortunate farting sound.[/spoil]
Important Announcement by Psychic
Second Nomination:
[spoil]dx_brown: Yes, basically. Clear has a working knowledge of the hardware and I am testing the network connectivity. Depending on how you fill out the feedback form it will be sent to one of us.
dx_gray: Oh I thought grandpa would get those :/
dx_clear: working knowledge of the hardware my *** i practically built the prototype
dx_brown: C, she’s a kid! Watch your language!
dx_gray: I’m 13 that’s not a kid
dx_clear: he’s giving it out to teenagers now arceus
dx_gray: Well grandpa handed 3 out to 11yo’s this morning xP
dx_clear: bill it emotes burn it[/spoil]
Indigo by gorgonfish
Most Frightening Scene
[spoil]Just as the digital clock turned to read 11:00, I heard a light, but sure sound of something tapping on glass. I turned my head, and was amazed to see that, right there on my windowsill, was the little rare Pokémon that I met at the park! I laid there staring at it for a moment; just making sure it was real. A small purple flame burned above it; bathing the glass in a pale glow; it looked just like a candle. The Pokémon continued to tap my window, looking at me endearingly with its button-like yellow eyes. As fast as I could, I got out of bed and opened the window.
“I didn’t know you knew where I lived,” I said weakly, but happily.
The small, candle-like Pokémon hopped in my room, and squeaked in delight.
“It’s nice to see you again… oh? You brought friends?” I watched as the Pokémon made a signal to the empty night outside, and one by one more of the same Pokémon appeared on my windowsill. They all hopped into my room, lighting it up with their pale, purple fires. My head was really hurting; the fever was really making me feel miserable. I tiredly made my way back to the bed, feeling more and more fatigued with each step. I really did need to rest…
The Pokémon followed, hopping along onto the desk next to my bed. The other five or six of them did the same thing, all gathering around on opposite sides of my bed.
“Oh, man… if I had my ball I could’ve caught you…” I said, remembering what I wanted to do earlier. The candle Pokémon didn’t seem to mind what I said, and continued to watch me with their button-like yellow eyes.
“Mommy doesn’t like Pokémon,” I continued to talk to them, “thinks they’re dangerous, even though all of my friends have one…”
The candle Pokémon were paying close attention to me, and the flames on top of their heads grew even brighter. As the room got brighter, it began to spin, and the misery of my fever began to disappear…
“I think she’s silly,” I said, losing my breath. I was struggling to keep my voice steady, “I mean… just because… you can sometimes get burned or shocked… doesn’t mean they’re dangerous, right?”
The rest of the room was just a hazy blur now… but the lights of the Pokémon remained. Glowing brightly, they were like guideposts to the growing darkness. Underneath the blankets, I felt my bones protruding. My arms and legs were shriveling, while my skin pulled back on my ribs. It pulled back on my face too; I felt the walls of my cheeks get thinner and thinner...
I felt comfortable. Or maybe I didn’t… but I didn’t mind, because my entire body felt distant. All the pain of the fever was gone now, for some reason I felt free…
The darkness around me was thick and vague, growing darker and darker as the lights that broke it grew brighter. And then it fell back, all to one large, distant light. It was like the light of the candles, but flared even brighter, and it beckoned me to come. All my feelings were detached now; the only thing I knew now was that I had to go to it- this one final light. I rose up slowly… a feeling of peace as I drifted towards it. Drawing closer and closer… until I became engulfed in-[/spoil]
Extinguished by 33Whimsicott33
Most Heartbreaking Scene
First Nomination:
[spoil]
“I need to go back,” I say to Mother. “I must.”
She sighs wearily. “How many times do I have to tell you? People are no good for you. They pull you out from the wild without a second thought! They don’t listen! Why else do you think I’m not keeping my promise to that excuse for a trainer?” She frowns as she recalls whatever she doesn’t want to think about any more or tell me about.
I shake my head. “Not true. Some may, but not everyone. Not Sally. And I fear that if I don’t go then something bad will happen.”
“Something bad?” she queries suddenly. “Well, that should be none of your concern.”
“What do you mean?” I say back quietly.
“Why, you think you can change the future now?” she says coldly.
“Again? And there’s not much left,” the doctor pointed out as Sam scrolled down.
I watch her sleeping quietly and glance around. The night is still and there’s no wind, and nobody else around. I sigh a bit and then breathe deeply, preparing*
I float through the trees quickly. The grass
chase her through
Hard to breathe. Hurts so much. How could she do that?! My ow...
I hope she is okay. Machoke looks at...I tell them I don’t mean harm...
Heartbeat is so fast I cannot slow it down must help h
Those were the most painful words. Said so quietly, so inn...
What to do?
Sam swore quietly as they failed to find nothing more than more garbled text blocking out the rest of the remaining paragraphs.
“Uh...I guess that is it,” said the doctor, leaning back in his chair. “Pity, I enjoyed reading all that.”[/spoil]
Snapshots by bobandbill
Second Nomination:
[spoil]
You’ve reached Lysandre; leave a message.
"…Lysandre, is something wrong? I don’t understand your Holo Caster message. You sound so fatalistic. It’s not like you. Call me back."
***
You’ve reached Lysandre; leave a message.
"I’m headed to Geosenge as fast as I can. Don’t do anything stupid. Call me back."
***
You’ve reached Lysandre; leave a message.
"Please, for the love of God, call me back. Please don’t be…Just call me back!"
***
You’ve reached Lysandre; leave a message.
"…I guess…I guess that’s it then. That’s what you meant all along, isn’t it? I wish I had known. I wish you had told me… C—…"[/spoil]
Answering Machine by Blackjack Gabbiani
Most Heartwarming Scene
(No nomination)
Best Action Scene
[spoil]An indigo blur erupted from the foliage, snapping branches and ripping vines. It flew, somersaulted and then stopped, floating above the tablet. It tilted its head; a large white bulbous protrusion came from its crown. Huge dark pupils examined Sarah as it levitated, legs crossed.
There was no time for hesitation, Sarah tore forward, clapping her palms on each side of the Pokemon’s head. It reeled back, landing on its feet. The Fake Out technique momentarily stunned the fighting and psychic type Pokemon. It regained its composure and raised its guard.
Kakari looked over at Denny, who was supremely jealous. Meditite is the pre-evolution of Medicham, his dream partner Pokemon.
Both fighters rushed forward, arms and legs colliding in a series of flurries. Open handed strikes and blocks rang out through the clearing. Meditite’s small blue limbs moved quickly. Sarah was beginning to tire, she shuffled back, breaking the confrontation. Meditite sensed the weakness and capitalised, attacking even more furiously than before.
She’s very good. Her circular blocks conserve energy but the Meditite has incredible endurance. She reminds me of someone.
The Pokemon drove Sarah back, step by step, closer to the edge with its onslaught of blows. A stray spinning kick caught her chin, jerking her head around. A smear of blood defiled the tablet. For a moment, it looked as though she was knocked out. The Meditite paused. It stopped attacking and watched the girl descend.
Sarah’s eyes snapped open.
Realising it had been fooled, the Meditite hastily prepared another kick, but Sarah had a plan. She bent both of her knees, took a deep breath and hooked an arm between the Pokemon’s legs. With an exhalation and a grunt she threw the Pokemon, overhead. Meditite landed hard sprawled a few metres away.
“Nice throw…” Denny admitted, getting excited by the contest.
Sensei watched, but wasn’t enthused like Denny.
If you’re so disinterested, why train Senshi? Wait a minute. . .
The Meditite clambered up, Sarah was attacking again, using circular kicks and punches. Now it was Meditite who was on the back foot, always having to block, weave and duck. The Pokemon was getting angry, its eyes glowed bright blue.
A strange force paralysed Sarah’s body, leaving her frozen in mid-kick, her leg awkwardly hanging in the air. The Meditite drew its hand back and struck with a snappy Force Palm that cracked the air. The girl gasped as she was ripped from the psychic bonds and tossed backward, winded by the technique.
The girl wasn’t one to give up. The Meditite charged, a purple aura floating around its hand. It slashed at the defenceless girl, the Psycho Cut forced her bouncing along the tablet until her torso was hanging off the side. She opened her eyes, looking up at the smirking Pokemon approaching. Meditite was ready to finish the fight.
“Get up!” Sensei yelled, suddenly engrossed in the action, “What are you prepared to give for your partner!?”
The girl scrambled to her feet, her entire body heaving. The Meditite jumped, and bent its front knee, preparing for a High Jump Kick. Sarah, tucked her head in and clenched all of her muscles tightly. A faint white light coated her body at the moment of impact. The Meditite slipped around the barrier, landing awkwardly in a pile of leaves. Sarah glanced down at her defeated opponent and breathed a sigh of relief.
Protect! That’s an incredibly difficult technique! Who is this girl?
Sarah had done it; she had secured her partner Pokemon.[/spoil]
The Martial Way by moonlightning
Best Cliffhanger
First Nomination:
[spoil]Shelton stopped her hand inches from the smooth surface of the water.*
She was far enough over the edge of the water that she was able to see her reflection. The face that stared back was not her own. The face she was observing was deeply tanned and the head was closely shaved. Thick black stubble lined the jaw and lips. Shelton reached up and ran a hand across her mouth, feeling the grainy texture of the hair. She blinked several times, trying in vain to convince herself that what she was seeing was an illusion. Her mouth dropped open out of shock and the reflection of Ethan’s did the same. She opened her mouth wider, daring Ethan’s reflection to do the same. It did.
Shelton started screaming.[/spoil]
- End of Chapter 27,
Requiem by Sidewinder
Second Nomination:
[spoil]The poison type’s body compacted low, it’s thick legs taut and ready to explode. Kakari adjusted his assault and moved to sidestep. The attack was faster than the boy could have imagined, the red bladed finger homing in on his face. Kakari butchered his footwork, one leg moving over another in an attempt to block. It took both his arms to wrestle the punch to a stop.
The Toxicroak’s eyes met Kakari’s: Yellow, uncaring eyes.
The Poison Jab sunk into Kakari’s stomach.
Stabbing bolts of pain.
Bright yellow eyes.
Bloody vomit.
I screwed up.[/spoil]
The Martial Way by moonlightning
Most Memorable Quote
[spoil]Not a **** was given that day.[/spoil]
Important Announcement by Psychic
Author Awards
Best Established Writer
First Nomination: Cutlerine
Cutlerine has a knack for clean prose and inventive stories, and with one of the most unique fics published last year, it’s hard
not to nominate them for this place.
Second Nomination: Sidewinder
Let’s face it. If I could nominate Requiem for more awards this year, it would turn up in every effing category. Sidewinder’s one of those rare authors whose fics I keep going back to willingly because he just plain knows how to set up a scene, how to develop characters, and how to build a fantastic, inventive plot. What’s more, he’s taken the canon universe and made it into something new and different and believable without once making something overly dark. So, yes, this time around, I do think Sidewinder deserves a nomination for being a pretty kickass storyteller.
Best New Writer
First Nomination: johno1995
Where the everloving crap did this guy come from?
And where did he go? No, but seriously, here we have a writer responsible for fantastically written script fics that should literally be used as an example for how script fics
should be written. His prose was always wonderfully tight, and his spins on canon were incredibly fun to read.
Second Nomination: Phoenixsong
Skidding in at the tail end of the year is Phoenixsong, who, in the space of her modest little short fic about boys, girls, and video games, managed to capture the characters of the three Kanto protags better and more succinctly than most authors I’ve seen. Here’s to hoping we see more of Phoenixsong in 2014.
Most Dedicated Writer
First Nomination: Knightfall
While Knightfall might not be the quickest at updating, he’s fantastically dedicated to improving and crafting a deep, complicated story. That and his chapters are forty bloody pages long, so he
practically updates with the same amount of content as a weekly author.
Second Nomination: The Great Butler
On a similar note, Butler is
also an author who does not update every week but still is die-hard dedicated to his story. Not only is he one of the fastest-improving authors I’ve ever seen outside of my nominations for this year’s Most Improved Writer, but also, Butler puts in an inordinate amount of thought to the world he tries to create. He’s very responsive to reviews, very quick with an explanation to his thought processes, and very apt to creating side material in order to build a more immersive experience for a reader. With a Butler fic, you know that that baby is going to get finished eventually, and along the way, you’re going to get a glimpse at someone who works himself to the bone to make sure that happens.
Most Improved Writer
Brutaka
Not gonna lie. When I first read Brutaka’s work last year, I ripped him a new one with a list of concrit longer than his actual story. But with a solid year of hard work, he’s come back with a reboot of one of his first fics … and you can certainly tell the difference. He’s shown off his ability to create likable characters, he’s clearly put a lot of thought into the world he’s creating, and he actually knows how to use commas now. No, but seriously, Brutaka’s done a fantastic job at improving himself, and it’s impressive to see the amount of progress he’s made in a short time period.
Reviewer Awards
Most Helpful Reviewer
First Nomination: Praxiteles (
Sample)
Praxiteles has an eye for detail, no doubt about that. He can spot even the most minute issue that the more experienced and well-received authors on the forum encounter. (Here,
have an example involving Cutlerine.) Moreover, when he presents his thoughts on general concepts, he always goes in-depth in a pretty likable and conversational manner, so it
always feels like he has
something to say, even about the changes he’s suggesting. That and it feels like he’s trying to engage you and make you think about what he’s saying, rather than simply pointing something out about your story.
Second Nomination: Dragonfree (
Sample)
Not gonna lie. It was a tough decision this year. There were a
lot of names I could’ve chosen for this category because a
lot of reviewers stepped up their game to help new and improving authors. But what makes Dragonfree stand out in particular is her objectivity. Dragonfree is thorough and to-the-point, even if she likes you, and because of that, it really feels like she’s pushing you to do better and to be a better writer. Just look at how she handles Lost Evolution, a fic by probably one of her favorite authors on this forum. And, really, that’s a refreshing stance to take. It’s
great to see someone who doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind.
Most Dedicated Reviewer
Praxiteles (
Sample)
One of the many reasons why I love Prax is the fact that if he likes you, you can expect him to be one of the first reviewers to every installment you post. And remember how I said he goes in-depth and examines your work to the point where he’s shooting off literary analyses?
He does that every time he reviews.
