EVENT: Writers Workshop Summer Awards 2018 Nomination Thread

[AetherX]

It’s that time of year again! A bunch of the big movies are coming out, school’s on break, and we’ve all locked ourselves in the basement writing fanfiction. Everyone knows the sun is bad for creativity. Except when it’s not. Charles Dickens said that I think. Smart guy.

It’s finally time for the Writers Workshop 2018 Summer Awards! We’ve all read, written, and improved as authors over the past six months. Now it’s time to celebrate and recognize that accomplishment.

So what are the awards and how do they work?

Every summer and winter, we come together as a community to hold a contest to celebrate the diversity and quality of works here in the Writers Workshop. We start right here with the nomination period, where authors can nominate their own works and that of their peers in a variety of different categories covering both stories and characters. Once all the nominations are in, a group of judges will read the stories and decide on winners. You can also nominate each other for the user-voted prizes of Best Newcomer, Best Reviewer, and Best Written Word Contributor.

Winners receive banners and a coveted spot in our Hall of Fame. Everyone who gets nominated will receive reviews from the judges who read their work.

For the guidelines and a list of the categories, click the spoilers below! Please make sure to read this post in full before nominating, even if you are a veteran, as some of our guidelines have changed. Again.

The categories were all revamped this time, so be sure to pay close attention. It’s also worth mentioning that the Hall of Fame will not match perfectly with these new categories until we get that all up to date. If there’s any confusion, then let me know.

Spoiler: Writers Workshop 2018 Summer Awards Categories

STORIES​

BEST JOURNEY FIC:​

Awarded to a captivating Pokémon story that tells a tale of adventure and discovery as characters travel across a region. Nominees can include…

• Traditional “journey fics” based around a badge quest, contests, catching ‘em all, etc.
• Stories that don’t follow the traditional model, but are about traveling around a region for one reason or another.

BEST SPECULATIVE FIC:​

Awarded to a fascinating Pokémon story which takes fantastical and/or futuristic elements to a whole new level. Nominees can include…

• Sci-fi/Fantasy stories.
• Horror stories.
• Utopian and dystopian stories.
• Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic stories.
• Stories revolving around myths, legends, fairy tales, or folktales.
• Stories featuring zombies, vampires, or other non-Pokémon fictional creatures.
• Stories featuring the supernatural and paranormal.
• Stories featuring superheroes among the primary characters.

BEST CHARACTER-DRIVEN FIC:​

Awarded to a compelling Pokémon story in which plots/genres covered in other categories are pushed aside in favor of focusing on the character cast. Nominees can include…

• Stories in which characters are the main driving force in moving the plot forward. In other words, the plot does not move forward of its own accord and dictate a character’s actions as a result.
• Stories in which character development, psychological themes, and/or high emotional stakes take precedence over plot.
• Stories featuring characters struggling mostly with internal rather than external conflicts.
• Slice-of-life stories.
• Romance, friendship, and hurt/comfort stories.

BEST EXPANSION FIC:​

Awarded to an engrossing Pokémon story which builds upon fanon ideas and/or established canon characters and/or concepts. Nominees can include...

• Stories exploring the Pokémon manga, game, and/or anime canons.
• Stories featuring manga, game, and/or anime canon characters as protagonists, antagonists, and/or deuteragonists.
• Stories exploring myths established in canon, such as the creation and life of legendary/mythical Pokémon.
• Stories with a heavy focus on canon teams or organizations (ie., Team Rocket, Silph Co.), even if most or all of the characters belonging to said teams or organizations are original characters.
• Shipping fics between one or more canon characters.
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon fics.
• Stories with a heavy Pokémon worldbuilding focus.
• Spin-off one-shots or stories of an author’s main work. This does not include full sequels or prequels.

BEST CROSSOVER/NON-POKÉMON FIC:​

Awarded to a riveting piece of work which takes a step back from the Pokémon world and brings a different, unique type of tale to the Workshop. Nominees can include…

• Stories about any other fandom that is not Pokémon.
• Crossover stories between the Pokémon fandom and any other fandom.
• Crossover stories between any fandoms that aren’t Pokémon.
• Original fiction stories.
• Original non-fiction works of any kind, such as essays, biographies, memoirs, and more.

BEST ALTERNATE FIC:
​

Awarded to a unique story that tackles experimental story structures and/or cannot be classified in any of the other major categories. Nominees can include, but are not limited to…

• Crackfics, comedy stories, and parodies.
• Metafiction.
• Crime or Mystery stories.
• Pretty much everything else.

Characters​

BEST PROTAGONIST:​

Awarded to a well-crafted lead character who commands the story. Almost every story will have a protagonist; some stories will have multiple protagonists. Nominees can include…

• The character that is either the lead or one of the leads of a story. Usually, they appear in a large portion of the story.
• Characters who make key decisions in the story and are shown experiencing the consequences of said decisions in full. Their decisions also affect the rest of the character cast.
• Characters who are the main driving force of a story’s plot, even in a plot-driven story.
• Viewpoint lead characters or non-viewpoint lead characters.
• Lead characters of any personality or background; a protagonist does not necessarily equal “the good guy” who always does what is right or kind.

BEST DEUTERAGONIST:​

Awarded to a well-written character who livens up a story’s character cast and demand the audience’s attention almost as much as the protagonist does. Nominees can include…

• Supporting/sidekick characters.
• Important characters who appear more than or just as often as the lead character(s), but are not the driving force of the story.
• Characters who exhibits both protagonistic and antagonistic traits at times (ie., rivals).
• Characters who are important in a story with no clear lead character.

BEST ANTAGONIST:​

Awarded to an engaging character who works against other characters and the goals of the plot. Nominees can include…

• Characters whose main role in the story is to provide obstacles for anyone on the character cast to overcome, usually the protagonist.
• Opposite characters of any personality or background; an antagonist does not necessarily equal “the bad guy” who always does what is wrong or malicious.

BEST CHARACTER INTERACTION:​

Awarded to an intriguing pair of characters whose synergy resonates greatly with the audience. Nominees can include…

• Any combination of two characters: protagonists, deuteragonists, antagonists, Pokémon characters, other fictional creature characters, human characters, minor characters, and more.
• Organizations can count as one character (ie., the protagonist and Team Rocket can be nominated together). Characters belonging to that organization won’t be judged on an individual basis, but rather on the function of the organization itself.

USER-VOTED​

BEST NEWCOMER​

Awarded to a first-time Workshop writer who has quickly made their mark as a writer to watch.

• This user must have posted their first piece of work in the Workshop since the previous Awards. Does not apply to users who frequent the Written Word but have not published any work.

BEST REVIEWER​

Awarded to a Workshop user who has written one or a series of helpful, insightful and thoughtful reviews that aids the development of their peers as writers.

• This user must have written a review in the period of time since the previous Awards.

BEST WRITTEN WORD CONTRIBUTOR​

Awarded to a Written Word user who has contributed one or more insightful, interesting, intelligent or humorous thoughts to discussions about writing, fan fiction and literature, or has otherwise been a supportive and helpful member of the community.

• This user must have posted in a thread in the Written Word since the previous Awards.

Spoiler: Writers Workshop 2018 Summer Awards Guidelines

STEP 1: READ every story in the Workshop! Or at least as many as you feel like. Or don’t read at all and just nominate your own work. It’s all acceptable!


STEP 2: PICK your favorite stories, characters, and fellow users, and decide which of the above categories they best fit into. If you’re unsure about where something should go, feel free to ask me in a PM. If your work was nominated by someone else in a category you don’t think it belongs in, the let me know and we can switch it up.

So what’s eligible?

• Stories that have been updated since December 16, 2017 are eligible to be nominated. Characters must have appeared in a story in that time frame to be eligible.
• Self-nominations are allowed for story- and character-based categories, but not user voting categories. We do ask that you nominate at least one character and one story by another author first.
• If you have won four or more Hall of Fame badges or won an award in our 2017 Winter Awards, you must sign up as a judge in order for your work to qualify.
• Stories, characters, and users can be nominated multiple times. It doesn’t change anything, but it’ll make the nominee feel good. And feeling good is better than not.
• A story or character can only be nominated within one category (except for Best Character Interaction, which can overlap). Generally, the author has the final say on which category a story or character belongs in, but the moderators may change categories if the story or character obviously does not belong in the category it was nominated for.
• Given the new category structure, stories and characters may move around between categories when compared to last season. That’s okay! Nominate wherever you think they fit best now.
• A user can only have up to three of their stories nominated and four character category nominations. Any given character category can only have up to two nominations per user. If other people nominating your work put you at the limit, but you’d like to change up stories or characters then shoot me a PM.

STEP 3: NOMINATE by either posting publicly here in this thread or PMing me:

• Title of the story with a link (for story- and character-based awards)
• Name of the character (for character-based awards only)
• Author's username (for story-, character-, and user-based awards)
• Category you want to put the nomination in (for story-, character-, and user-based awards)
• A 1-2 sentence burb about the story, character, or user you're nominating

For those of you returning users that weren’t here last season, we introduced the blurb requirement for nominations. You can provide a summary of the story, explain the role the character plays in the story its in, gush over what you liked about the story/character, tell about how a reviewer offers consistently insightful feedback on stories, anything. Be as specific as you can!

No blurb is necessary for self nominations.

Example:

All current nominations will be kept track of below. I'll try my best to keep this as up to date as possible with both public and PM nominations.

Spoiler: Current nominations

Best Journey Fic
guidance by @Persephone
The Long Walk by @Beth Pavell
Love and Other Nightmares by @diamondpearl876

Best Speculative Fic
Different Eyes by @unrepentantAuthor
spectra by @kintsugi
some rise by sin by @kintsugi
Because You Were There by @Flaze
The Lilting Misdreavus by @Donna Baines

Best Character-Driven Fic
Phantom Project by @diamondpearl876
Dungeons & Dragonite by @kintsugi
Hunter, Haunted by @canisaries
Vivarium by @canisaries

Best Expansion Fic
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Unequivocant by @lucarioknight56
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Guiding Light by @Ambyssin
The Alola Pokédex by @Persephone
Kanto: There and Back Again by @Beth Pavell
Restarting by @Ambyssin

Best Crossover/Non-Pokémon Fic
Any World You Want by @Ghostsoul
The Big Day by @Flaze
A Dragon in Shining Armour by @Griff4815
Less Is More by @Juliko
Echoes in the Dark by @Juliko
United We Stand by @AceTrainer14

Best Alternate Fic
Brotherhood by @Gama
The Deprogramming by @Arkadelphiak
Dreams That You Dreamed by @AceTrainer14
The Missing One by @WanderingKalosan

Best Protagonist
Red Akai from Hunter, Haunted by @canisaries
Pixie from guidance by @Persephone
Salem from Different Eyes by @unrepentantAuthor
Nara from some rise by sin by @kintsugi
Pua Kealoha from Dreams That You Dreamed by @AceTrainer14
Kotone Iwamatsu from The Deprogramming by @Arkadelphiak
Annie Willems from Love and Other Nightmares by @diamondpearl876
Shane from PMD: Guiding Light by @Ambyssin
Lawrence from PMD: Unequivocant by @lucarioknight56

Best Deuteragonist
Cassia from PMD: Unequivocant by @lucarioknight56
Wren from spectra by @kintsugi
Valentina from guidance by @Persephone
Tessa from PMD: Guiding Light by @Ambyssin

Best Antagonist
Arthus Zoroark from PMD: Unequivocant by @lucarioknight56
Joanna from Hunter, Haunted by @canisaries
The Monster from The Deprogramming by @Arkadelphiak

Best Character Interaction
Shane and Tessa from PMD: Guiding Light by @Ambyssin
Cassia and Arthus from PMD: Unequivocant by @lucarioknight56
Nara and Silver from some rise by sin by @kintsugi
Pua and Leilani from Dreams That You Dreamed by @AceTrainer14
Josh and Eve from The Long Walk by @Beth Pavell
Wren and Vi from spectra by @kintsugi
Salem and any human character in Different Eyes by @unrepentantAuthor
Red Akai & Helix from Seiren by @canisaries

Best Newcomer
@Ambyssin
@WanderingKalosan

Best Reviewer
@Ambyssin
@kintsugi
@Beth Pavell
@diamondpearl876
@unrepentantAuthor
@Misfit Angel

Best Written Word Contributor
@unrepentantAuthor
@canisaries
@Misfit Angel
@WanderingKalosan

If you do NOT want your stories or characters (or self) nominated for an award, send me a PM and I will add you to the following list. This is also where I will add any fic, character, or user that is ineligible for the awards for one reason or another.

Spoiler: Ineligible entrants

All stories and characters by @AetherX
All stories and characters by @Misfit Angel
All stories and characters by @Sike Saner
@Persephone as Best Reviewer
saffron gods by @kintsugi

Interested in being a judge? Send me a PM! You’ll be required to read a couple stories, provide feedback, and participate in discussions to choose the winner over the course of a few weeks. It’s a grand old time.

I’m giving you two whole weeks to nominate and update your stories for eligibility (and for me to track down judges). This thread will close (around) 11:59 PM PST on July 7. Any chapters posted after that will not be considered in judging. Feel free to PM me or post here if you have any questions or concerns.

 

[lucarioknight56]

I guess I'll be the first one to post my nominations. There are sure a lot of alternate fics up for the running in my book, so excuse the sheer number I put into the pot--or if they belong in another category, make sure to change it.

Best Expansion: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Guiding Light by @Ambyssin

PMD: Guiding Light is one of the best-written PMD stories I've read in a long time. With memorable characters and well-written action scenes, alongside a great plot, this shapes up to be one of the better stories to read.

Best Alternate: Brotherhood by @Gama

An interesting premise with an up-and-coming trainer having his Pokemon stolen from him, Brotherhood is one of the few Crime/Mystery fics I've read here, and it has so far kept me wanting more. attention.

Best Alternate: Different Eyes by @unrepentantAuthor

unrepentantAuthor has so far written an intriguing tale about a Purrloin who wishes to become human. With a realistic world and great setup for character development, Different Eyes is surely in the running for Best Alternate.

Best Alternate: Hunter, Haunted by @canisaries

Hunter, Haunted was completed a little while back, and I think that with a new season, it may just win with its murderous protagonist and his torment by a ghost.

Best Alternate: guidance by @Persephone

Guidance is unusual in that it is from a Pokemon's perspective--in second-person view at that! Persephone uses this form of writing very well, and adds in her own unique flair throughout the story as well!

Best Character Interaction: Shane and Tessa from PMD: Guiding Light by @Ambyssin

Shane the Vulpix and Tessa the Riolu are fine characters on their own, but when you put them together, they become a laughable and lovely pair!

 

[kintsugi]

I have many many desired nominations, but at the risk of accidentally putting someone’s story in the wrong category, I’ll wait a little bit on those. Getting the ball rolling though:

Best Expansion: The Alola Pokédex by @Persephone
This is a fic that made me believe that there really could exist a species whose peak physical form shoots fire out of its crotch. Imaginative and impeccably well-researched, this is basically the Pokédex meets National Geographic.

 

[Ambyssin]

Right, so I've, uh, never done this here. I'm going to try my best, here, but if I'm not following the rules, then someone should kindly tell me where I mucked up, as it'd be most appreciated. Likewise, if an author would prefer any of my nominations to be in a different category or outright removed, just let me know whatever way you're most comfortable (here, PMs, Discord, carrier pigeonetc.). I'm going to start out with stuff that hasn't been brought up yet, but I'm sure I'll end up seconding some nominations later.

Best Speculative: spectra by @kintsugi
Tying together a world's collide type of situation with a post-apocalyptic setting and some cosmic/supernatural phenomenon, this story uses a variety of different perspectives to tell an interesting tale about the nature of human spirit. It's got a cast of very jaded characters who play their roles nicely, making some of the shocking swerves hit hard.

Best Protagonist: Pixie from guidance by @Persephone
Pixie's perspective is the one we predominantly see in action throughout guidance. Persphone pulls off the second-person voice well and does so in a convincing way that makes you feel like you're really inside an alolan vulpix's mind. Pixie has pretty strong traits put on display, but some clear flaws and struggles that set her up for a lot of development in the future.

Best Protagonist: Salem from Different Eyes by @unrepentantAuthor
Salem is a purrloin who wishes she could be a human. Simple premise on paper, sure, but there's a remarkable amount of complexity involved in her character. In the story thus far, we've seen the limits of Salem's mind in action as she's struggled comprehending things going on around her, really making you feel for her desire to want to be something bigger than she what she currently is.

Best Reviewer: @kintsugi
From what I've gotten to experience, kintsugi does a good job balancing different elements of a review. There are criticisms both large and small, but never given so harshly to feel demoralizing. She'll praise things she thought were done well. And she's not afraid to post some sillier stuff too, which I think is refreshing.

Best Written Word Contributor: @canisaries
I've seen canis in a wide variety of topics, offering up things both serious (the "Writing Mentally Ill Characters" thread) and humorous (the "What if your characters read your story?" thread). She's posed questions that have sparked up some discussion. And, of course, there's the artistic-related stuff (the banners thread, Pokémon realism thread), too!

 

[Arkadelphiak]

Oh boi, gonna redo my nominations post (with more to come). Follow the rules, kids, or Aether will come for your soul. 10/10.

Best Character-Driven: Phantom Project by @diamondpearl876
One might say that Phantom Project is an unintentional meme-fest (ripperoni Senori), but at its core, it's a poignant look at loss and mental illness. And D E M E N T I A

Best Character-Driven: Dungeons & Dragonite by @kintsugi
Once again, we've struck gold with a kintsugi story. It's unorthodox (in comparison to the rest of the WW stories), and yet, it works. I'm not well-versed in D&D, but it's easy to jump into the edgy fighting goodness with River and Vince.

 

[Ghostsoul]

Best Alternate Fic: The Deprogramming by @Arkadelphiak
Getting stuck in a game causes too much bad shit to happen. Apparently, bad eggs can turn into yandere and an NPC names you after a god of chaos and tries to fall in love with you. Would not like this to happen to me.

Best Character-Driven Fic: Dreams That You Dreamed by @AceTrainer14
An interesting romance story with some themes that highlight different real life issues without feeling too forced and also unique in the process.

Best Journey Fic: Guidance by @Persephone
A very original look at the idea of a 'Pokemon Protagonist' with a lesser chosen point of narrative. The detailed worldbuilding and character development also makes it a delight to follow and to read and certainly stands out against a lot of other pokemon narrated fanfiction I've read.

Best Non-Poke Fic: Any World You Want by @Ghostsoul
Humans turn into countries and battle improbably monsters beyond our reality - simple premise really.

 

[diamondpearl876]

If your story is nominated here in the wrong spot, just let me know. Authors know their work best, after all, and it's only natural things can fit in more than one category.

BEST JOURNEY

The Long Walk by @Beth Pavell

TLW is the tale of two young adults looking for a fresh new start as they trek through the author's rendition of a British Johto. You can't help but get immersed in the worldbuilding and hope the main characters can find some sort of contentment in their lives.

BEST SPECULATIVE

some rise by sin by @kintsugi

Here's a darn good dystopian story where Team Rocket's in control and you've got one person against the world. Except that one person may or may not be who she thinks she is. Shit, man. What do you do when no one around you seems trustworthy, least of all yourself?

spectra by @kintsugi

A post-apocalyptic fic which gives us a look into the minds of people trying to live in peace and people trying to take advantage of peoples' hopelessness. kintsugi, in short, grips your heart and doesn't let go with this fic.

Because You Were There by @Flaze

A mecha fic set in a time of war and turmoil thanks to the Ultra Beasts, plus told from the POV of an umbreon who wants to help make things better but can't seem to figure out what to do. Certainly a unique piece worth checking out.

BEST CHARACTER-DRIVEN

Restarting by @Ambyssin

Well, I love me some Gladion fic, first of all, and Amby here portrays Gladion's struggle with running away and burning bridges extremely well

BEST EXPANSION

Kanto: There and Back Again by @Beth Pavell

Pavell takes the world of pokémon, specifically in Kanto, and expands on it so well it just feels real. It's an added bonus its written in the form of a travelogue, adding to the journey aspect that lies at the heart of the franchise.

BEST NON-POKEMON

The Big Day by @Flaze

A Little Witch Academia one-shot in which the character cast has just overcome a huge evil, and now, Akko, the main character, has to overcome a personal one: learning how to fly like a real witch, a feat she's not been able to accomplish before now. A heartfelt fic showing just how motivational friendship can be.

A Dragon in Shining Armour by @Griff4815

Digimon?! On my pokémon forum?! This fic features Examon and his induction into the Royal Knights, a group of Digimon set out to protect people. Examon's the one left out, though, having the body of a dragon rather than a humanoid... not to mention some other secrets that seem to be plaguing the group... Griff portrays the struggle of societal demands and politics rather well.

Less Is More by @Juliko

A Doki Doki Literature Club one-shot where the narrator struggles to write a poem. The look into another person's writing process in fic form is a treat.

BEST ALTERNATE

The Missing One by @WanderingKalosan

WK delivers an interesting short fic revolving around a mystery kept secret by a high society family falling apart at the seams. Would recommend.

BEST PROTAGONIST

Nara from some rise by sin by @kintsugi

Nara's the one against the world I mentioned. She's clearly not cut out for it, but that's part of what makes the dynamic between her and the dystopia world so interesting.

Pua Kealoha from Dreams That You Dreamed by @AceTrainer14

Pua's young and stubborn and hilarious and reckless. At the heart of all that, he just wants some independence in his life. AT14 nails the coming-of-age struggles damn well.

Kotone Iwamatsu from The Deprogramming by @Arkadelphiak

It's hard to describe Kotone in a few words, and that's a good thing. It means she's nuanced. It means she feels real. 10/10 would recommend such shitpost personification.

BEST DEUTERAGONIST

Wren from spectra by @kintsugi

Wren doesn't take shit from anybody. The one she loved now gone, she finds no reason to be kind to anyone and does what she needs to to survive, nothing more. But her character development is solid with her learning to trust again.

Valentina from guidance by @Persephone

Valentina's in an interesting predicament. She's an immigrant who ended up in a foreign land unexpectedly, and she's one of the stars on a show featuring trainers traversing the gym circuit. That, combined with her disability, makes for a character whose resilience is fascinating to read about and root for.

BEST ANTAGONIST

Joanna from Hunter, Haunted by @canisaries

Joanna's presence throughout the fic is rather confusing, but it's meant to be. Is she still alive? Is she dead yet? Is she an illusion? All questions that torment the protagonist and drive forward this psychological thriller.

Silver from some rise by sin by @kintsugi

Silver and Nara are on the road to being friends. Sort of it. But it's complicated. Silver's the son of Giovanni, Team Rocket's leader, after all... and Team Rocket's in complete power. Silver does nothing but cause further problems for Nara as a result, and is it even genuine? We don't know yet. Good stuff.

The Monster from The Deprogramming by @Arkadelphiak

We know a lot more about the monster now - where it came from and how. Plus why it wants revenge on Kotone despite having some affection for her. It's a complicated thing, and I love it.

BEST CHARACTER INTERACTION

Nara and Silver from some rise by sin by @kintsugi

It's the whole Team Rocket team Nara's working again, but Silver's the one prominent/recurring character. Are they friends? Enemies? Some weird mix of the two? Reading them is like trying to figure out a puzzle, and I can appreciate a fic that makes me think.

Pua and Leilani from Dreams That You Dreamed by @AceTrainer14

These two lil shits are adorable together. They might make an innuendo joke anytime they get a chance, but deep down, they understand each other, and they don't need words to show it. That's what real friendship is.

Wren and Vi from spectra by @kintsugi

I mentioned Wren's character development elsewhere, and Vi's a huge driving force with it. Vi helps Wren remember why kindness is a thing and why it matters. They fuck up along the way, and Vi's not totally happy by the end, but Wren reaches a kind of peace with herself and hopes post-story to be the same for Vi.

Josh and Eve from The Long Walk by @Beth Pavell

I may say I ship it all the time, but that's not really what I care about. They understand each other, complement each other, and call each other out when they're being unreasonable, then come out all the better for it.

BEST REVIEWER

@unrepentantAuthor

uA's thorough, helpful, kind, and willing to talk and help outside of reviews. All I gotta say is I'm glad he came back to us.

@Misfit Angel

MA covers a lot of styles in her reviews. There's something for everyone in each of them, but really, I love all the bits. Helps me to see things from a broader perspective while still getting a sense of individual sentences/character quirks/etc she really enjoyed. Review moar pls.

@Ambyssin

I like Amby's reviews because I can see exactly what thought process he was having when reading fics, and there's really no better way to show you're engaged than that.

BEST NEWCOMER

@Ambyssin

Thanks, bb, for giving the WW a chance. I hope you've enjoyed it here. ;o; Prolific writer, prolific reviewer, always a treat to have in conversations both on the forums and Discord.

BEST WRITTEN WORD CONTRIBUTOR

@Misfit Angel

MA's really outdone herself this season, and not just for mod stuff. Her insight into writing convos is always invaluable, and lately, she's been reviewing more, holding events for us, helping out fellow authors every chance she gets, and so on. There are no words for my gratitude.

@unrepentantAuthor

I'm glad he came back. Seriously. I mean, he'd be awesome without all the stuff he does around the WW, but he still does a lot and I think deserves some recognition for it. From reviewing a plethora of fics to helping create a supportive environment in #writing to ensuring activity happens in the Written Word, he does it all.

 

[AetherX]

Thanks for everyone's nominations! The OP should be up to date. Let me know if you see any discrepancies. Keep 'em coming. Only a few days left to go...

@diamondpearl876 You nominated @kintsugi five times in character categories. Only four nominations are allowed. I cut out Wren and Vi even though I love them D: Could one of you let me know which four you'd like?

 

[diamondpearl876]

Thanks for everyone's nominations! The OP should be up to date. Let me know if you see any discrepancies. Keep 'em coming. Only a few days left to go...

@diamondpearl876 You nominated @kintsugi five times in character categories. Only four nominations are allowed. I cut out Wren and Vi even though I love them D: Could one of you let me know which four you'd like?

Oh, my bad. xD I'd personally choose to remove Silver from antagonist, then, though kintsugi might have other thoughts ofc

 

[kintsugi]

Oh, my bad. xD I'd personally choose to remove Silver from antagonist, then, though kintsugi might have other thoughts ofc

Unless I smash through the Azalea arc in the next three days, Silver actually isn’t eligible (hasn’t appeared in a chapter since December LMAO), so taking him out seems like the best course of action, heh.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

I'm touched by the lovely things people have said about me and my work! Thank you, all. I've been hesitant to nominate anything or anyone due to not having read every last scrap of text on the forum, but I'll be sure to post some nominations by the deadline, and this post is a commitment to do so.

 

[WanderingKalosan]

So, most of this has already been nominated - I know. I thought of nominations and realized, half of the stuff I am reading is either archived already, or it is exclusive to serebii forums, hence not eligable. Still, I wanted to acknowledge the ones that are, which would be...:

Best Speculative Fic - Different Eyes by @unrepentantAuthor
This is tricky. I fell love with it because of the first act deals with existential questions and non-human psychology (and philosophy) while being told from POV of a cat. I-I mean, a purrloin! Y-yeah...
Anyway, this is a fic about morphs (human-pokémon hybrids) - a genre I didn't even knew existed before this, but then again I am a fanfic n00b. This means it will inevitably become a bit more action oriented sooner or later. Not sure how that will turn out but I sure love exploring thoughts and adventures of a cat purrloin, who decided to become a human! Great read so far.

Best Expansion Fic - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Unequivocant by @lucarioknight56
To be honest I feel like this one would better fit to Journey fic category, but whatever.
This is a beautifully detailed world based on idea of PMD games which is witnessed (and journeyed through) by a bunch of colorful characters who share a common goal of fighting a great evil force, but for different reasons and with their own demons to confront. The fact it has this mystery vibe and some twists up its sleeve nets it bonus points and approval from me.

Best Protagonist:
Salem from Different Eyes by @unrepentantAuthor
A Pokémon protagonist in human-oriented universe, who is about to have their dreams come true at a price of learning to Be Careful What You Wish For... I mean, what is there not to like, or not to be intriguing?

Lawrence from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Unequivocant by @lucarioknight56
Most readers are probably more interested in Cassia, the more cool, powerful deuteragonist ACTION GIRL! on a quest to stop the great evil. But I liked Lawrence for being such a lovable loser who does try hard to do the right thing, but stumbles a lot, has his doubts and actually sucks at fighting simply because he is fish out of water character (I am putting this mildly - if you know PMD you know what I am hitting at, only here it is done with a bit more realistic touch). Let's be honest, that is exactly what most of us would end up like if PMD was the reality. I am honestly rooting for this guy, despite his many flaws (note I am only halfway through the story atm despite the story being near-complete... and given the presence of twist/s the character might evolve in any way).

Best Character Interaction - Salem and any human character in Different Eyes by @unrepentantAuthor
I know the idea in this category is a dynamic between two characters, but I honestly cannot fit this anywhere else and it does kinda belong here. It is hard to tell. @AetherX feel free to remove or alter this if necessary.
I like how in Different Eyes we get more pokémon/animal vs human echanges and dialogue - more than pokémon/pokémon and human/human which you normally see. It leads to some very cute moments where characters have "a convesration" with the protagonist "maiwing in agreement" instead of "nodding her head in approval" if they were human.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Back like I said I'd be, to do a little nomination! Hope I've got everything right, @AetherX.

-

Best Written Word Contributor: @WanderingKalosan
WK is a friendly, active presence in the forum community, he's always about in the Discord writing channel to socialise or to talk shop, he's put a lot of time into humouring my writing-related introspection and he is always prepared to provide a valuable dissenting opinion. He deserves consideration for this category

Best Newcomer: @WanderingKalosan
WK has made the notable achievement of completing a multi-part fanfic and archiving in between posting his work for the first time and the first awards season for which he is eligible. His seriousness about leaving stories in a finished state is admirable! (And the also-wonderful @Ambyssin deserves a contest in this category!)

Best Character-Driven Fic: Vivarium by @canisaries
I beta'd this oneshot and it was my introduction to Canis' dark and characterful work. Vivarium is a self-contained personal nightmare for a nightmare of a character, and does a great job of making that character at once unambiguously monstrous and yet capable of eliciting sympathy in the reader.

Best Character Interaction: Red Akai & Helix from Seiren by @canisaries
The bond of devotion between the molluscan avatar of an dark eldritch god and his murderous yandere human servant is just about the weirdest pairing I've seen on the WW so far, and yet it's somehow undoubtedly one of the most compelling. Also features in other work by Canis.

-

Pretty much everything/everyone else I would have mentioned has already been nominated, but great job everyone, I would have nominated some of those fics and folks for sure! Good luck to @diamondpearl876, @kintsugi, @Gama, @Ambyssin, @Misfit Angel, @Beth Pavell, and to everyone else whose work or contributions I'm less familiar with! Thanks again to those lovely people who've nominated me and my work, even if I win nothing this season I'm delighted to read your kind words in advocacy of me.

 

[AetherX]

Best Character Interaction - Salem and any human character in Different Eyes by @unrepentantAuthor
I know the idea in this category is a dynamic between two characters, but I honestly cannot fit this anywhere else and it does kinda belong here. It is hard to tell. @AetherX feel free to remove or alter this if necessary.
I like how in Different Eyes we get more pokémon/animal vs human echanges and dialogue - more than pokémon/pokémon and human/human which you normally see. It leads to some very cute moments where characters have "a convesration" with the protagonist "maiwing in agreement" instead of "nodding her head in approval" if they were human.

I'll accept it! If you can explain why you like it then I think that will be enough to judge on.

OP should be updated. I've already fixed a couple mistakes. Let me know if you guys see any more. One more day to go, keep them coming!

 

[Misfit Angel]

May as well get mine in. My dearth of story/character nominations stem from being a bit too busy to read as much as I'd like, so I'll just move onto user categories:

Best Reviewer: @diamondpearl876
This lady is a fucking machine. I've lost count of how many stories she keeps up with and actively reviews, which probably says a lot. And it's not just quantity, it's quality, too: her reviews are often deep, insightful and helpful, while carrying a sufficient quantity of humor and sass to make just about any author happy with her feedback.

Best Reviewer: @Beth Pavell
This one's also a bit of a machine. Not only does he keep up with a large selection of stories and give them feedback, he also gives new stories and authors a chance on a regular basis. Likewise, quality is also in his reviews: personally speaking, they've been helpful in identifying problems with plot, pacing and characters, and I feel like he deserves some recognition for his continued efforts.

Best Newcomer: @Ambyssin
I don't need to say anything, we're all thinking it So, Ambyssin has joined us in the Workshop since the last awards were held and already he feels like an integral part of the community that's been here for years. He's made new friends along the way and kept up with several stories while balancing his own well-written work. I think it's safe to say that every box is ticked when it comes to picking out a favorite newcomer.

I might have more nominations by the deadline, but I don't know. Gotta do some more thought.