I have... a cunning plan. It's so cunning you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel. It's so cunning it could... er... enough stealing lines from Rowan Atkinson. I have... an idea!
I want to have an awards "show" of sorts. The "Academy" for these awards will be Outsiders. That is, those that aren't a part of the TG community. I already have volunteers.
Here's how it'll work:
We have the categories, and people suggest nominees for each category. I'll look at which nominees have the most votes for nomination for each category and narrow it down to 5 (or 3 if there's not a lot of different choices) for each category. I then compile an excerpt "reel" for each category and pass these on to my seven "members of the Academy" and they read them, and make decisions as to their favorites. The idea is to have folks that don't read TG Fic to judge these pieces.
The winner in each category will get a custom graphic trophy "Outsidey" I'm designing for the occasion - 250 x 250 pixels.
Authors may veto being nominated. I'll post the nominees list for three days before I finalize it, to give that chance.
Categories I've thought of already:
- Best Short Piece (750 words or less) -- Not a part of a series, and short
- Best Piece -- Not a part of a series and any length
- Best Ongoing Series -- Currently open series, that is, anything with more than one part that is still having parts posted
- Best Closed Series -- Series that's been ended
- Best Illustrated Story -- We're talking about more than just a chapter head graphic, something where the picture(s) help with the spinning of the tale
And now I need category suggestions! I won't promise to use all suggestions, but I want more than what I've got. When I'm satisfied with the categories, I'll post them and open up for nominations.
Edit:
In the tradition of storycrafting, storytelling, theatre... we're gonna slightly redefine stuff. Classically, there are only two categories - Comedy & Tragedy. Tragedy the Protagonist dies, and Comedy the Protagonist lives. In the following list, "Comedy" refers to something with a happy ending - the Protagonist not only lives, but things go well for her or him. "Tragedy" will be a not-so-happy ending -- not necessarily death, but things don't end up in the best way for the Protagonist.
Oh, and please please please please please please please(!) leave your suggestions here and not in my already-overstuffed inbox! :)
Suggested Categories
- Best T[w]een Comedy Piece -- Protagonist between 11 and 19
- Best TS Post-Op Piece
- Best Tragedy Piece
- Most Enthralling Author
- Most Humourous Author
- Most Anticipated Author
- Best Collaborative Piece
- Best Long Piece -- Minimum of 20,000 words
- Best Novel Piece -- must be noted as a novel, whether serialized or one-chunk - if serialized, cannot be in both serial and novel categories
- Best Comic / Cartoon Piece -- More than illustrated, the pictures are the story! One shots and comic-bookish pieces go here
- Most Humourous Comment
- Most Humorous Blog
- Most Poignant Comment
- Most Poignant Blog
- Best Fantasy
- Best Sci-Fi
- Best Drama
- Best Horror
- Best Humorous Piece
- Best Serious Piece
- Best Overall Piece -- any type, any length
- Best One-Shot -- Comics, cartoons, and one-shot stories. If it has more than one part or a sequel or a prequel... it doesn't get to go here
- Best Soap Serial
- Best Concept
- Best Execution -- as in carrying out purpose, not killing someone
- Best Humourous Character
- Best Dramatic Character
- Best Supporting Humourous Character
- Best Supporting Dramatic Character
- Best Supporting Character in a Humourous Piece
- Best Supporting Character in a Dramatic Piece
- Best Character
- Best Villain(ess)
- Most Humourous Villain(ess)
- Most Appalling Villain(ess)
- Best Author
Comments
Another group
Dear edeyn,
AS I am not a writer and fairly new as a reader I feel a little unsure of what type of cathegory I might be allowed to suggest. But after reading so many different types of stries for the last 10 years, or so, I would like to see two categories added to your list. I cannot really think of names for them. I'll leave that to you, but the content should be the following
Type 1: A fairly calm story with much of the feelings that a teenager, undergoing a standard trasition expereinece. A story that can be supporting and educational for those who are on their way into the great changes in everyday life that they can exxpect to have. Perhaps not as spectacular as those we have, but perhaps closer to the everyday life than many of the stories I have read so far.
Tpye 2: The life postop for transsexual persons. I think I have once readsomthing like "Xxx goes to finishing school" or similar, that handled tis subject (I have forgot the name of the main person in that story)
For both I think the length might not be that essential, but I would like them to be from 20 pages and up
Good Idea with this type of stimulation for all our good writers
Best wishes
Ginnie
GinnieG
And the wiener is...
Cool idea!
How about content/genre awards? Best fantasy? Best sci-fi? Best comedy? Best soap? Another thought is Best character?
And, of course, Best of all? (as in, Best Picture of the Year, kinda?)
Michelle
How about
best comic piece and best serious piece? And why not one for best blog? Could even go for funniest comment - on my stuff the comments are usually better than the stories, unless you have one for best crap!
Angharad
Angharad
Short Stories, Novels and Cartoons
Nice project, Edeyn. Once the Outies are awarded, maybe we can work on some Innies. :)
Some notes:
Cartoons, some of mine and some of Heather's are sometimes one-shot things, not sure how they fit in your divisions.
Also, Novels may be serialized or posted all at once, which in your system would have them competing with true serials in one division and with short stories in another, depending on how they were posted.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
A brief but heartfelt response
No
Karen J.
"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose"
Janis Joplin
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
(No subject)
(I put this in the wrong place, oh well)
Edeyn, your initiative amazes me.
If those readers keep diaries, I'd like to read them.
What exactly
are you responding to? Are you trying to tell me I'm not allowed to do this? Are you refusing to suggest categories? Or are you just trying to be enigmatic?
It's just a guess but ...
If it is Karen_J you are responding to, I thought I knew why she said *no* but now I'm not sure. My danged wonky Curry BrainTM is overheating. But then Karen is a Texan and them thar folks are a maght pequliar, I recun, yup! Weasles Ouiscosinites is alright, you betscha!Oddly enough Paula_D is also a Texan. Wow, when I saw where Paula_D lives -- the city -- you two are sort of neighbors, by Texas standards. You know, come within a hundred or two miles of it.
Back to the idea of the awards, with awards there is always the risk of too few or too many. Too few and worthwhile stories don't get their due. Too many and you have the Grammy Awards.
A nice idea in concept, the Devil is in the details. Good luck, I don't envy you.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
No to What?
Is Karen saying that she doesn't want to be nominated in any of the myriad of categories?
laurenD
What about...
A category for fanfics?
Never let it be said that I don't enjoy the occasional delusion of grandeur
Never let it be said that I don't enjoy the occasional delusion of grandeur