My Judges helped me finalize the Category list, and we've broken it into three areas of interest: Character Categories, Genre Categories, and Overall Categories
Nominations are private, so PM them to me and me only, no one's nominations will be revealed. Nominate as many as you like for as many categories as you like, just please, try to do it all in one message. Make the subject of the PM "Outsidey Nominations" so that they're easy to sort and to find. Yes, you may nominate yourself. You may nominate more than one person for each category if you like! To make a nomination, send the PM as has been outlined, list them like so:
Character Category::Nomination::Story::Author
Genre Category::Nomination::Author
Overall Category::Nomination::Author
I would like to have 5 (or at least 3) nominations for each category. Nominations close on Sunday Evening, March 9, 9pm GMT -6. I will then narrow choices down to the top 5 for each category and post nominees with further instructions.
Definitions:
In the tradition of storycrafting, storytelling, theatre... we're gonna slightly redefine some 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. Okay, other definitions. Serial will be anything of 9 parts or more. Episodic will be anything presented in pieces, for whatever reason, that you MUST read the prior parts to understand everything in the next parts in the order that is given -- does not have to be chronological. Protagonist is the person the story focuses on -- doesn't have to be a good guy or a bad guy.
Character Categories
- Best Humorous Protagonist - Doesn't matter what kind of story, some characters are there to be funny
- Best Dramatic Protagonist - Good or bad, there are some characters that seem to evoke emotional responses with whatever they do
- Best Supporting Humourous Character - The funny non-main character
- Best Supporting Dramatic Character - The serious non-main character
- Best Supporting Character in a Humourous Piece - Best non-main character in a funny story
- Best Supporting Character in a Dramatic Piece - Best non-main character in a serious story
- Best Character - Simply put: Who is your favorite character?
- Best Villain[ess] - The BAD guy
- Most Humourous Villain[ess] - The FUNNY bad guy
- Most Appalling Villain[ess] - The bad guy whose very name in print makes you cringe
Genre Categories
- Best Illustrated Story - More than just title graphic, the pictures are used to forward the story
- Best Comic / Cartoon - More than illustrated, the story IS the pictures, the words just define it a bit better
- Best True Story - Biographical, autobiographical, or recap of big news
- Best TS Post-Op Story - In the days after or years later
- Best Fantasy - Magic and medieval, or what is simply fantasized about
- Best Fanfiction - Whether from mainstream or from another author's work
- Best Science Fiction - High-tech and futuristic, or with super-science for the time [SteamPunk counts here]
- Best Drama - Whether the interactions or the situations, that which moves you emotionally
- Best Humorous Tragedy - Funny with a Not-So-Happy Endingâ„¢
- Best Dignified Tragedy - Serious with a Not-So-Happy Endingâ„¢
- Best Tragedy - Anything with a Not-So-Happy Endingâ„¢
- Best Humorous Comedy - Funny with a Happy Endingâ„¢
- Best Dignified Comedy - Serious with a Happy Endingâ„¢
- Best Comedy - Anything with a Happy Endingâ„¢
- Best T[w]een Comedy - Protagonist aged 11 to 19 with a Happy Endingâ„¢
Overall Categories
- Most Enthralling Author - When you just can't stop until you're finished reading
- Most Humourous Author - When you laugh so hard you cry
- Most Anticipated Author - Who you check the site for on a regular basis
- Best Shorty-Short - 1 - 750 Words
- Best Short Short - 751 - 2,500 Words
- Best Short - 2,501 - 7,500 Words
- Best Novella - 7,501 - 17,500 Words
- Best Novelette - 17,501 - 40,000 Words
- Best Novel - 40,000+ Words
- Best Collaboration - 2 or more authors
- Best Concept - Idea for a story or world setting
- Best Execution of Concept - The author's own or a shared universe
- Best Comment - Humorous, poignant, one-liner, dismissal -- best
- Best Blog - Humorous, poignant, rant, dissertation -- best
- Best One-Shot - One part, stand-alone, from comics to shorty-shorts to novels [Note, some series episodes could fit this]
- Best Closed Serial - The last part has been posted
- Best Ongoing Serial - Currently still open
- Best Unfinished Serial - Currently still open, no new parts posted for at least 91 days [13 weeks]
- Best Non-Episodic Serial - Each part can be read individually, or out of order, or only read one part, and it still make sense
- Best Soap Serial - Must be at least 25 parts long, and Episodic
- Best Serial - Open, Closed, Unfinished, any
- Best Sequel or Prequel - Written as a prelude or follow-up to another story or serial
- Best Piece - The Top Award
- Best Author - The Other Top Award
- Hall of Fame Inductee - Judges Choice and Definiton, but feel free to nominate story or author
50 Total Categories, for what I think will be a lot of fun. I don't yet know how long judging will take, but I suspect it'll be a couple of weeks at least.
Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Wasn't it Jim Henson who said, "Without faith, I am nothing," after all? Wait, no, that was God. Sorry, common mistake...
Comments
Awards Gala
What *I* wanna know is, is there gonna be a red carpet event?? Paparazzi? Reportage? Best and Bestest Dressed commentaries? After-Awards parties??!
LOL
Michelle
well..
... then Dah-veed can be host and hostess all rolled into one... but given local sensibilities, more hostess I think
Kristina
blatant plug
Thanks for the plug, Kristina! (Kristina is making a reference to my story Oscar Night, in case you didn't know. She has commented on nearly every chapter, and probably knows it better than I do.)
I have a slightly used pastel drawing of Oscar in an evening gown if the Outsideys are looking for a logo, although I suppose the ideal symbol would be a gold statuette in the likeness of C. Thomas Howell, a task that's beyond my Photoshop skills.
If nothing else...
If nothing else, Edeyn, it should generate an awsome reading list!
Sarah Lynn
Lot's of Categories
Though you have already discussed these categories with your outsiders, it seems that unless there are stories that are nominated many times, it will result in a tremendous amount of work for them and yourself.
They read fast :)
All of them are the types that can finish a 300-400 page novel in 3-4 hours. I don't think it's gonna be all that bad. *grin* besides, they asked for it!
I picture them doing warmups
I see them reading War And Peace backwards and forwards, like doing laps.
The thing is...
These are the only people I know that can stand a chance to keep up with me in a read-a-thon -- I use pattern recognition (thanks to 5 years of dyslexia classes) and zip through books FAST.
Example: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (HP 5)
870 Pages
5 hours 41 minutes
Speed and Judging
Honestly, I am not trying to come across as an opponent to this idea; however, I do have concerns. The first you dealt with, though it in turn raised another. That being, if this will be a speed read-a-thon, how good of job can be done on the judging? How can the judges keep stories, characters, and so forth separated, specially with the common themes existing within this genre.
I cannot escape the feeling that a smaller scope would be better for both the judges and the stories being judged. However, part of dreaming big is proving the questioners wrong. So I offer you and your colleagues good wishes in your endeavor.
Why is it...
that the assumption is always that the faster you read the less you comprehend, when really... with the exception of the 80s "speedreading" courses, the opposite is true.
As I said, I read VERY fast -- and my retention percentage is in the high 90s. Most who read fast comprehend and remember more than those who struggle with the material.
there is perhaps
a difference between assimilating content and reading.
No, you have it all wrong ...I think
Assimilating is what the Borg do, a bit like Walmart or Starbucks but on a bigger scale.
I can read fairly fast but I tend to want to savor a good book slowly. Plus I'm terrible about skipping ahead to the end. Sometimes I skim read a large part of a book back to front.
John in Wauwatosa
P.S. Farve, why oh why!?
John in Wauwatosa
Never ending stories
In the last twenty five years I've owned several copies of 'Heart of Darkness', and although I've reached the end many times I still don't think I can say that I've read it... each time I pick it up I discover something new. The same goes for 'David Copperfield', 'The Mayor of Casterbridge', 'Chronicle of a Death Foretold' and quite a few others. Sometimes the words stop you in your tracks, make you look closer, wonder at how they work or consider their nuance.
That said, I've skimmed through to the end of some stinkers just to get closure :)
And the nominees are:
Edeyn,
Will you post all the nominees, or just the final choices?
Kaleigh
When I post them
I plan on posting just the finalists for each category. That's going to be a long list as it is. But if anyone wants to see ALL the nominees, I can email them a text file. Drop your email address in my PM Inbox, and let me know you'd like that.