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Yeah, I can hear it now: “That LeatherGirl must’ve felt the need to write a fanfic again cause this sure is reaching the lengths of one!” Sorry, I’ve had a lot on my mind and it’s all very important!
I love the creative process of writing: creating new worlds and characters, invoking deeper thought from the reader, making a point, or whatever the piece comes to portray. When every reader comes to a fresh new story, he comes with an open mind. Once the setting is established and the characters introduced, the reader creates an imaginary world within his mind for reference as the story progresses. He sees the scenes as he reads, imagining the characters interacting. This is the magic of writing.
Farscape is a very special concept, in all sense of the word. It is a science fiction show that has broken boundaries, challenged its viewers, and never became too normal. No matter how alien the environment, however, we have always found a way to associate with what is happening on the show. It takes a talented team of writers to pull off such a feat, not to mention the entire crew from actor to stagehand involved. When we connect that to the realm of fan fiction, perhaps we can extend the fact that the very fans that create it are the key to such success.
I came to create the Farscape FanFic Awards back in 2000 for the sole reason to recognize all the talented authors and their fanfics. When I first entered the Scaper realm online, I was overwhelmed by all the great fanfics. I was thirsty for more, always searching to find the next one to hook me. After awhile, I noticed some authors were becoming upset by the lack of feedback they were and always will be denied of. Ambitiously, I created the awards in hopes of giving the ultimate feedback: a virtual award and recognition by all online.
Now, after three years of running these awards, it is time for me to retire. I must accent the fact that it is not because the show is over, but because I became burned out. Orchestrating such a huge event is not a task easily done without extra help and lots of time. I can say however, that if the awards were to continue, I truly believe there would not be enough Scapers left online to generate interest.
I’d like to now bring to attention a few issues that I’ve had to deal with regarding the awards since they began. The awards are and always have been a collaborative effort: we try to please everyone. When I say we, I include the panel of judges as well as anyone else whom has had a constructive involvement with the awards. Politics are often believed to come into play but honestly, I hate politics; on the flip side, I can’t avoid them with something that involves the good of all those involved. With that said, there’s always room for improvement and I’m not a professional awards runner or whatever the heck you want to call it. ;)
Essays. I know they are a pain in the ass. I really do. I know you’re busy. I know you just finished writing that 300-page fanfic. But they are necessary. We look at these essays as a good measure of writing ability and knowledge of the material. If you compare to official contests, applications to colleges, scholarships, etc., they all depend upon essays. It is an overture of the entire body of work in a sense. Writing an essay may be more work than you’d like but in the end, you’re showing us that you are dedicated to competing for an award.
LeatherGirl enters her own work into the awards. You know, I never thought that would be a problem because I never considered my own work to be among the best out there. Last year, however, it did become an issue. I didn’t see it in the way others saw it when I came to make the finalist round in two or three categories. I don’t feel the need to defend myself, but I do think I need to address that no one should be attacked for such honors. In fact, in this year’s awards, there are several Scapers who have made it to the finalist round in several categories and I grant that to their pure raw talent. In my circumstance, it wasn’t the greatest feat considering I was the only entrant in one category. Even so, I did not enter any of my own work this year because I believe that Scapers would be uncomfortable, thinking the judges may favor their own “boss’s” work.
Those two things were hovering over me from last year and I wanted to clarify things. There have been some things tweaked each year to make the awards better, based purely on your comments.
Another issue to address is the “popularity contest” notion. I really despise the fact that some think these awards are simply that. In fact, I know there is merit for it and the only way I can respond is to say that all of us make this a popularity contest the moment we nominate and vote on a fanfic simply for the reason that it was created by a certain author. We need to honestly look at a fanfic and really think hard about how we can make a difference in the good of writing rather than just to please a friend.
One last issue I’d like to mention concerns the awards as a whole. I’ve seen some concern regarding an author making it in the finalist round in more than one category as well as receiving an honorable mention or two. Some of us at the awards believe this could result in a negative reaction from some of you. I would just like to point out that it really says something about an author or fanfic when you see repeated honors in their name. The same goes to new names in the instant that they beat out the competition that includes more experienced, well-known authors and fanfics. These certain few have a talent that perhaps others are only beginning to tap into and they deserve all the attention they receive. They should be proud of their accomplishments. Please congratulate all the finalists and honorable mentions this year as well as those in the past. The gesture is long overdue.
With all that said, and I know this is a long “essay”, I want to continue with the hard work and dedication that makes the awards possible.
There are so many people involved with the awards. I’d like to introduce you to the judges; they have changed from year to year. These judges dedicated time to reading entries and really taking a look at the technical aspects of writing as much as the creative side of it. Their decisions were not easy, I can assure you, which is why we have honorable mentions, but nonetheless, they have always gone above and beyond to fulfill their duties.
Scapernz Web Site ‘01
Player Action/Adv ‘01
Jedikatie Comedy ’01, ‘02
GigglingStar Romance ’01, ‘02
LadyJade Crossover ‘01
LadyJade Ep Addition ‘01
LeatherGirl Drama & FNS ‘01
NIBB FNS ‘01
Adobe_Freak Graphics Dept. ‘02
Alora Action/Adv ‘02
JKBBQ Series ‘02
LadyJade Ep Review ‘02
NIBB Horror ‘02
Scapernz Ep Addition ‘02
Sean Graphics Dept. ‘02
Wyld_River Drama ‘02
Janne Novella ‘02
lostpork Crossover ‘02
Angel Action/Adv ‘03
Donna Ad Lib, Ficlet ‘03
Bunny Alt Univ ‘03
o2difor Angst ‘03
Mary Author ’03
Player Comedy, Cross. ‘03
Princess Drama ‘03
Missee Ep Addition ‘03
Ameliamo Web Site ‘03
Wildfire Novella ‘03
Anonymous Or. Chara.,Plot ‘03
ajshipper Overall FanFic ‘03
Lucy Poem, Filk, Shorties ‘03
Anhayla Shippy FanFic ‘03
PKProwlerPilot Series ‘03
LeatherGirl Honorary Award ‘03
(If I forgot to include anyone, I’m sorry. I’ve checked back through my records and this is all I found.)
Give these people an email sometime to thank them! I could not have developed the idea of the awards into something so grand without all of these people’s support. Thank you judges! (((Judges)))
Let’s get back to that point about hard work and dedication. You see a lot of it with the awards and the entries. As an author, I’d like you to think about all the work you put into your fanfics and redirect that towards original fiction. Someday, all the “practice” you got from these fanfics could pay off with your original works in some big way. Or your work could simply become an entertaining heirloom for generations to come. Down the road, take a look at those fanfics you did and compare to your newest original work. You’ll see an amazing improvement hopefully!
Disclaimer: This is just my opinion on the matter and I know that there are cliques out there and other reasons for lack of critical feedback, but please take my words to heart.
Something that has been lost in the shuffle is the fact that authors still do not receive the kind of feedback they thrive upon. If you really respect an author or a specific fanfic, why not contact him or her. If you’ve read the piece, you obviously must have had a response to it: it captivated you, pulled you in, and kept you reading. So if you read it, I believe that you are obligated to respond to the author.
I’ve heard it several times that an author wants more than the occasional one-liner response like “This was a wonderful fanfic, thank you.” That doesn’t help the author at all. The author knows the fanfic is good, or he/she would not have had the guts to publish it. What you need to do, as the reader, is tell him or her why it is you like that fanfic and what instances really stood out from the rest. You need to tell the author not only what worked, but also what didn’t work. Mention what you didn’t like about the fanfic and a suggestion to improve that aspect. Be precise if possible and let the author know overall what you felt about their specific fanfic. With this kind of constructive criticism, the author can improve greatly and perhaps create an even better fanfic the next time around. We all thrive upon criticism, whether we realize it or not. And the place we most need to hear it from is our peers.
Please, next time you view a fanfic, take the courtesy of a few moments to let the author know how his or her fanfic was perceived. After all, the author is the only one who really knows the fanfic and has only one perspective towards it. Seeing how the readers perceived the fanfic can greatly influence how the author proceeds in his or her career.
I have really enjoyed running the awards these past three years. I’ll be honest in saying that the 2002 Awards were not my first priority with so many crappy things going on in my life at the time. So I’ll apologize again for any inconveniences you may have experienced. I have always wanted the awards to be a fun, positive experience for all and I have done everything in my power to keep up this attitude.
It’s time to turn in my hat (uh, I think that’s the saying!)
and say goodbye. Nothing compares to
the experience I’ve had with all of you and I don’t regret a minute of these
awards. Please continue to be the
supportive, caring community you have been and never forget to appreciate the
fan fiction that soon will become the only realm of Farscape we know. This is a piece of history to cherish
forever.
Thank you,
LeatherGirl