How am I supposed to choose, huh?

[scatteredlogic]

I've been making lists for the sshg_awards, and I've got to tell you, this is so very tough. How am I supposed to choose between various authors and fics? The stories and authors that are eligible to be nominated in this round set the bar for the rest of us. They defined our little section of the fandom. Some of the stories they created are so unique that, even now, when someone else tries to write a certain plotline, they automatically end up being compared to a fandom classic. For example, if I say I'm going to write a story in which Snape and Hermione switch bodies, then I'd expect people to shrug and say, "Well, good luck with that, but how are you going to do it better than "The Fire and the Rose"?"

How do I choose between "Falling Further In" and "Soul Searching"? Or "Unfinished Business" and "Before the Dawn"? ~pulls hair out~ It's the nature of awards that we do make those choices, but truthfully, I'm really not looking forward to narrowing down those lists I've made.