Children of Time Awards, Final Thoughts
As you know, the Children of Time awards are up for voting. And as there's so many fics up in each category - and only one vote per category, I went through the fics in a mad attempt to figure out how on earth I should vote.
What follows is 20 days, 64 reviews, and one very, very tired reviewer.
In Part One, I reviewed Chaos Theory, Six Stages, and Not One Line.
In Part Two, I reviewed The Devil You Know, Wolf Moon, Dulce et Decorum Est, and Passing Notes.
In Part Three, I reviewed Non-Linear Love Story, And So Things Go, and What Doesn't Kill You.
In Part Four, I reviewed You That Way, We This Way, Human Nature, Teach Me More, Coming Around, and Passing the Torch.
In Part Five, I reviewed I Had No Idea I Had Been Traveling (series), 9.8 Metres Per Second Squared, First and Last, and Tender Moments That Don't Last.
In Part Six, I reviewed 7 Words and a Metaphor, Illyria (series), and The Unsexy Sex.
In Part Seven, I reviewed The Bliss series, The Doctor Got Abducted, Ulysses, and There is No Peace That I've Found So Far.
In Part Eight, I reviewed To An Outsider's Eye, A Thousand Languages, Dancing Bananas, and Autumn Days That Make You Feel Sad.
In Part Nine, I reviewed Aftermaths, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Contagious, That Quiet Part, and More than an Echo.
In Part Ten, I reviewed I Ching, A Sky Without Zeppelins, I Believe in You, Dancing at the Sugar Shack, and Ten Times the Doctor Didn't Say "I Love You" (and One Time He Did).
In The Special Drabble Edition, I reviewed all nine drabbles nominated.
In Part Eleven, I reviewed Passing the Torch, Tidewater, Without a Doubt, Nothing But Sand, Fabric, and The Still Lost series.
In Part Twelve, I reviewed Out of Joint, So Close, The Loved 'verse, Cheating Time, and Diamond Sea.
In Part Thirteen, I reviewed The Long Path (series), Threshold, No Wanderin' Off, and Incurable.
Things I Learned:
--The cat really likes standing in front of the computer monitor.
--People who link from chapter to chapter on LJ are Love Personified, and ought to be given medals.
--For that reason, Teaspoon is easier for reading - especially the function where you can get the whole story on a single page.
--But LJ is nicer for leaving and responding to reviews.
--Out of all the fics I read, only one was hosted somewhere other than LJ or Teaspoon. Apparently, we DW folks like to stick together.
--You can increase the font size on Firefox with the little dialy thing on the mouse. Good thing, too, or I'd be in bifocals now.
--More people need to read ladychi's On Reviewing.
--The cat really likes standing in front of the computer monitor.
--The world does not revolve around fanfic. But maybe fanfic revolves around the world.
This started off as a lark, me trying to figure out how on earth I was gong to vote.
It turned into something much scarier. It almost got out of control. And yet - I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I read fics I wouldn't have read any other way, apart from clicking the link and trying them out. I almost wonder how many other folks who voted did that.
I'm really glad I did.
This is the thing about fanfic: it's ephemeral, especially in a fandom that moves and changes as quickly as DW. Mind, my previous fandom was Harry Potter. There were two years in between books - that's two years with no change in what was canon. And when it changed - it was usually pretty big, but easily definable, and often ignorable. But DW doesn't seem to be that way.
Just about every fic that came out more than nine months ago is now AU. A lot of fics that came out between April and July are AU. And they're substantially AU. Doctor/Rose reunion? Yeah, not so much anymore. Mickey in the parallel world? Nope, sorry, move along.
The thing is - in such a quickly moving fandom, it's hard to keep your finger on things. It's even harder to compare fics that are written at such different stages of canon.
How do you compare Chaos Theory to Diamond Sea, for instance? They're both in the Drama category. They're both excellent fics in their own right. But the only thing they have in common - is Rose, and even then, the Rose Tyler they portray is essentially two different people. Chaos as a Rose with Ten, wife and mother, funny and sweet and very much as we know her. Diamond Sea as Rose broken, looking for what she's lost, becoming a soldier and ending up with a vastly different Doctor.
How do you compare the Bliss series with Ulysses - also both in the Drama category. Bliss is made up of a dozen stories, cheerful bordering on cracky, OT3 and fun and sweet and smutty. Ulysses is a ficlet, deep and rolling and centering on Martha and the Doctor.
I don't think there's a good way to compare fics, to say any of those are better than the other.
But I don't think there's a bad way, either. Whether it's length, or genre, or pairing, or era - there are so many ways to categorize these stories, you could go on for ages.
What it comes down to is this: it's not what the fic is about. It's whether or not it sticks with you. One of the few Harry Potter fics I read, back in the day, which I loved then, and love now, is AU and has been since the fifth book. It's not even online anymore; the author took it down, after the sixth book rendered it really AU. (It was seriously dark and twisty and Sirius/Remus and fantastic, I loved it desperately.) But I remember it. I remember scenes, and images, and sometimes, I can even remember the turn of phrase, or a particular, important object.
When it came time for me to vote - and yes, I've voted now - that's what I thought about. Which fics I remembered. I wrote them down, in a list, and went back to look at their categories.
I was lucky - everything worked out. Every fic I wrote down on my list received a vote. Okay, maybe the categories didn't quite make sense - the romance fic, really, was more a time-travel fic than it was romance - but they all got a vote.
If I could change something about the contest - because having read 64 entries, I think I have that right - I'd do this:
1. Add a category for cross-overs that aren't with Torchwood. Such as Blackpool, Firefly, Buffy, whatever.
2. The folks nominating fics should have to say why it's being nominated - and they should be able to provide a good reason. Not "I really like this". I'm talking a 100-word reason. If you can't say in 100 words why you like a fic - then you have no business nominating it.
3. Lastly - and this one I'm not sure about - fics should have to have more than one nomination to be included. The reason for this is simple - there were some categories with over 25 entries. Of those 25, we could only choose one.
I still think that's wrong. I still think that's selling short. And let me tell you why:
The 1939 Oscar Nominees for Best Picture:
Gone With the Wind (Selznick International Pictures; MGM)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (MGM)
Love Affair (RKO Radio)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Columbia)
Ninotchka (MGM)
Of Mice and Men (Hal Roach; United Artists)
Stagecoach (Walter Wanger; United Artists)
The Wizard of Oz (MGM)
Wuthering Heights (Goldwyn; United Artists)
Right. Pick one.
I will say this: I tip my hat to the organizers. I can't imagine the work that went into this contest - the links, the organization, and worse - the counting afterward. With so many fics, and so many categories - I don't envy them one bit. No matter the results, we should be glad they've taken this elephant on.
They deserve their own award, and our thanks.
Two things.
1. If you haven't already, go vote. There are now drop-down menus, but it's a good idea to figure out what you want to vote for first.
2. New Year's is coming up. Make a resolution - review more. Yeah, long-winded reviews are nice. But speaking as an author - we'll take anything. I don't care how many times reviewers tell me they liked a specific phrase. Every time I see it quoted, my heart grows. I grin, and my entire day brightens. Even if the review is to say the story's good - that you liked it - even if it's just a smiley-face. It brings joy. You bring joy, every time you leave a review.
There is no power greater on this earth, than to bring joy to someone. Make that your resolution this year, and review.
And with that....I leave you for a few days. I will continue to review the nominees, but not until after New Year's. I'm taking what I'm pretty sure is a well-deserved break from fanfiction (also, I'll be computerless until Sunday evening). Those of you who've left me comments and messages and such - thank you. I appreciate every cheer you've given me, more than I can say. I've seen them, but simply have not had the energy to respond. (I'll try to do so before we leave in the morning.)
I'll return, en force, but until then ----- good night.
What follows is 20 days, 64 reviews, and one very, very tired reviewer.
In Part One, I reviewed Chaos Theory, Six Stages, and Not One Line.
In Part Two, I reviewed The Devil You Know, Wolf Moon, Dulce et Decorum Est, and Passing Notes.
In Part Three, I reviewed Non-Linear Love Story, And So Things Go, and What Doesn't Kill You.
In Part Four, I reviewed You That Way, We This Way, Human Nature, Teach Me More, Coming Around, and Passing the Torch.
In Part Five, I reviewed I Had No Idea I Had Been Traveling (series), 9.8 Metres Per Second Squared, First and Last, and Tender Moments That Don't Last.
In Part Six, I reviewed 7 Words and a Metaphor, Illyria (series), and The Unsexy Sex.
In Part Seven, I reviewed The Bliss series, The Doctor Got Abducted, Ulysses, and There is No Peace That I've Found So Far.
In Part Eight, I reviewed To An Outsider's Eye, A Thousand Languages, Dancing Bananas, and Autumn Days That Make You Feel Sad.
In Part Nine, I reviewed Aftermaths, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Contagious, That Quiet Part, and More than an Echo.
In Part Ten, I reviewed I Ching, A Sky Without Zeppelins, I Believe in You, Dancing at the Sugar Shack, and Ten Times the Doctor Didn't Say "I Love You" (and One Time He Did).
In The Special Drabble Edition, I reviewed all nine drabbles nominated.
In Part Eleven, I reviewed Passing the Torch, Tidewater, Without a Doubt, Nothing But Sand, Fabric, and The Still Lost series.
In Part Twelve, I reviewed Out of Joint, So Close, The Loved 'verse, Cheating Time, and Diamond Sea.
In Part Thirteen, I reviewed The Long Path (series), Threshold, No Wanderin' Off, and Incurable.
Things I Learned:
--The cat really likes standing in front of the computer monitor.
--People who link from chapter to chapter on LJ are Love Personified, and ought to be given medals.
--For that reason, Teaspoon is easier for reading - especially the function where you can get the whole story on a single page.
--But LJ is nicer for leaving and responding to reviews.
--Out of all the fics I read, only one was hosted somewhere other than LJ or Teaspoon. Apparently, we DW folks like to stick together.
--You can increase the font size on Firefox with the little dialy thing on the mouse. Good thing, too, or I'd be in bifocals now.
--More people need to read ladychi's On Reviewing.
--The cat really likes standing in front of the computer monitor.
--The world does not revolve around fanfic. But maybe fanfic revolves around the world.
This started off as a lark, me trying to figure out how on earth I was gong to vote.
It turned into something much scarier. It almost got out of control. And yet - I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I read fics I wouldn't have read any other way, apart from clicking the link and trying them out. I almost wonder how many other folks who voted did that.
I'm really glad I did.
This is the thing about fanfic: it's ephemeral, especially in a fandom that moves and changes as quickly as DW. Mind, my previous fandom was Harry Potter. There were two years in between books - that's two years with no change in what was canon. And when it changed - it was usually pretty big, but easily definable, and often ignorable. But DW doesn't seem to be that way.
Just about every fic that came out more than nine months ago is now AU. A lot of fics that came out between April and July are AU. And they're substantially AU. Doctor/Rose reunion? Yeah, not so much anymore. Mickey in the parallel world? Nope, sorry, move along.
The thing is - in such a quickly moving fandom, it's hard to keep your finger on things. It's even harder to compare fics that are written at such different stages of canon.
How do you compare Chaos Theory to Diamond Sea, for instance? They're both in the Drama category. They're both excellent fics in their own right. But the only thing they have in common - is Rose, and even then, the Rose Tyler they portray is essentially two different people. Chaos as a Rose with Ten, wife and mother, funny and sweet and very much as we know her. Diamond Sea as Rose broken, looking for what she's lost, becoming a soldier and ending up with a vastly different Doctor.
How do you compare the Bliss series with Ulysses - also both in the Drama category. Bliss is made up of a dozen stories, cheerful bordering on cracky, OT3 and fun and sweet and smutty. Ulysses is a ficlet, deep and rolling and centering on Martha and the Doctor.
I don't think there's a good way to compare fics, to say any of those are better than the other.
But I don't think there's a bad way, either. Whether it's length, or genre, or pairing, or era - there are so many ways to categorize these stories, you could go on for ages.
What it comes down to is this: it's not what the fic is about. It's whether or not it sticks with you. One of the few Harry Potter fics I read, back in the day, which I loved then, and love now, is AU and has been since the fifth book. It's not even online anymore; the author took it down, after the sixth book rendered it really AU. (It was seriously dark and twisty and Sirius/Remus and fantastic, I loved it desperately.) But I remember it. I remember scenes, and images, and sometimes, I can even remember the turn of phrase, or a particular, important object.
When it came time for me to vote - and yes, I've voted now - that's what I thought about. Which fics I remembered. I wrote them down, in a list, and went back to look at their categories.
I was lucky - everything worked out. Every fic I wrote down on my list received a vote. Okay, maybe the categories didn't quite make sense - the romance fic, really, was more a time-travel fic than it was romance - but they all got a vote.
If I could change something about the contest - because having read 64 entries, I think I have that right - I'd do this:
1. Add a category for cross-overs that aren't with Torchwood. Such as Blackpool, Firefly, Buffy, whatever.
2. The folks nominating fics should have to say why it's being nominated - and they should be able to provide a good reason. Not "I really like this". I'm talking a 100-word reason. If you can't say in 100 words why you like a fic - then you have no business nominating it.
3. Lastly - and this one I'm not sure about - fics should have to have more than one nomination to be included. The reason for this is simple - there were some categories with over 25 entries. Of those 25, we could only choose one.
I still think that's wrong. I still think that's selling short. And let me tell you why:
The 1939 Oscar Nominees for Best Picture:
Gone With the Wind (Selznick International Pictures; MGM)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (MGM)
Love Affair (RKO Radio)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Columbia)
Ninotchka (MGM)
Of Mice and Men (Hal Roach; United Artists)
Stagecoach (Walter Wanger; United Artists)
The Wizard of Oz (MGM)
Wuthering Heights (Goldwyn; United Artists)
Right. Pick one.
I will say this: I tip my hat to the organizers. I can't imagine the work that went into this contest - the links, the organization, and worse - the counting afterward. With so many fics, and so many categories - I don't envy them one bit. No matter the results, we should be glad they've taken this elephant on.
They deserve their own award, and our thanks.
Two things.
1. If you haven't already, go vote. There are now drop-down menus, but it's a good idea to figure out what you want to vote for first.
2. New Year's is coming up. Make a resolution - review more. Yeah, long-winded reviews are nice. But speaking as an author - we'll take anything. I don't care how many times reviewers tell me they liked a specific phrase. Every time I see it quoted, my heart grows. I grin, and my entire day brightens. Even if the review is to say the story's good - that you liked it - even if it's just a smiley-face. It brings joy. You bring joy, every time you leave a review.
There is no power greater on this earth, than to bring joy to someone. Make that your resolution this year, and review.
And with that....I leave you for a few days. I will continue to review the nominees, but not until after New Year's. I'm taking what I'm pretty sure is a well-deserved break from fanfiction (also, I'll be computerless until Sunday evening). Those of you who've left me comments and messages and such - thank you. I appreciate every cheer you've given me, more than I can say. I've seen them, but simply have not had the energy to respond. (I'll try to do so before we leave in the morning.)
I'll return, en force, but until then ----- good night.