2014 Fanfiction Awards Results

Nominated by JX Valentine

Probably one of the more unique ideas to be tried on Serebii, A Leash of Foxes worked not just because of Cutlerine's efforts and imagination (of which there were plenty and plenty, respectively) but also because it was half-written via audience participation. What came out of this was an experience: half wonderfully plotty Weird Western and half the blood and tears of its readers. Mostly tears. Maybe.

Nominated by Creepychu, diamondpearl876 and Starlight Aurate

A story about terrible people doing terrible things where I can still sympathize with and even root for the terrible people, despite the decisions they make. There's a running theme of miscommunication throughout the story, and that combined with the unusual perspective of the main protagonists can make it feel daunting to get into, but the fascinating characters, the ongoing feel of mystery and discovery and the smooth page-turner quality of the prose can very easily make you lose track of time and result in you finding yourself in front of the computer at 3AM making futile promises to stop right after one last chapter. The amount of little hints and revelations that can be gleaned from paying close attention to the details of what is and isn't said also makes it an excellent candidate for rereading. All in all, Salvage has an abundance of potential nomination categories and is well worth a lost night of sleep or two.

The fic isn't wholly original in the sense that it attempts to tackle Mew and Mewtwo's story, but the way Negrek goes about it is fantastic. The story is about a child who steals other peoples' identities in order to collect the gym badges, win the pokemon league, and rank as a high authority figure so that it may recruit Mewtwo and save Mew from the trouble she's in. The child, whose story is told amazingly in second-person, is impulsive and often makes the wrong decisions, even though it has a guardian figure (Absol) to help. Even the pokemon characters have personality and will make you laugh. If you're interested in a fic that dabbles in a little bit of everything, this is it.

A fic with a morally-skewed protagonist who enlists/forces the help of an unwilling ex-Team Rocket Grunt, this does an excellent job of portraying the logic that runs through a child's mind while at the same time showing a relationship between a trainer and their Pokemon.

Nominated by Matori

Butler continues to knock it out of the park with his ongoing adventure saga. Plenty of suspense, intrigue, and thrills to be found in this story.

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by Creepychu

A rare example of a canon-character journeyfic where both the canon and the journey are engrossing in their own right, making use of the professor-in-their-youth gimmick to enhance the story rather than using it as a crutch to draw interest. There's a strong focus on both character- and world-building, both excellently executed, and the prose is just a joy to read. I could easily think of a dozen categories I'd nominate this story for, but to respect the cap I'll just vote it for overall. Strongly recommended for fans of canon character fics, journeyfics, and just plain well-written fics.

Nominated by Matori, diamondpearl876 and JX Valentine

Great, often chilling fic with believable characters.

Sidewinder's "Requiem" is a great story filled with a unique mythological basis. The two main characters, Shelton and Dorian, are siblings whose goal is to protect special shards from the same man who killed their uncle Ronnie. For what reason, you don't know. The full story is revealed slowly, chapter by chapter. Meanwhile, the antagonist, Ethan, slowly loses his touch with reality and you can't help but be torn on whose side you should be on. With Requiem's conclusion this year, it basically tears apart your heart and begs you for more. The description is always wonderful, every character plays an important part, and the plot itself is enough to make you wonder why Sidewinder is such a genius.

Can't help but second dp's nomination for this fic. It ended in 2014, and it was a wild ride from start to finish with fantastic characters, well-constructed plot, and a wicked mastery of cliffhangers. Requiem kept you wanting to read. It made you feel something for the characters, and hey, it offered up a nice thrill ride along the way.

Nominated by Negrek

It's definitely new, but PhalanxSigil's fanfic already shows great promise, with an unusual twist on the usual PMD formula and solid writing throughout. Plenty has gone in even the small number of chapters posted so far, and suggests that this is a story to watch this year.

Nominated by TheCharredDragon

Nominated by diamondpearl876

The fic originally seems cliche, considering that the main character is Ash and Misty's daughter. This normally isn't my cup of tea, but the fic is too good for me to care. Ash has gone missing in some ancient ruins, which tells me that Hakajin intends to expand on geographical and mythological/historical concepts that are barely touched upon in pokemon fanfiction. Ash's daughter, Satsumi, is unique in the sense that she's ridden down by some unknown physical illness(es). Despite this, she's determined to find her father, and so she begins her journey. What you can anticipate from this fic: anime-style dialogue and battles, a not-so-typical journey fic, lots of characters from different backgrounds, and improvement with every chapter, as Hakajin isn't afraid to take your critiques to heart.

Nominated by JX Valentine

While a themed one-shot series isn't a new concept, [Imaginative]:[Clockwork] strives to make each story he tells unique and enjoyable. His entry for this year, Green, does exactly that. It tells the story of a crook couple who try to live a straight life in quiet, 60's-esque suburban Viridian. Or, more accurately, it tells the story of Loretta, the wife of the couple, who does her best to live a quiet life but realizes quickly that you can take a girl out of a city, but there's only so much you can do to take the city out of the girl. And the ending? Absolutely perfect.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Honestly, if you haven't seen the anime episode that this one-shot centers on, you can still appreciate the description in this. Have you ever felt like your being has been taking over by someone other than yourself? Have you ever felt so much anxiety, you're unable to do anything but focus on breathing? If you have, then you'll find yourself sympathizing with Giovanni in this one-shot. If not, you're able to take a thing or two away from this fic when it comes to writing intense, horrific emotions.

Nominated by Matori

An interesting exploration of the nature of the Legendaries. It puts them in a context you'd never expect to see and presents a fresh perspective on them.

Nominated by JX Valentine

It's a zombie apocalypse fic in which six dead people (they get better) play a game of who can kill the most undead. That alone is awesome, but the main character does it with a magic raincoat. Just … it's worth it. Believe me.

Nominated by JX Valentine

It's about the epic struggles between godlike Digimon, and it FEELS very epic in its execution. There's a sense of poetry in its attention to detail, a sense of urgency in its politics, and the gods mentioned are treated as GODS, not as Digimon—so, in other words, it's easier to take them seriously because, well, they're gods. All in all, it's surprisingly quite heavy for a Digimon fic.

Nominated by JX Valentine

While some vignettes (like the first one eligible for this year) might require SOME knowledge of the Slayers cast, for the most part, these are standalone, highly enjoyable, quick-bite types of reads. One of them involves an erotic bakery. Seriously.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

"Communication" is a combination of barely-used plotlines that really should be used more often. The story starts out with the childhood of Solonn, the main character. Solonn is a wild snorunt who lives in a very, very secluded area. The area is so secluded that Solonn is surprised to see another species (spheal and zubat) when he wanders off one day. He discovers, though, a talent which is neither cliche nor over-powered: the fact that he can copy other peoples' voices AND languages. A glalie from his pack, however, uses him for this talent and eventually gets Solonn caught by a coordinator named Morgan. Solonn's new goal is to participate in contests in exchange for going home, and all the while he's trying to hide his power so that it won't be exploited. Needless to say, things don't go as planned.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

A great story that focuses on just how heavy a lot of the things these villainous teams do, even to the people who are part of them.

Nominated by JX Valentine

So take an almost-ordinary guy, his best friend/right-hand catfox, and the most disgruntled legendary shoved into a human form and send them on a journey to find Ho-oh and stop Giratina from going on a rampage, and you have Wandering Storm in a nutshell. It is basically just as much of a recipe for hilarity as you can probably imagine.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Nominated by Sidewinder and Creepychu

There are some problems with tone and character voice, but the idea of writing a trainer's journey in the form of an epistolary novel and the subtext reading involved in trying to figure out two characters who both seem to be presenting a false image of themselves to the other still make it well worth a read. The story is on hiatus right now, but hopefully not forever.

Nominated by Starlight Aurate and Creepychu

Inspired by Humans of New York, this is quite unlike anything I've seen on the site. It delves into the minds of each person a trainer encounters when journeying across Hoenn, and rather than presenting it as a chronological story, they're all presented as interviews. It really humanizes each NPC that many players probably took for granted and paid little attention to.

A very interesting choice in format and a rare case of images being used to enhance the story rather than distract from it. Taken on their own, the little exchanges are nothing special, but together they create a surprisingly compelling whole.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Negrek spins Mew and Mewtwo's story in a way I haven't seen before, and the fic doesn't even seem to be anywhere near done. The main character, a child who can steal other peoples' identities, still has so many flaws that prevents that skill from becoming too overpowered or useful. And the way the child can take a dead trainer's pokemon and somehow manage to convert some of them to its side… It takes a certain kind of talent to get away with that. No

Nominated by Negrek

This story follows a young programmer brought to Hoenn to work on a wildly popular series of monster-taming video games–a suspiciously familiar-sounding series of monster-taming video games. I don't think I've ever seen a story about a character in the pokemon world working on the pokemon's world of the pokemon games before, and Spiteful Murkrow includes plenty of little details to delight both people who do a bit of coding themselves and people who know a bit about the pokemon games' rocky development history. Definitely one of the fresthest premises I've seen in a long time, and nicely executed as well.

Nominated by JX Valentine

The reason why I'm nominating this is going to be practically the same reason why you're going to see it pop up again in Expansion of Canon: it's not just unique. It's THOUGHT-OUT with how unique it is. Solvino tackles a subject that doesn't get addressed in fanfiction, and he does it with incredible attention to detail. Even the tiniest things like how the ticket office detects counterfeit money is addressed … and it's addressed with Pokémon. The point is that Solvino not only tackles a subject no one else has thought to touch, but he's thought of all these fascinating uses for Pokémon in order to do it. And it's told through a string of stories, not in a dry, textbook fashion. Bonus points?

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Sidewinder writes perfect descriptions without going overboard. Sentences flow nicely and structure is varied. Dialogue is always solid, as you can tell who's talking just by the tone of voice or the words they're using. The plot is revealed slowly, so as to leave you guessing rather than info-dumping in the end.

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

The Great Butler has incredible skill with writing. He always manages the perfect blend of description with dialogue and action, so that the reader can easily visualize the scene with details but not get too caught up in the description so they forget what's going on.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Trainer fic with experimental twists? Aww yiss. No, but really, almost every scene is told in literally a different style, yet somehow, it works.

Nominated by JX Valentine

One of the fun things about this fic is the combination of what it sets out to do with how it tries to do it. This is a story about grunts of the canon evil organizations looking to join up with their respective teams, yet it doesn't try to make each cause seem sympathetic, nor does it try to Draco-in-Leather-Pants the evil organizations (read: make them seem awesome and amazing). Each vignette carries with it a separate voice, some of which resonate rather strongly and capture the general essence of what their respective evil teams are about. In short, no frills. Just individual characters shaping individual stories.

Nominated by Sike Saner

This is the Cherry Dr Pepper of writing styles: amazingly smooth.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

It takes the concept of world building - or rather, world ending- to a whole other level. It's almost as if the setting is its own character, and it's fascinating to see its destruction. It's a very refreshing take on Hoenn, and how it integrates the setting to the more meta aspects of the game is really cool.

Nominated by Negrek

The Origin of Storms takes place in a freshly post-human world, where pokemon inhabit the cities and use the technology humans left behind while they try to cope with the species' sudden loss. It's a post-apocalyptic setting that's not so apocalyptic and full of wonderful little inventions like a car modded so that a snorunt can drive it and a psychiatric hospital for pokemon, full of everything from psychic therapists who can read their clients' minds to heavy-duty containment systems for patients who have trouble controlling themselves.

Nominated by TheCharredDragon

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by Negrek

"Humans of Hoenn" is a story that gives a voice to Hoenn's NPC's, both minor and major. The story explores what it means to be a trainer for people from all walks of life, from kids just starting out with their pokemon to veterans reflecting on years in the business to members of Hoenn's evil teams. It's really a collection of many different stories that happen to intersect through Brendan's journey, and it gives real life and history to characters who may only get a single, throwaway line of dialogue in the games themselves.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

I really cannot think of anyone who can handle anime characters the way The Great Butler can. He stays true to the personalities his characters were originally given and expands them in a way that makes you wish the anime writers could write half as good as he can. He scrutinizes every bit of canon (mythological stories, Team Rocket's minor characters and backgrounds, etc) and takes from it what he can so that his story can be as in-depth and powerful as it can possibly be.

Nominated by JX Valentine and TheCharredDragon

Hey, you ever wonder what happens within the Pokémon universe whenever a new type or feature is added? Apparently, mass panic. In typical bobandbill style, this fic answers the thing that every fic writer tries to tackle (reconciling canon updates and retcons) in the best way bobandbill can (via half-meta shenanigans).

Nominated by Cutlerine

Team Aqua and Team Magma! Everyone's favourite oddball ecoterrorists. It's a pleasure to see the world through the eyes of a grunt, especially one from a more overlooked team, and put a different perspective on the Hoenn conflict.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Yeeeep, like I said under most unique, what's really pleasing about this fic is it tackles a subject no one else has thought to cover: how league stadiums work. But in doing so, it also covers Pokémon and how their various abilities might be used by humans, not to mention the entire Pokémon-human relationship in general. It certainly gives you a lot to think about for the next time you see a battling arena in the anime or enter one in the games.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Nominated by diamondpearl876

The Great Butler's character cast is so large and yet he handles them with jealousy-inducing ease. Since the cast is so large, it goes without saying that he has to break up each chapter into smaller, individual scenes, but even that doesn't stop him. Every character in every scene is fully explored and serves some sort of purpose toward character development.

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by gorgonfish

Nominated by gorgonfish

Nominated by Negrek

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by Sidewinder and diamondpearl876

Matt and Nekou's relationship is extremely unhealthy, yet you can't help but cheer them on. Both of them are searching for a better purpose in life. Both of them have terrifying pasts that they only feel comfortable sharing with each other. They use each other to make themselves think they have some kind of support system, but as a reader you know that they only serve to make each other more miserable.

Nominated by Creepychu

The standout character interaction in a story full to bursting with great character interactions. Henry starts out almost completely unable to stand up for himself, while Michael is always the one with the plan and the confidence to execute it, but as the story progresses, the power dynamic between them starts shifting bit by bit. Henry grows more confident and capable from his experiences while Michael becomes more conflicted and starts running into limits he can't break through on talent alone, and suddenly the borders between them are a lot less clean cut. It's a very well-written friendship, with a satisfying character arc for both sides.

Nominated by JX Valentine

I love it when you have a pair of characters who snark at each other, ngl. Jake and Jade have a trainer-Pokémon relationship, but honestly, it feels like a natural relationship between two friends who have known each other for so long that they tease each other like a married couple. It's like the kind of relationship where you tell your best friend EXACTLY what they look like when they're drunk, and it's absolutely enjoyable to watch. In part because one of the friends happens to be a telekinetic catdogfox … thing.

Nominated by Creepychu

A relationship between two characters who are likely never going to see eye to eye on everything (or anything). Nate's confrontational attitude and love of sarcasm and the child's short temper and inability to read between the lines make them both exceptionally good at getting under each others' skin and the results are always amusing to read.

Nominated by Negrek

Nominated by gorgonfish

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by gorgonfish

Nominated by TheCharredDragon

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

As a journeyfic, it's very well-written, and the events of Red's journey are presented very smoothly. But then you get these interesting and hilarious inserts of significant game NPCs chatting with each other, and you connect it with how the fic is introduced as something that approaches seemingly minor things in the Pokemon world as conspiracies, and you have a really interesting spin on the Kanto journey.

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

How the author explores the pressure of being a gym leader to the main character is really good, and it puts Carly in a very interesting point in her journey. Though the casualness of the entire story hinders the execution at times, it really helps in making Carly's problems feel very real and relateable.

Nominated by JX Valentine

I find the fact that Praxiteles obviously gives precisely zero [insert expletive here] about standard trainer fic procedures very refreshing. As in, The Progression reads a lot like a Hoenn playthrough at first glance, but it progressively gets more experimental and self-referential to the point where Prax straight-up quotes the script in a "preview of an upcoming chapter." No, I mean, Prax literally went, "I haven't finished this part of the fic yet, but here, have the in-game text." And it's done deliberately, not as a stroke of laziness. And besides that, it's not unusual to come across scenes that are deliberately told only through dialogue or only through fragmented images or as a one-sided conversation. Putting it another way, if trainer fics were art, you might encounter a lot of Norman Rockwells or Rembrandts. Maybe even a Picasso or Degas. The Progression? Is a Warhol. (Or maybe I'm overthinking it.)

Nominated by Creepychu

An interesting spin on a very well-worn premise for pokémon comedyfics. While the story starts with the normal lampooning of the stilted writing in the games (XY in this case), that aspect of the story quickly takes a backseat to the far more interesting struggle between a chosen one who wants nothing to do with his assigned role and the nebulous entity directing the plot of his journey. The various ways Calem attempts to exploit the rules of the world he is stuck in and the ways his opponent tries to bring him back into line help both with keeping the story fresh and the stakes relevant where your average comedyfic often falls short on both fronts. The thread has unfortunately been without updates for a while, but it's still well worth a look.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Ghetsis arrives at Team Galactic HQ to help with their "energy issues." Shenanigans ensue.

Nominated by TheCharredDragon

Nominated by gorgonfish

Nominated by JX Valentine

Admittedly, I'm in love with fics that break tradition, and A Vulpix Tail does a wonderful job of that by being literally a reverse PMD fic. Unlike most PMD fics, AVT takes a Pokémon from a world inhabited purely by them, changes her into a human, and throws her into a strange world where Pokémon happily coexist with mankind. In doing so, it also comments on how silly the PMD genre can get. As in, wandering around, amnesiac, and clearly claiming to be something else? In this fic, that means you're automatically assumed to be drunk. It's beautiful.

Nominated by TheCharredDragon

Nominated by TheCharredDragon

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by JX Valentine

It's a PMD fic told in second person, and that's just about as amazing a concept as it sounds.

Nominated by gorgonfish

Nominated by gorgonfish

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by Negrek

Nominated by gorgonfish

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Nominated by JX Valentine

Set in a Unova devoid of people, Boundary tells the tale of a Gothorita who takes it upon himself to escort the ghost girl (think Strange House and Marvelous Bridge) on her journey to return the Lunar Wing. There's a sense of loneliness in its prose that highlights both the Gothorita's sense of duty to the girl and the journey their both on, and if there's any downside that I can think of, it's the fact that there's currently only one chapter.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Dorian is endearing, though he has his faults. He's a borderline alcohol with quite a mouth on him, and his impulsive tendencies get him into more trouble than you can imagine, but he's determined to get what he wants and that has to be admired. What I especially like about him is that he does things not only for others (his sister, his pokemon, etc), but he also does things for himself. A character who doesn't give up his life/goals/etc just to make another person happy is a favorite character of mine.

Nominated by gorgonfish

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Loretta's a very multifaceted character. In a short amount of space, the author manages to present her ambitions, dreams, and goals, alongside her doubts, worries, and insecurities, all in a very smooth and realistic way. She feels very human, and that's why she works so well as the central character of "Green."

Nominated by Sidewinder and diamondpearl876

Nekou is… a ferocious character, to say the least. She cares about others, but when it comes right down to it, everything revolves around her. She drinks to drown her sorrows. She yells and swears at anyone who gets in her way. She has a terrible past that she'd rather forget, but can't, so she tries to get support from people who are supposed to be her enemies. And to top it all off, she's with her group of friends on an undercover mission, which only adds to her complexity.

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by JX Valentine

She's got style. She's got grace. She can take out an entire group of Pokémon while maintaining her absolute adorableness. These things don't rhyme, and I don't care.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Nominated by Negrek

He might be a twelve-foot-long strangelsnake of death, but in truth Syr's a real softie, more concerned with the well-being of his friends than anything else. His gentle nature doesn't preclude him from taking charge when he needs to, though, and he's a strong foil for the story's protagonist. Probably the most adorable arbok I've seen in fanfic, and an interpretation that's both consistent with his canon background and reveals new facets of his character.

Nominated by gorgonfish and Sidewinder

Nominated by Negrek

A literally venomous companion, Kephi never gives his trainer a shred of peace. His cranky antics and the headaches they cause for his trainer are always a delight to watch, and there have been plenty of hints that there's more to this bug than meets the eye.

Nominated by TheCharredDragon

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by JX Valentine

Sure, jealous boyfriends aren't exactly anything new, but the way Raichu made his entrance, by barging in and possessively questioning anyone remotely interested in April, shows he knows how to make a lasting impression.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Yeah, I think we all knew the kings were going to pull something along the lines of what they did, but the build-up to the end was fantastically done. Like, "clearly evil but also operating on a different moral plane" evil. It's just that at the same time, they were terrifyingly powerful and godlike, and one has to wonder how Dorian and the crew plan on tackling them in Shatterpoint.

Nominated by JX Valentine

I might just be biased, but this has to be the most hilarious interpretation of a canon character I've seen outside of an actual comedy fic. Celio functions as a wonderful foil to the straight-laced characters he interacts with. As in, he's crass, snarky, and perfectly willing to blackmail Bill for hacking into his account. But mostly, he's crass and snarky, and it's wonderful.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Because "Mr. Ice Beam" as a real name in a fic would just about kill me. Bonus points for this being an important scene towards the plot.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

Nominated by diamondpearl876

The child's personality shines through here, and it's particularly heartbreaking to see that its team literally just isn't there for it at all. Some are eating, ignoring its distress, and Rats just doesn't show up at all.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Easily the best scene of the entire story, especially when you take into account what happens right after. There's a lot of conflict raised here, and while at first it may seem overwhelming, it just shows how serious the problem is for both characters.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

From the latest entry, "Dragalge and Tympole." What's usually a very heavy subject is approached pretty lightly here, and it's done so in a really sweet way. You could feel the Dragalge getting all mushy after Tympole says that dialogue.

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

What else is there to say? After an adventure that gave him much more excitement than he had ever wanted, Elliot was still willing to break out of his role and go exploring throughout the Johto region with his friend.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Vicious, gruesome, and that moment when you're left to wonder whether or not Esaax is COMPLETELY gone. Up until this point, we've been given a pretty calculating version of Esaax, but here, he's feral. Feral and violent but also confused. In other words, this scene is full of gore, yeah, but it's such MEANINGFUL gore. And as a standalone murder, it's also well-written and delightfully violent.

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

Nominated by Sike Saner

Pretty much any person or character could say this, and it'd still be wise.

Nominated by Creepychu and JX Valentine

With a catalog encompassing a wide range of genres, themes, and story structures, the only constant things I can really associate with Cutlerine's writing are fluent prose, vivid description, engrossing worldbuilding, titles that leave me scratching my head in confusion, and some of the most delightfully Lovecraftian adaptions of pokémon around. What's not to recommend, really?

While others may try what Cutlerine does and just comes out pretentious, Cutlerine manages to be a storyteller. And I know that sounds like a backhanded compliment, but what I mean is that Cutlerine's prose is very image-heavy and very intelligent but not in ways that make it clear she's trying to sound philosophical or intellectual. It just actually is philosophical and intellectual, and as such, it doesn't talk down to its readers but rather assumes they're on the same plane. What comes out of that is a heady style that adds to her already imaginative, complex plots full of fascinating, well-rounded characters. And possibly Lovecraftian hellbeasts.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Heeeeeyyyyy, you're technically an established writer, right? In any case, aww yiss, Sike Saner. Being after my own heart, this is. Crafter of delightful characters; weaver of epic, Pokémon-centered plots; possible defiler of Wobbuffet. On a serious note, though, with the (re)publication of both Communication and Origin of Storms, Sike gave us plenty of well-constructed plots and beautifully developed characters to chew on. Her return to the forums is absolutely welcomed, and I for one look forward to seeing more of her work.

Nominated by Creepychu, Cutlerine and Sidewinder

With excellent characterization, a great sense for balance in tone, and some of the most fluent prose around, there really are very few reasons not to check Negrek's work out. I've gone on about this at some length in related nominations, so suffice to say that the person who's writing consumes the most of my reading and rereading time during the course of the year is definitely someone I consider worth recommending.

Even a cursory glance at Salvage will confirm that Negrek is a writer to be reckoned with. (Do take that glance with caution. You might get sucked in, and end up reading for far longer than you intended.)

Nominated by Starlight Aurate and Sidewinder

Ever since I've been on the forums, I've known Dragonfree to be one of THE writers of the forum–one of the mods, and one of the most inspiring and talented writers I've ever seen. Her incredible storytelling and writing shows just how experienced she is at writing fanfiction.

Nominated by PhalanxSigil

I think Kukanis has gone largely under the radar when it comes to writing. I'm including myself in this, as I hadn't read any of his stuff until recently. I'm very glad I did, though, as his story, PMD: Sentience, is a very interesting read. He also listens to his reviews and has improved dramatically in his writing. I think he's someone to watch.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Y'know, maybe it's not my place to say this, but I know TGB tends to go through a lot. So to see a new update to his fic … it's really watching him push through a lot of odds to do it. And hey, even if that's TOO personal and even if y'all DO need something a bit more substantiative than that, at least let it be known that he's so hardcore dedicated to his fic that he's picked out an anime cast for it.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Do you know how long she's been writing The Quest for the Legends, in one form or another? Very. That's how long. Considering how quickly given-up on most chaptered fics are, that is saying something–something awesome.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

I maintain my nomination from last year. For many years I've seen Griff4815 write the longest, craziest stories and he's asked very little in return. He's taken his betas to heart and has only improved with each piece of critique given to him. Congrats to him this year in particular for finishing his first chaptered fic.

Nominated by gorgonfish and Sidewinder

Nominated by PhalanxSigil

Look at his description from the beginning of Sentience to where it is now, and tell me that's not improvement.

Nominated by Sidewinder

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

Samples: (Starlight Aurate)

Has been extremely helpful anytime I or any new writer asks for help, but she isn't callous or rude.

Nominated by Negrek

Samples: (Negrek)

Dragonfree is a fanfic veteran, and it definitely shows in the way she crafts her reviews. She's particularly good at analyzing characters and story structure, and she's great at picking out specific elements of the text that need work as well as suggesting improvements. And in addition to any flaws she finds, she's not hesitant about mentioning things she liked and encouraging authors even when the majority of her comments are critical.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Samples: (diamondpearl876)

Hakajin could easily write paragraph after paragraph on a specific subject if you're looking for some help.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Samples: (diamondpearl876)

"Sorry for the huge delay in getting to this! Rest assured, it's been on my mind the whole time." That quote from The Great Butler about sums it up. He's been there through most of fics and has reviewed every chapter with great depth.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Samples: (JX Valentine)

Hakajin is definitely one of the names I've seen the most frequently around the forum, and what dp says is true: not only does Hakajin keep up with all the stories she decides to read, but she goes out of her way to leave nothing but helpful reviews wherever she goes.