The 2008 Silver Pencil Awards ~ RESULTS!

[Gavin Luper]

IT IS A COOL AUGUST EVENING at the Writer's Lounge. Outside the white-washed walls of the exclusive club, illuminated by a combination of excited flashbulbs and halogen streetlights, a large crowd is gathered, buzzing. A convoy of limousines is arriving to a welcome party of reclusive readers, onlookers and paparazzi.

Wearing an elegant crimson dress, celebrity reporter Lady Vulpix approaches the nearest limousine.

"Our next arrival, folks, is - oh -"

A brief silence comes over Lady Vulpix as her eyes fall on the sleek, pointed shoes of the man stepping out of the limousine. A heckler in the audience jeers something, eliciting several muted giggles.

"- is world-famous author, OzAndrew!" Lady Vulpix continues, but her voice has become markedly cooler. OzAndrew steps out of the vehicle, shutting the door tersely, and regards the scarlet-clad woman haughtily before sweeping past her down the red carpet, where he is greeted by his fans.

Lady Vulpix hastily wipes her brow with the back of her petite hand and, with an earnest smile at the camera, gushes:

"And let's see who else has just showed up - why, it's none other than Chris 2.1 and his date for the night ... let's see what they have to say about their award chances this evening ..."

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INSIDE THE CLUB, ON THE GRAND stage, dratinihaunter13 is tickling the ivories of an enormous black piano, while Bulbasaur4 croons a sultry ballad beside him. The main chamber of the Writer's Lounge has been decked out especially for tonight's occasion: over one hundred velveteen chairs have been arranged facing the grand stage, most of which are occupied by a quixotic mix of literary types. Houndoom_Lover can be spied in the front row wearing an almost luminescent feather-covered frock; mr_pikachu sits further back, sipping from a martini glass while in serious conversation with classy_cat18.

Over at the bar, DragoKnight is pouring a frosty glass of beer for Crystalmaster Mike. Seated along the elegant mahogany bar is an assortment of big names: mistysakura holds a pint glass as she catches up with veteran member PancaKe, who tonight sports fluorescent pink hair. Beside them, Weasel Overlord is hurriedly scribbling something on the back of a cocktail napkin. Dark Sage and Shuppet Master are deep in conversation, their gin and tonics untouched as they discuss their predictions for the evening's results. On the corner stool, OzAndrew scans the room, his third vodka almost drained.

On stage, dratinihaunter13 finishes his set with the last haunting piano note of Rain Eternal; Bulbasaur4 thanks the audience and wishes them all the best for the night ahead. The two leave the stage, and a team of black-clothed stage crew (sourced for the night from ASB) push the piano off-stage and a heavy curtain falls down.

The atmosphere in the Lounge changes. Most of the crowd at the bar take their seats. The people milling about by the fondue fountain, including a snappily-dressed Sike Saner, seat themselves before the stage. Dragonfree and PsiUmbreon, who have been exchanging mobile phone numbers after discovering a shared interest in Elizabethan furniture, take their place in the front row.

The roar of the paparazzi outside is muted as the last arrivals sweep into the Lounge, flanked by head of security, dark_tyranitar. Leaning against the bar, DragoKnight eyes some of the late arrivals closely: they haven't been seen before in the Lounge. The arrivals - Griff4815, Goodnight Seadra, Cadmus, Orange_Flaaffy and ShadowPikachu - mutter nervously to one another as they are ushered to their seats by an impatient Blademaster. Last of all, Lady Vulpix tucks her notepad and microphone into her handbag and takes the last remaining free seat in the crowded room.

The lights dim. There is a subtle, but noticeable, intake of breath from the audience.

Then, unceremoniously, the maroon velvet curtains rise, revealing a lonely wooden lectern on the lit stage. A moment later, a black-haired man wearing a black, pin-striped suit strides onstage to polite applause. He stands behind the lectern and unfolds a crumpled sheet of lined paper.

The applause dies down; the eclectically dressed audience falls into a pregnant hush.

The Master of Ceremonies adjusts his mic and begins to speak in a lazy, uncultured Australian drawl.

"Ladies and Gents, welcome to th' Silver Pencil Awards f' 2008!"

Another smattering of lukewarm applause.

"I'm glad y' could all make it here t'night. Before I announce th' results, I just wanna say a few words. First up, cheers to my co-host, mr_pikachu, who helped organise the awards with me, and kept me and the vote-counting team sane over the last coupla days. C'arn Brian, don't be shy, get up here!"

Appearing mortified, but grateful for the warm applause, mr_pikachu hands his martini to his date and steps up swiftly on stage, leaning over to the microphone to say, "Thank you, Gavin", before stepping back behind the lectern.

"And next, I just wanna thank all youse guys who nominated and voted for yer peers this year. I've gotta say, these Silver Pencil awards have been some of the most successful we've ever had -"

An unidentified member of the audience abruptly interjects: "Christ's sake, Gav! Cut the crap and announce the bloody winners already!"

A look of aggression comes over Gavin Luper's face; he opens his mouth and begins to shout a retort when mr_pikachu hastily steps up to the mic.

"AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, ladies and gentlemen, here are the results for the 2008 Silver Pencil Awards. First up, we have the nominations for Best Fiction Overall. And the winner is ..."

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The 2008 Silver Pencil Awards ~ Results

(winners in bold)

General Fic Awards (Whole Fanfics)

Best Fiction Overall
– Lisa the Legend by Gavin Luper - 12
– War of the Forums by mr_pikachu - 5
– Morphic by Dragonfree - 13
– The Pokémon Masters League by Chris 2.1 - 9

Best Pokémon Fic
– Lisa the Legend by Gavin Luper - 13
– Communication by Sike Saner - 7
– Morphic by Dragonfree - 9
– ~Measure of a Trainer - Secrets of Kultran~ by ShadowPikachu - 2
– The Pokémon Masters League by Chris 2.1 - 8

Best Yu-Gi-Oh! Fic
– Yu-Gi-Oh!: Virtual Disaster by starjake - 9

Best Nonfiction/Alternate Fandom Fic
– Quest of Twelve by Lady Vulpix - 10
– The Fanfiction Documentary by mr_pikachu - 14
– War of the Forums by mr_pikachu - 5
– Affair by dratinihaunter13 - 8
– Albel the Wicked by Cadmus - 5
– The af;lkjglk;uer Chronicles by PsiUmbreon - 2

Best Description
– Lisa the Legend by Gavin Luper - 7
– Communication by Sike Saner - 11
– Finding Courage by Saffire Persian - 13

Best Writing Style
– Lisa the Legend by Gavin Luper - 10
– Beware the Fury of a Patient Man by Weasel Overlord - 6
– Paint by Gavin Luper - 9
– All You Wanted by Saffire Persian - 8

Best Plot
– Morphic by Dragonfree - 16
– War of the Forums by mr_pikachu - 8
– The Pokémon Masters League by Chris 2.1 - 14

Best Short Story
– All You Wanted by Saffire Persian - 11
– Beware the Fury of a Patient Man by Weasel Overlord - 7
– Sincerely, by Saffire Persian - 3
– Hounds of Goldenrod by Goodnight Seadra - 7
– Victory or Death by Griff4815 - 5

Best Poem
– Riffed by Gavin Luper - 10
– Cocoon by mistysakura - 12
– Suspended by dratinihaunter13 - 7
– an invitation by Cadmus - 9

Best Overall Setting
– Tiponi, Dæmon League Quester by eevee-shayna - 6
– Communication by Sike Saner - 8
– Albel the Wicked by Cadmus - 7
– Honor Among Thieves by PsiUmbreon - 3

Best New Fic
– Politics by Darien Shields - 12
– Finding Courage by Saffire Persian - 12
– Albel the Wicked by Cadmus - 9

Best E-zine Article
– Viva Imaginary Friends by mistysakura - 12
– A Writer's Life by Lady Vulpix - 12
– Conversations with the Stars – Wolfsong by Lady Vulpix - 3
– Fanfiction: The Legal Paradox by mr_pikachu - 12


Fic Moments (Parts of Fanfics)

Best Moment
– The elevator doors open, Lisa the Legend by Gavin Luper - 10
– Lawson kills the enemy soldier, Finding Courage by Saffire Persian - 13

Best Plot Twist
– Reaper and Gaijin, Scattered Lights by classy_cat18 - 8
– Brian mentioning the gods told him who the next moderator should be, War of the Forums by mr_pikachu - 9
– Solonn’s transformation, Communication by Sike Saner - 11

Best Battle Scene
– Axel vs. Nia, Hemisphere by classy_cat18 - 7
– Gregg with Glaceon vs. Liang with Sceptile, The Pokémon Masters League by Chris 2.1 - 8

Most Emotional Moment
– Did I see you? Sincerely, by Saffire Persian - 7
– Cross leaving Rema for the first time, Hounds of Goldenrod by Goodnight Seadra - 8
– Becca and Rachel talking about their mother's death, The Pokémon Masters League by Chris 2.1 - 9

Funniest Moment
– Albel gets a room, Albel the Wicked by Cadmus - 10
– George Clooney being caught, The af;lkjglk;uer Chronicles by PsiUmbreon - 2
– "Why did you ban Master Balls?!" the boy shrieked. "I could have caught Moltres! MOLTRES!" Politics by Darien Shields - 11
– Tony stopping Ricardo the Golem from using Metronome, Minty Thrill by DragoKnight - 4

Best Chapter
– Chapter 62 – Union Supremacy, Lisa the Legend by Gavin Luper - 8
– Chapter 7, Morphic by Dragonfree - 7
– Chapter 51 – Round Four (Part 2): Aragornbird VS Hanada Tattsu, The Pokémon Masters League by Chris 2.1 - 6

Best Quote
– "Think about Moriko's condition when she's minus her limbs!" Ripper, Scattered Lights by classy_cat18 - 9
– "He'd heard that back in the first war, when they were in the trenches, if you popped your head up you'd get shot in the face. All the rank and file soldiers had to chance it to see what was going on. But the captain- he was smart. He was issued with a little stick of glass and metal. A simple periscope. Easy enough to poke up without getting hit by a flamethrower or a thunderbolt. And yet in the world of politics, it was the other way around. It was the leader who somehow always had his head above the trench, ready to be lobbed off by any passing Scyther," Narrator, Politics by Darien Shields - 13
– "Don’t listen to them. I’ve told you, they’re batshit insane. You’d get more sense out of Babelfishing a Kadabra on crack. Just don’t even try," Dave Ambrose, Morphic by Dragonfree - 22

Best Introduction
– The monologue about reality, Yu-Gi-Oh!: Virtual Disaster by starjake - 10
– Prologue, Finding Courage by Saffire Persian - 7
– Albel the Wicked by Cadmus - 6
– The af;lkjglk;uer Chronicles by PsiUmbreon - 4



Characters (People and Creatures in Fanfics)

Best Character in a Leading Role
– Ai, All You Wanted by Saffire Persian - 6
– Solonn, Communication by Sike Saner - 8
– Kian, Albel the Wicked by Cadmus - 7
– Dave Ambrose, Morphic by Dragonfree - 8

Best Character in a Supporting Role
– Medwin, Tiponi, Dæmon League Quester by eevee-shayna - 8
– Master of Paradox, War of the Forums by mr_pikachu - 4
– Nate, ~Measure of a Trainer - Secrets of Kultran~ by ShadowPikachu - 5
– Lucia, Honor Among Thieves by PsiUmbreon - 7

Best Villain
– Isaac Daniels, Morphic by Dragonfree - 15
– Badr, Hounds of Goldenrod by Goodnight Seadra - 7
– Pichu/Thomas, The Pokémon Masters League by Chris 2.1 - 8

Best Romantic Relationship
– Akari and Tohno, Sincerely, by Saffire Persian - 12
– You and I, Affair by dratinihaunter13 - 13

Best Friendship
– Tiponi and Medwin, Tiponi, Dæmon League Quester by eevee-shayna - 10
– Solonn and Morgan, Communication by Sike Saner - 6
– Drezdk and Talvoc, Victory or Death by Griff4815 - 7

Best Rivalry
– Ripper and Reaper, Scattered Lights by classy_cat18 - 13
– Dark Sage and Master of Paradox, War of the Forums by mr_pikachu - 8

Funniest Character
– Albel, Albel the Wicked by Cadmus - 13
– Tony Chambers, Minty Thrill by DragoKnight - 10

Most Disturbing Character
– Mia Kerrigan, Morphic by Dragonfree - 13
– Alastair, Beware the Fury of a Patient Man by Weasel Overlord - 9
– Isaac Daniels, Morphic by Dragonfree - 10



Member Awards (Fanficcers)

Best Writer
– Gavin Luper - 13
– Goodnight Seadra - 7
– dratinihaunter13 - 14
– mistysakura - 5
– Chris 2.1 - 6

Best New Writer
– Cadmus - 10
– Sike Saner - 6
– Goodnight Seadra - 4
– Griff4815 - 7

Most Dedicated Writer
– PsiUmbreon - 4
– Goodnight Seadra - 9
– mr_pikachu - 7
– Houndoom_Lover - 6
– Dragonfree - 7

Most Improved Writer
– Dragonfree - 15
– Goodnight Seadra - 11
– ShadowPikachu - 7

Best Reader
– Sike Saner - 11
– Shuppet Master - 2
– Crystalmaster Mike - 5
– mr_pikachu - 10
– mistysakura - 5

Most Well-Rounded Member
– mistysakura - 4
– Houndoom_Lover - 1
– Lady Vulpix - 8
– Sike Saner - 9
– mr_pikachu - 11



Community Awards (Fanficcers)

Biggest Drama Queen/King
– Houndoom_Lover - 3
– OzAndrew - 9
– Blademaster - 15
– mr_pikachu - 6

Most Likely to Become a Couple
– Samchu and eevee-shayna - 7
– mr_pikachu and Gavin Luper - 9
– Weasel Overlord and Roy Karrde - 6
– Lady Vulpix and OzAndrew - 8

Least Likely to Become a Couple
– Master of Paradox and Dark Sage - 9
– classy_cat18 and Dark Sage - 2
– Darien Shields and Houndoom_Lover - 4
– mr_pikachu and Charles Legend - 15

Least Likely to Have an Iota of Fun in Life
– Darien Shields - 9

Most Likely to Take Over TPM
– Lady Vulpix - 8
– mr_pikachu - 11
– Roy Karrde - 4

Nicest Fanficcer
– Sike Saner - 9
– Goodnight Seadra - 3
– Lady Vulpix - 11
– Houndoom_Lover - 6
– mistysakura - 6
– Saffire Persian - 4

Worst Writer’s Block
– Blademaster - 10
– eevee-shayna - 8
– Chris 2.1 - 6

Funniest Fanficcer
– DragoKnight - 11
– Houndoom_Lover - 5
– Sike Saner - 2
– OzAndrew - 8
– PsiUmbreon - 7

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A special congratulations to Dragonfree, who won a much-deserved Awards Award with 7 pencils won this season! Well done on being the top dog at the 2008 Silver Pencils, Dragonfree!

Congratulations too to all our category winners, who are displayed below, and to all nominees, voters and participants!

See you all at the Golden Pens this December!

Cheers!

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List of Award Winners:

Dragonfree - 7 awards
mr_pikachu - 6 awards
Gavin Luper - 4 awards
Saffire Persian - 4 awards
Sike Saner - 4 awards
Darien Shields - 3 awards
Blademaster - 2 awards
Cadmus - 2 awards
Chris 2.1 - 2 awards
Dratinihaunter13 - 2 awards
Eevee-shayna - 2 awards
Lady Vulpix - 2 awards
Mistysakura - 2 awards
Starjake - 2 awards
Charles Legend - 1 award
Classy_cat18 - 1 award
DragoKnight - 1 award
Goodnight Seadra - 1 award