Award Poll: The Depth of Character Award 2021

November 16, 2021, 10:51:11 AM

This award is bestowed on a writer who demonstrated extraordinary character development and depth of writing. The character's plot goals are long-term with life-altering changes.

The poll will run for 3 days, in which those who cast their vote should always take their time to read the linked scenes first. The award should be based on the award criteria and not because you personally like the nominee(s) overall. The nominee(s) who get the most votes will receive the Depth of Character Award. If you are a Nominee, you may not vote on yourself.

Here are the nominations, with more information on the nominated writers & threads:

NOMINATION 01: STEGRO88

Forum Name of Nominee: @Stegro88
Reason for Nomination: "I really want to highlight one of the sim's best character writers. He has a lot of them, and maintaining the level of quality that Steg does is no mean feat."
Motivation & Links:
Material Girls
What Course Shall We Set?
Septenary Medical Wing
"I think that more than anyone over the past year or so, Stegro's characters (specifically Donna, Mickayla and Samala) have all experienced considerable changes. Donna has been wrestling with a personality split, Mickayla has been embracing her new personal freedom and her new Klingon status, while Samala has been grappling with her new life in uniform. All three are great examples of how creating a terrific character is only the first step. The real meat of the story comes from how those characters change the story, and how those characters themselves are changed by it. The relatively short IC duration of the Theurgy story makes dramatic character development difficult to write, but Stegro has been showing us all how it's done."

NOMINATION 02: SUMMERDAWN

Forum Name of Nominee(s): @Summerdawn
Reason for Nomination: "Summerdawn has been with the sim for a long while, and his character work definitely deserves recognition, particularly for what he's done lately."
Motivation & Links:
One Last Chance to Say Goodbye
"With K'Ren, Summerdawn has been on a roll. He's written her through a great deal, from marriage to parenthood to the loss of both, with all the grief and heartrending therein. SD could honestly be nominated for either award here, given how thoroughly alien K'Ren is, and I had to struggle with which category to throw him into, but this feels appropriate. SD is one of the writers whom I'm really excited to read when I see they've posted, and he has thrown his poor kitty through the grinder lately. I'm really looking forward to what shenanigans he has planned for her, just as soon as K'Ren is done turning Havenborn's brain and body into mush."

NOMINATION 03: ELLEN FITZ

Forum Name of Nominee(s): @Ellen Fitz
Reason for Nomination: "We started 'Notesharing and Nightcaps' as a meeting between two characters that simply traveled together on their way to Theurgy, and through that thread it was slowly revealed just how deep Enyd goes as a character. Every single post, I was looking forward to more and more, and getting to know that character just a little bit better."
Motivation & Links:
Notesharing and Nightcaps
"Through that IC discussion with Enyd, I was able to read through her mindset, her trauma, and her history in a natural and fluid way. None of it felt forced, and the revelations that were brought forward in that conversation continually kept the thread and character incredibly engaging. From her history on Cardassia, to her history with her ancestors, and the know-how that she brings to something as simple as the different kinds of horses, Enyd as a character always surprises me and drives me to read more and more about her. I really look forward to reading more. Her character has clear goals of trying to be a better officer with each passing day, and it's a joy to read her threads and watch the character slowly morph, despite her only being aboard for a short time. "

NOMINATION 04: STARDUST

Forum Name of Nominee(s): @stardust
Reason for Nomination: "The manner in which Stardust’s character, Samantha Rutherford, has evolved can appear subtle, but in reality, it’s at times quite drastic, and absolutely game-changing when you uncover the way she’s done it." Additionally: "Her profound and unrivaled skill with prose and poetic verbiage cannot be overstated, and when you take the time to read between the cracks, you really start to appreciate the brilliance of nuance and themes at work, and how insanely effective she uses an NPC to enhance her character."
Motivation & Links:
Operation ‘Spark’ - Betazed , ... Once it’s Gone, Two Moons & Pretty much everything she’s written with the character of Samantha Rutherford
Day 34 [1800 hrs.] Watermelon Sugar
"It’s funny, because I think the most drastic example of how Samantha Rutherford as a character has evolved, comes from a thread which doesn’t even directly involve Samantha Rutherford. Instead, it involves Sam’s ex-husband, Brody Miller; a former Starfleet Intelligence Operative sent on a mission to recover a fellow spy who’s gone off the reservation, as it were. It’s taken some time, but I’ve really come to understand how an NPC from Rutherford’s past, has had such an impact and effect on the main character said NPC is reliant upon. A lot of us use NPCs to help drive an active situation, as sort of background characters, but what Stardust has done with Body Miller, is tell an intricate tale, reflecting on a side of Samantha Rutherford that appears obscured, but in reality, is starring you right in your face the whole time. It’s incredible, and too an extent puts to shame our simplistic use of NPCs, especially if we’re using them as some sort of status booster for our main characters. It’s with Brody, Sam’s ‘deceased’ ex-husband, that we can see the long-lasting effects of such a loss in Sam, and how she is reticent to open herself up to others, yet at the same time is desperate for the love and affection she’s been missing since his loss. This right here is a master-class in how you extoll the long-lasting grief of a character. And I’m certain, that if you were to take the time to read the insane wealth of writing she has made since coming to Theurgy, which is vast, you’ll really pick up on the parts of Sam’s character that are a direct result of her past with Brody. It’s something I slowly came to understand over the course of writing with Stardust, and once I could see what was happening, how she had evolved because of Brody, it was a revelatory moment that made me swear out loud at how brilliant it is." Additionally: "Getting to be part of, and watching Samantha grow from a new officer, just looking to carve out a cubbyhole for Diplomacy, to the strong and guiding influence that she is over the Theurgy's mission today has been a true joy. The way that Stardust is able to approach her character provides a true context of reality, with a character that has real strengths and real flaws. An expert in her trade, and yet a novice at other matters of life, watching Stardust play her character, and contribute to the storyline in a real way, has encouraged me as a writer to increase the depth of my own character. Her word choice, and poetic use of proseful phrasing, sharp references, and the expression of true raw emotions through a continuing storyline, rather than in snapshots, has been a pleasure to follow."

NOMINATION 05: SWIFT

Forum Name of Nominee(s): @Swift
Reason for Nomination: "Reading Andrew and Kate is almost like watching a real person experience these things."
Motivation & Links:
Operation: 'Spark' - Betazed
Operation: 'Dinner Out'
"From the beginning, Swift has Worked to construct a character so immersive in Andrew Fisher that it is hard not to be impressed. His willingness to explore not only the positive but also the negative aspects of his characters lives, history and motivations is a inspiration to all of us in how we can better write our own characters and their internal, and external, growth and conflicts. I salute you, sir."

NOMINATION 06: BIPSPOON

Forum Name of Nominee(s): @BipSpoon
Reason for Nomination: "Exemplary adaption of an inherited character"
Motivation & Links:
EPI: S [D04 | 0100] Burn
"Taking on an inherited character is a unique challenge, in that the writer has both to honor the spirit of the character past played, as well as carry them on using their own creative vision. Cameron Henshaw is a character with a very deep history on sim. I've truly enjoyed reading how Bip has injected her own life into Cam, building on past and existing relationships, as well as exploring new threads with Nicander. Drawing on experience from Q'onos as a signals officer, to build a character that is growth focused, rather than grief focused has been a unique and refreshing read, expertly written by Bip."

Thank you in advance for your voting in this award category!

Best Regards,

Auctor Lucan