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Msg# 10000

ADMIN: Categorization of Ficlets and Other Special Types of Stories Posted by Dawn Felagund June 04, 2009 - 20:14:27 Topic ID# 10000
This week's administrative post concerns the categorization of stories that occupy their own niches within the Tolkien fandom: non-fiction, Silmarillion-based stories, novels, and so on. Specifically, I will be looking at how ficlets are categorized, since this has changed for the 2009 awards.


CHANGES TO FIXED-LENGTH FICLET CATEGORIZATION FOR 2009 AWARDS

One of the most important categorization issues to understand concerns changes made this year to how ficlets are categorized. The MEFAs define a "ficlet" as a piece 1000 words or less. At exactly 100 words, drabbles are the best example. Ficlets may also be organized into "series," or groups of related ficlets. For example, a ficlet series might include five ficlets of exactly 200 words, each looking at the arrival of the Istari in Middle-earth from a different wizard's perspective.

In the past, ficlets and ficlet series have *only* competed against other ficlets and ficlet series. This often meant that ficlets and ficlet series competed against works very different from them in every other way ... except for the fact that they were all ficlets. For example, my series about about the Istari might compete against a series about the sons of Fëanor, a triple drabble about the early years of Sam and Rosie's marriage, a 400-word ficlet about Legolas's childhood, and a series about the drowning of Númenor because all of these authors chose "Drama" as their third category choice, and there were not enough ficlets in any of their first two category choices to categorize those stories there instead.

In order to remedy this situation, categorization of ficlets has changed a bit for the 2009 awards. Drabbles (exactly 100 words) and short drabble series will still compete *only* against other drabbles and short drabble series. Drabble series are considered "short" if they contain five or fewer items, although this is not a hard-and-fast rule. Authors of drabble series should discuss with their liaison where their piece fits best. Other ficlets and ficlet series now have a choice whether or not they'd like to compete only with other ficlets or whether they'd like to compete with works of all lengths.

For 2009, it is also important to note that the definition of "ficlet" has changed from 500 words or less to 1000 words or less, and ficlets do not have to be "fixed-length": Any individual story less than 1000 words, whether it aims for a particular word count or not, can compete as a ficlet if the author chooses. A series can compete against other ficlets if no part of that series exceeds 1000 words, even if the total word count is over 1000 words.

The question also arises at times about "mixed" ficlet series: that is, a series where the individual parts of the series are of varying lengths. For a ficlet series to compete with drabbles, *all* parts of the series must be drabbles. If the ficlet series contains drabbles in addition to other ficlets, the author has the choice of competing with other ficlets or with stories of all lengths.

If you decide that you would like your ficlet or ficlet series to compete only against other ficlets, you will need to choose "Genres: Ficlets" as your first-choice category, as well as two other categories of your choice. This will assure that you will compete *only* against other ficlets, even if they have nothing in common outside of being ficlets.

So, to recap, ficlets will be categorized in 2009 as follows:

-100 words exactly (drabble) --> competes only against other drabbles

-short drabble series --> competes only against other drabbles

-longer drabble series --> choose "Genre: Ficlets" *or* compete against pieces of all lengths

-ficlets between 101 and 1000 words --> choose "Genre: Ficlets" *or* compete against against pieces of all lengths

-ficlet series with items between 101 and 1000 words --> choose "Genre: Ficlets" *or* compete against against pieces of all lengths


*******************

CATEGORIZING OTHER "SPECIAL GROUPS"

Within the broad definition of "Tolkien fan fiction," there are other types of stories that often wish to compete with similar stories. For example, crossover stories involve story elements from Tolkien's works as well as another source material, such as the Harry Potter books or events from our Modern-earth history. Authors of crossovers often wish to compete against other crossover stories. Likewise, novelists often wish their stories to compete against other novels, alternate universe (AU) against other AU, Silmarillion stories against other Silmarillion stories, and so on.

How do you assure that your story will compete against others like it? The key is to carefully choose the categories in which you want your story to compete.

When filling out the story form, you have the opportunity to choose three categories for your story. These categories will determine the grouping in which your story will compete and, as such, choosing categories is important to assuring that your story is categorized appropriately. The first category you choose should be the category that you believe best fits your story; the second should be the second-best fit for your story, and so on. During categorization, the MEFA staff will do their best to see that your story competes in your preferred categories.

Therefore, if you want your story to compete against others of the same type, choose that as your first category choice. For example, for my hypothetical story about Frodo and Harry Potter questing together to destroy the One Ring, I might choose as a first category "Genres: Crossover." This will signal to the MEFA staff that I prefer my story to compete against other crossovers. If I want my romance story about Maedhros to compete with other Silmarillion stories, then I would choose as my first category "Times: First Age" rather than "Races: Elves," "Genres: Romance," or any other categories into which the story fits.

In addition, crossover stories that involve historical events from the real world may also choose Times: Modern Times as a category. This category covers everything after the canonical Fourth Age, and so stories that involve Modern-earth history often fit well in both Genres: Crossover and Times: Modern Times categories.

Remember, though that you will need to choose *three* categories, and these subsequent choices are also important, as your story may be categorized based on your second- or third-choice category. For example, imagine that only three stories include the category "Genres: Crossover" this year in their category choices. There are not enough stories, then, for crossovers to compete together. Perhaps you'd rather your story compete against other stories with Hobbits in them than other dramas or other stories set in the Third Age. In this case, you should choose "Races: Hobbits" as your second category and your next preferred category for the third.

The complete list of MEFA categories for 2009 and descriptions of each can be found here: <http://mefawards.net/MEFA2009/index.php?page=FAQcategories#cat_1>. It is often valuable to take a moment to read over the list, including the descriptions of those categories you think might be most relevant for your story, and jot down a list of those in which you would not mind competing. If you'd prefer to compete against stories of a specific type, list that as your first-choice category.

Finally, since stories don't always end up in their first-choice category, if the story is of a special type that is not immediately apparent based on how it ends up categorized, it is sometimes helpful to note this in the summary. For example, imagine that the Genres: Crossover category is not available for my story about Harry Potter and Frodo, and the story ends up in my second-choice category, which is Races: Hobbits. It is often useful to readers if the summary specifies that the story is a crossover. AUs are another type of story where notation in the summary helps the author to know what to expect of the story and, therefore, judge it more fairly.

For more information on how stories are categorized, see the MEFA Categorization FAQs: <http://mefawards.net/MEFA2009/index.php?page=FAQcategories>. Also, remember that your liaison is available to help you to figure out how best to categorize your story.