Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Announcement: Slash Backslash 2.0 Winners!




The Winners are In!



All entries are HERE. The FFn Profile for SBS is HERE.

On June 25th, Slash Backslash 2.0 began accepting entries. What can we say? We just had so much friggin fun the first time around, and so much awesomeness came out of it that we couldn't help ourselves! We said, "We need more, yes?" Yes.

But we got judges this time.

I can not even begin to sing the praises of this panel. I've hosted a few contests, and I gotta say, these gals were on the ball 100% and I was so impressed with their enthusiasm. They are just amazing authors, wonderful ficsters, fun people, and all around AWESOME. We had so much fun doing this, though, for real. It was a blast. A BLAST! Will there be a SBS3?

>:)

But whatever, enough of me getting super fluffy, you wanna see the winners, y/y? We want you to remember that our goal in picking winners and awards is to FOREMOST provide a good, solid, fun reading list. Because of this, we don't recognize the same story twice. So even if someone won or was nominated for another award, if they already had one, we went to the next person in line to recieve it. The heirarchy went like this: Public Voting --> Judges' Scoring --> Special Categories --> Honorable Mentions. So it is possible that someone who won the Open Vote also won a Special Category, etc.
Finalists!
These are the fics that made it to the finals! Both public and Judges Scoring.
OPEN VOTING WINNERS!
Summary:
Entry for Slash Backslash 2.0: Jasper uses his music to cope with the pain of unrequited love, hinting in song at how he feels about his bass player. When the time comes to say it more clearly, can he? M for lemons/language. AH.
Why French Beans Loved It:
I Just Have to Ask is one of the most beautifully writtennstories I have ever read. It follows a band on tour and frontman Jasper’s longing, heartbreak ,and resolution as he struggles with his feelings for their bassist, Edward. It’s full of atmosphere,stages, screaming fans, and lyrics, but this doesn’t read like a band fic. The tour is the setting,not the focus, and the story shows the grittier side of the lifestyle: the curfews, the physical tollperforming each night can take, and the synergy of a band. It feels realistic.
The writing . . . I kind of want to make out with EchoesOfTwilight. Seriously. I wish I couldwrite like this. The style is lyrical, the perfect voice for a songwriter, and every scene resonatedwith me, making me feel Jasper’s anguish, his emptiness.
There’s so much more I want to say, but I’m worried I’ll ruin the journey for anyone who hasn’thad a chance to enjoy this. Let’s just say, it really got to me . . . like that.
Just like that.
Summary:
In small-town Alabama, a new doctor and his wife arrive, bringing their teenage son, a boy with tattoos and piercings and no sense of modesty about his body. Most in town shun the boy…except for one teenager, for whom curiosity and new attraction outweigh the expectations of his family and neighbors
Why Starfish422 Loved This:
I identified with Jasper’s upbringing in a strict religious home, with parents who judged people based on appearances. I understand having an irresistible draw to a person who is, as far as others are concerned, off limits; yearning to ‘shake the dust of this crummy little town off my feet’ and get out from under an oppressive home life; and the consequences and rewards of taking that chance.
In Edward, I loved how he balanced his own refusal to conform to the standards of that little microcosm of society, against knowing when it was important for Jasper to continue keeping up his appearance for the sake of his own safety. I loved that it was okay for them to be best friends until they were both in a place where something more was possible. I even loved the ending, as neatly wrapped up as it was. I think Lou-La did a fantastic job telling this story and I look forward to more from this author. Congrats, Lou-La! - Katie Starfish


Third Place:
Stay by avioleta

Summary:
A literature student. A biology professor. A few works of fiction. And a lot of black tea. 'We should have sex.' 'What on earth for' Edward rolled his eyes. 'Should I make you a chart? I know. A list. I write you a list.' AH, E/C, SLASH, Rated M.
Why Capricorn75 loved this:
Avioleta brings her story to life, and leaves the reader feeling as though they are a part of the story, and not merely reading words on a screen. The story revolves around Edward, a college student, and Carlisle, a professor at the university (don’t worry, nothing naughty going on here- Edward is not in any of his classes). The relationship builds slowly but strongly between the two- from strangers, to acquaintances, to friends, to more. But how much are they each willing to vest in the other? You’ll have to read to find out.
I normally read slash for the hot lemons, but this story is so much more than that. Avioleta has a powerful way with words. She uses a lot of them- this story clocks in at just under 10K. But not a word is wasted- she puts each one to good use and creates a warm cocoon that wraps the reader up in Oldlisle and Youngward’s journey. I’m not a writer by any means (and I think this summary proves that!), but if I was then this is the quality of story I would strive to write.
JUDGES' SCORING WINNERS

Summary:
Seth hadn't meant to fall. He'd seen time and time again what love did to people. But then things changed - friendships were formed and a love evolved in all the wrong conditions. A series of vignettes into the life and pain of Seth Clearwater. AU SLASH
Why Einfach Mich loved this:
Sareisle gives us a heart-wrenching tale of self discovery, and unrequited love. In this story we witness the frightening and life changing process of a young boy discovering that he is gay. This is Seth Clearwater, the hopeful, loving boy you know and love from canon. He is funny, sarcastic, and completely shaken when he realizes that not only that he's gay, but he's in love with his best friend.
I have a tender spot in my heart for well written coming out stories, not to mention stories of unrequited love. The Ungraceful Art of Falling is devastatingly realistic in its portrayal of Seth's heartbreaking journey. It reaches inside your chest, and rips out your heart, and reminds you what it really means to want with every partial of your being.

Summary:
Jasper is a man’s man, someone unashamed of his sexuality, but nevertheless closeted at work, because he values his privacy so strongly. A work function held in an unusual venue, at a traditional Japanese tea room, introduces him to Momo, a geisha who, as Jasper soon realizes, is being played by a man.
Why Starfish loved this:
The devil of this story, for me, is in the details. I could perfectly understand the allure of one seemingly insignificant detail about Momo’s costume, the thing that drew Jasper in, had him reconsidering his “type” of man. Polkadotmomma has shown proficiency in navigating the fine line between lush detail and purple prose. I loved the descriptions of Momo’s outfits, her femininity and the comparisons with the man inside. The anniversary lovemaking scene was beautiful. Hot and sexy, and tremendously well-done. Congrats, Polkadotmomma!

Summary:
It's Riley's birthday and Edward wants to help him celebrate properly. Entry for the Slash Backslash One-Shot Contest. Rated M for language and adult content. AH/OOC/Slash
Why TuesdayMidnight loved this:
This story could win the award for "Writer Whose Sex Life I'm Most Jealous Of," because damn, this was written from a TwiBoy who most definitely knows what he is doing. The writing is impeccable, descriptive and centers on a common theme I, for one, truly appreciate - porn. And how! There's blowjobs and rimming and fucking, oh my!
It all begins with a wank, as Riley celebrates his birthday by watching yet another video of his favorite porn star - Hale Storm. Riley is then transported by his roommate Edward to a party full of hedonistic delights. Seth, Paul and Jacob get in on the action, and as Riley and Edward watch these three naughty exhibitionists enjoy one another's company, none other than Hale Storm himself appears. He and Edward team up to give Riley a birthday present worth remembering, and successfully made this reader all hot and bothered.
Here's hoping TwiBoy considers writing a Hale Storm spinoff! Pretty please? ;)
SPECIAL CATEGORY WINNERS

Summary:
"This is all wrong, it even feels wrong but fuck, it feels good." A night of firsts for Edward and Jasper… Written for the Slash Backslash 2.0 Contest. AH/AU
Why Pastiche Pen loved this:
First, it's amazing comedy, i.e., spit-your-drink funny, giggle-shits, etc. It's also deliciously hot, like in the kinkiest high school fantasy sort-of-way. So, to begin: Edward catches Bella cheating on him. This makes him very sad. A screaming episode and a handle of vodka later, Edward finds his party over, and he's all alone in his house, drowning his sorrows with his best friend Jasper. Because they’re drunk and handsy they do what they're supposed to do—they wrestle. Sometimes blow jobs just happen. That doesn't make you gay. But then, what about accidental gay sex? Well, dear reader, you'll have to read...
Needless to say, McFearless brings out the champion in every slashy reader. Thus, Thank you lovely TeamBella23, and we really hope you, um, pull an Edward, dump Bella, and permanently switch to our team. ~salutes~

Summary:
Edward and Jacob thought they had forever, but sometimes happily-ever-afters don't turn out as expected. Angsty wolf/vamp slash for Slash Backslash V2. AU. OOC. M for adult content and mature themes.
Why Einfach Mich loved this:
Sweetp-1 doesn't bother to convince you that Edward and Jacob is a viable pair. She instead shows you that their love is an inevitability. As the Moon calls to the tides love, in its undeniable power draws these two unlikely lovers together. Tears in the Snow is a AU stories that never forgets the world of Twilight even as it defies it with graceful and elegant prose. As it weaves a spell, showing us that love is truly a wondrous gift, it tears out our heart by showing us the realist consequence of eternal life.
It would be an understatement to say that this story left it impression on me. I carried with me long after I read it. Even now I'm haunted by the tragic beauty of Edward and Jacob's story. This clever, and masterfully written one shot has more than earned its title as Best Heart fail.

Summary:
Entry for the Slash Backslash Contest 2.0* The meadow, a meteor shower, two men in love and the family they made. Edward makes a wish on a falling star and decides it's time to take what he wants.
Why Frenchbeanz loved this:
Shooting Stars can claim to be the only fluff fic to make me tear up. Me. Tear up. From fluff. I know!
The pairing is Edward and Emmett, and they go camping—a setting perfect for Em pranks and hawt outdoors secks, yes? You couldn’t be more wrong. Instead of going at it like bare hares, E is all worried about whether or not he packed enough, mentally listing everything they need and what they possibly left behind. Meanwhile, Em is playing with the kids. (Oh yes, I said kids. Stay with me here.)
What I really like is the way it presents a normal family. They have all the same mundane, domestic chores to do, all the same anxieties about their kids. The only difference is these two aren’t allowed to get married.
When you listen to E’s dreams and wishes, you realize how unfair—and frankly, heartbreaking—it is that this just isn’t an option for them. Not yet. And maybe not for a very long time. Shooting Stars is a sweet story that illustrates just how ridiculous it is to withhold the right to marry from a clearly loving family.


Most Anticipated Continuation:
The X Games by TwistedforTwilight


Summary:
My entry for the SLASH/BACKSLASH 2.0 contest. Skatesper competes in The X Games. ExJ AH/Slash - M for Mature Audiences Only.
Why AngstGoddess loved this:
Twistedfortwilight really built a world here. I loved her Jasper, and I was instantly captivated by her Edward and their connection. I don't really know much about skateboarding, but I never felt confused or weighed down by specifics. Yet... I never felt like the premise was half-assed either. She really set the stage with The X-Games event, but what really got me, I'll admit, was the twist. I'm a sucker for twists, and I never saw this one coming. You don't go into reading a skater fic expecting to have your gut ripped open, but this one will do just that. And it'll stay with you. And you'll find yourself awake at two in the morning wondering... what the fuck ever happened to Jasper? I have to know. I HAVE TO KNOW!
Which is why when we tried with all our might to break the tie for "Most Anticipated Continuation," I said, nuh uh no way. Not giving this one up. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PRY IT FROM MY DEAD, COLD FINGERS, SHANNON. And she was like, "Oh, well, let's just leave the tie," and I was all, ~okay happy skatersper sam~. I just have a special place in my heart for stories that can resonate with me, and this one... well, it's in there, all nestled and comfy and WAITING FOR A CONTINUATION, NO PRESSURE OR ANYTHING JSJSJSJS.


Most Anticipated Continuation:
The Kindness of Strangers by VampiresHaveLaws


Summary:
There are warm hearts and tainted souls. "He smiles too much. Or maybe it's just that I don't do it enough." The kindness of strangers - no good deed goes unpunished. Entry for the Slash Backslash 2.0 contest.
Why Pastiche Pen loved this:
I did a half-cringe when I heard that this was a homeless!Edward fic. I was worried that it was going to be fluffy (P thinks fluff is Satan's hairspray) or worse yet, really sad, bleak heart fail. BUT NO. It was edgy—and smart—and somehow, chock full of UST, while still managing to earnestly tell the tale of street-kid!Edward. What really makes this work is Edward's gritty perspective. He gets people. He's seen too much not to. Kindness begins when Carlisle brings Edward home after catching him snooping around the hospital where he's a doctor.
Carlisle (in-character) puts on the guise of a do-gooder humanitarian—but Edward sees through the facade. Edward sees the way that Carlisle looks at him. He sees the desire behind the feigned reluctance. He acts on it. The consequences of Edward's seduction are in a word—explosive. (lol) Bella gets involved. (She's Carlisle's kid.)
This story is so tightly wound and amazing—that WE ALL WANT MORE. We want to see Edward's heart dusted off from all that dirt and grit. We want to see him get off sad street. We would really, really like to hear more "details" about that er thirteen-year-old exploration with Jasper... Basically, no pressure, but ~stomp-stomp~ there's more to be told here, and with this wonderful plot already so aching to be expanded (pun. pun. pun.), we'd really like a continuation of this brilliance. :-D
HONORABLE MENTIONS

Summary:
SLASH BACKSLASH 2.0 entry! Could there be any greater happiness than looking in someone's eyes and knowing they were meant for you? A twenty-drabble story of loneliness and love at first sight.
Why Pastiche Pen loved this:
: In a word, this fic is gorgeous. On the writing scale, it has this ephemeral, knock-you-off-your-feet head rush aspect, and at the same time, it manages to do what so many other fics fail at. It tells a damned sweet story. Carlisle, having just lost a patient, goes to a bar where he meets Edward. Both of these men are looking for something meaningful, and there's this secret joy that happens when they discover each other.
And the prose. It ain't purple. It's just beeeautiful. So pretty. Some of those lines just stabbed me in the gut with their simple hopefulness. Thank you, Subtlepen, for this sweet little escape.

Summary:
ENTRY FOR SLASH BACKSLASH 2.0. It's laundry day at Edward's, & the laundry room is the dirtiest place in the house. If the spin cycle's a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'. Or do, if you're Jasper. Rated M, obviously.
Why AngstGoddess loved this:
: "Gay men like ass." Well, I am a sucker for realism, what can I say? This one-shot begins with Edward walking in on his brother, Emmett, porking Rose on top of their washing machine. You know what really gets me about this Edward? He is gay, but not like, vag fluff cry a lot sassy jazz hands musical loving lolz this was so written by a woman who has no idea what men are like kind of gay, but just a normal dude who just so happens to love him some dick. And he's just so... adorable! And funny. Yeah, Edward's personality, his inner voice, is what sells me on this. It was so much fun being inside his head that I didn't want to leave. Jasper is Rosalie’s brother who, after getting into a scuffle at a bar and being rescued by Emmett, follows them back to where he and Edward live. E/J meet in the most entertaining of ways: Jasper butt naked in the laundry room, pilfering Edward's boxers from the dryer (Emmett said he could?). The UST is thick thick thick, and well.... we loved the shit out of it. Definitely one of the funniest reads in the contest. In fact, I might have to go read it again. Right now. You should too, because this blurb isn't doing it a fraction of the justice it deserves.

Summary:
The one where things come out in the dark: Jasper drags Edward camping, but they both end up surprised by what comes out at night. AH, Rated M. Entry for the Slash Backslash 2.0 contest.
Why Capricorn75 loved this:
: this is a great one-shot for when you just want to sit back, chill, have a beer, read a fic and have a few laughs. The characters are real and well-written, but not so deep that you can’t identify with them. The laughs are plentiful, but not at the expense of the reader’s- or character’s- intelligence.
In this story we’re going hiking and camping with outdoorsy Jasper, and his best friend—vegetarian, anal-retentive, germaphobe, scaredy-cat Edward. The author has created two fun dudes that I would love to hang out with. It’s easy for the reader to deduce that J has feelings for his bud. Edward is clueless (but that doesn’t mean he’s dumb). Luckily, after the world’s funniest peeing episode and a UST-y tent scene (Brokeback Twilight, anyone?) our boys come clean with one another- and then proceed to get a little dirty together ;-)

Summary:
I hate this place. Of all the places I go and all the places I've been, it's the worst. The only thing that makes it bearable is Jasper's presence. Slash. M. Jasper/Edward. Written for the Slash Backslash contest.
Why TuesdayMidnight loved this:
: Rarely in the world of Twific does a story so beautifully cross the line into another genre like science fiction, and that's exactly what this story achieves. As a self-proclaimed sci-fi geek, I was immediately sucked into this story as Edward finds himself stuck in a bland cell, emaciated and head shaven and then thinks: "I've been coming here more often and I don't know why." I immediately wanted to know more. What is this place? Why is Edward here? Why is he familiar with it? How did he get here? How can he leave?
Possible answers to these questions are deftly woven into the story as it unfolds. The reader finds out that Edward has been shifting between alternate worlds since his thirteenth birthday. Each world is unique and intriguing in itself, but what is most compelling about this tale is that, in a way, it's a love story. The one and only constant thing in all the worlds Edward shifts between is Jasper. He appears in every world, and he is the one who begins to question the differences in Edward's behavior as his shifting begins to increase in frequency. Though the nature of their relationship also shifts between worlds, the connection between them truly transcends dimension.
Kudos to Adair7 for writing such a gorgeous and unique story.

You All Rock!

Aren't we all winners in this?

Absolutely.

Super huge thanks to everyone who entered. All the entries were amazing, and if giving 63 awards didn't defeat the purpose of the contest, we'd give em, because every story deserves one.Too much awesome to even begin explaining, really. I coulkd try, but... I'd bore you with a bunch of little words. Thank God we had judges to help us blurb these this round...

SPEAKING OF JUDGES!

To Starfish422, TuesdayMidnight, Einfach Mich, FrenchBeanz, and Capricorn75: You gals really made this round so great. Thanks so much for all the time you put into reading, scoring, blurbing, conversing about tentacle!slash/emo gay porn, and just being generally amazing, smart, and fun women. You've already played your respectful parts in making the slashfic community diverse and fantastic with your stories, and to have you judging this contest is truly an honor and a privelege we've never taken for granted. We can't say thanks enough!

And thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, voted, and supported the contest. You're all super!

Love,
Sam [slash] Shannon
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