Of course, Shinmaru wasn't the only person to do some holiday-based writing. The other judges and I had our own favourites and top picks. Now seeing as we evidently all felt the same way about a lot of stories, I've just chosen to group them all together into one list rather than the individual judge's lists (of course, said-judges should feel free to express their favourites here and elsewhere all they wish).
So that said, here (in alphabetical order) are the Editor's Picks for theOtaku.com's 2008 Halloween Writer's Jam:
- "A Bleachy Halloween" by red tigress: A Bleach fanfic about Ichigo and Renji and their adventures on Halloween night. Awkward parties and possibly zombies serve as settings for some very amusing banter between two jerks being jerks to each other.
- - Doonys - "Halloween Horrors" by Axel Alloy: Axel Alloy's presents her thoroughly thought-out world and characters, but gives us but a glimpse of the mad antics her characters seem to experience on a daily basis. That the judges had to wonder whether this was an actual aired series or not for a while speaks volumes to her style.
- - "Halloween!" by Haru 93: A girl sets out for a scary story night with friends in the woods, and she has promised herself that she will definitely not run screaming. Genre-savvy readers may see where this story is headed, but the execution remains top-notch.
- - "The Mediocrity of Ace O'Turney" by Aceburner: a classic horror setting turned on its head as familiar members of theO find themselves caught in Ace's mad imagination. Crackfic at its most extreme, there are random references and non-sequitors and a whole slew of internet (a little too much for my own personal taste), but y'know, the man does know how to tell a funny yarn.
- - "The Soul Collector" by jannycats: For a rhyming poem, jannycats' submission holds its format very well and tells a very memorable story along the way. A very traditional form for these sorts of stories, this poem was high on the lists of several judges.
- - "White Halloween" by asialonewolfe: Again, a story ranking high on all the judges' lists. Extremely powerful description, fine writing form and a compelling, well-paced story that leaves readers extremely satisfied in the end.
High congratulations, you guys. You've totally earned it, and we all wish you all the laud and praise you rightly deserve. Thanks!
And yes! There's still more...
