First, my thanks to K-Com.
There's a ton of work involved in this but it provides so much fun for the rest of us. Not to mention the special acknowledgment it gives to some of our writers.
But ( and I do apologize for this) I'd like to ask for a reconsideration of the dropped category:
Best Relationship Story (over 50k): B-plot driven stories which focus mainly on Lois & Clark's relationship. No tone or timeline restrictions. Might include "getting together" scenarios, or focus on their developing relationship, either before or after marriage."
(Kerth site)
"Lois and Clark" was a series about the relationship and so this particular category always seemed a symbolic representation of that focus. Besides, sometimes you read a longer story and just beam afterwards because it has been such a great exploration of the relationship. Not much of an A plot if any, stock secondary characters, but who cares? - it was a well written relationship piece and you're a happy camper
On the other hand Drama has the other stuff too - you get caught up in the plot and are interested to see how that plot will affect our Lois and Clark, interested in the interplay between all the characters in the story. And at the end, you sit back - very satisfied by a "tale well told".
Of course, a story can fit both (true for most long stories: they fit more than one category), but while it could be especially great as a relationship story, it's not as strong as a drama. So it'll get overlooked. And vice versa.
The two are quite different types of stories - apples and oranges, so to speak
There are fewer longer stories, I know, but it takes so much time to write a longer story so it would be nice to honour an additional 'long-fic' writer
Looking at it selfishly, too, the removal of "Relationship" makes it difficult for me as a nominator. Now I'm forced to choose between that relationship fic that left me feeling so blissful, and the drama that got me so caught up. That's a hard choice to make.
Reading this over, I think I've expressed myself pretty poorly. What do others think about this category issue, I wonder?
But, once again, I want to repeat how much I appreciate what the K-Com has done and is about to do for us.
