Yes I assume the stick a pin method was mostly tongue in-cheek since it defeats the purpose of the award. But I know the feeling when it's all but impossible too chose between two stories.
Last year after I read the nominees I took out my favourites and it so happened that two authors came out on top multiple times. Which made me wonder if I was fair or simply a part of the herd.
So I had to reread and forced myself to spread the graces. It’s strange how stories that didn’t feel that smoking the first time quickly become favourites when I searched for the good things. I find voting especially hard when you have an author that features with lots of great stories, yet none that are my absolute favourite in any category. It feels totally unfair to not recognize this in some fashion. So I can juggle my choice from this too. This could lead to a consolation vote in a category that I didn’t see any really outstanding stories.
When I was faced with a genuine stick a pin/coin toss choice. I generally went with the less recognized author.
What generally appeals to me is verisimilitude( getting the characterisation right so that you believe they are real and sketching out the world around the protagonists.), Cleverness (Twist in the A or B plot that I are exciting and feels non-gratuitous). Dialogue(I can ignore many bad things for cracking dialogue). Then there is outstanding language, a select few authors write prose like poetry, which can suck me in like vacuum.
I almost never read alt world, or kid/ next generations stories ,or cross overs ( but gladly elseworld), so I don’t vote in those categories.
