Best Narrative Description
::A young grey mouse with long wavy blond hair steps
out onto the stage and walks to the podium. Terry, Doohickey’s best friend from
The Wandering Feather and The Blessed Day, was wearing a form-fitting blue
dress with gold highlights that sparkled in the lights. In her right paw she is
carrying a sealed envelope::
Terry: [i]Hae’ ögwadeo’shö’![/i]
I’m pleased to be the one to present the Golden Acorn for Best Narrative
Description this year… especially because it gives me a reason to travel. I was
getting a little jealous of
Anyhow, ‘narrative description’ refers to how words serve to create a picture
or scene in the mind of reader, the best of such not only allowing the reader
to know what is taking place and where but even engenders in them a sense of
being present in the scene, exciting the senses beyond the mundane reality of
their actual lives and transporting them into another world.
The scenes in which this was felt most notably are:
‘Fin’s attack on the city’ from “Awakening” by Zaptifun
and Mr. Spumoni
‘The vault heist’ from “Diamonds in the Desert” by
“Dale’s Carrier Adventure - A Big Adventure” by HawkeyeNFO
“Requiem For A Reprobate” by Mr. Spumoni
‘The Cheese Checkers game’ from “Cheese Checkers” by iceberg210
‘Gadget saving the airliner’ from “‘Tomorrow’ Is For ‘Never’” by Gyrotank
“Tears For the Devil” by Bubble’s Big Brother
::She opens the envelope as she speaks::
Terry: The Golden Acorn for Best Narrative Description for 2008 goes to…hey,
it’s about to get crowded up here. We have Gyrotank for “Tomorrow is for
‘Never’”,
:: As soon as the winner's name is announced, almost all the floodlights are
turned off and only a handful of them illuminate the centre of the curtain with
dim grey light. Then the intro of Morten Harket's "Himmelske Danser" is heard, as well as slowly increasing hum of
something closely resembling jet engine::
::The curtain starts moving forward, the hum becomes almost intolerable and the spectators feel themselves present on the runway during 747's take-off. Suddenly the curtain moves to the sides and two bright flashlights beam through the shadows. Their bright light doesn't allow to see clearly what's behind them, but the massive oval shape looking almost identical to the 747 profile can be discerned, and the stirring curtain to the sides of it suggest the presence of long wings there::
::Just when the audience starts to wonder whether the Wonder has been refitted into aircraft carrier, the humming and the barely heard music abruptly stop and the lights go up again, revealing the massive hull of GYROTANK occupying the stage. Now it's obvious that the thing looking like 747's cockpit was in fact a rounded cap on his roof and the 'wings' were produced by the gyroframe passing through the curtain::
GYROTANK: Good evening, or, by
::The Russian members of the audience clap::
GYROTANK: It's hard to believe the entire year has passed since I was standing on the Radio City Music Hall stage receiving the award for "'Tomorrow' is for 'Never'" as Best Story in Russian. At that time I promised to make it available in English, too, and later that year it was done. English isn't my native language, so it was quite a task to adequately translate the depictions of all those horrors, erhm, undertakings I pulled the heroes of my story through.
That's why I want to heartily thank our emcee, Dr. Indy, for his offer to help me with the editing. When I sent him the first part of my fic for Cafe-friendliness evaluation, I couldn't even expect to get such assistance. Something tells me that if it hadn't been for his help and all the time he spent forging the raw text I sent him into a readable one, I wouldn't have been here now. So thank you again, for everything!
::The spotlight shifts to Dr. Indy at stage right, who merely nods at the applause. GYROTANK switches modes and, by filling the front air tanks with the pressurized air and then releasing it, bows to Indy, then switches back and goes on::
GYROTANK: I also want to thank everybody who read my story. While writing I try to describe the events and surroundings so as to make myself believing in what's going on here. Sometimes it was a real puzzle but your comments and this award tell me I did at least some things right. It really means much for me. Thank you!
::Zap
Tifun and Salazar Spumoni make their way to the
stage, waving to the audience, looking perhaps a little surprised but happy
with being selected for their Golden Acorn Awards!::
Spumoni: Wow.
Zap: Wow!
::They
take their Golden Acorns from the presenter and turn to the audience, raising
them high::
Zap (looking at Spumoni): Guess
we should say a few words, huh?
Spu (smiling at the crowd):
Sure, yeah, sure.
::There’s
a pause::
Spu: Zap, did you prepare a
speech in case we won?
::Zap
the flying squirrel gulps::
Zap: We…we would like to
thank those who supported Awakening and who made a point to read it every week.
It was great to be able to write this narrative, and
it was one that took us along with it as we wrote, almost revealing itself as
we went.
Spu: It was especially
gratifying for me to watch Zap grow as a writer, seeing his narrative abilities
grow over the months that we worked together was nothing less than impressive!
Zap and Spu:
Thank you so much!
::They
surprise each another with their simultaneous sentiment. Quickly recovering,
they hold up their Golden Acorns and the crowd applauds::
::Another
Golden Acorn is brought out!::
Spu: Hey Zap,
can you stay up here while I accept my Golden Acorn for Best Narrative in
Requiem for a Reprobate?
Zap: Oh, hey yeah, no problem
Spu. Do you need emotional support?
::The
crowd laughs::
Spu: No, Fat Cat was pretty
disappointed that he didn’t get the last one for himself, so just watch my back
in case he decides to argue the situation.
::Spumoni
takes hold of this other Golden Acorn, balancing both of them on his shoulders
to the best of his ability::
Spu: Thanks to all who
supported Requiem for a Reprobate. The narrative for
this one was pretty hard for me because I was trying to make a core villain of
the canon into a decidedly sympathetic, and humorous, figure in Fanon. I want
to especially thank…
Zap (alarmed): Spu!
::Spumoni,
who had jumped about a foot in the air, comes down scuttling about like a low
rat and dropping his awards::
Spu (eyes wide): What?!
Zap (grinning): Congratulations.
::A
pause::
Spu: Thank you.
::Spumoni
straightens his hair. He bows to Zap, then the audience,
and they leave the stage. Gyrotank grabs his award with the help of an
air-powered suction-plunger and drives backwards leaving the stage. Terry looks
out into the audience, looking for someone in particular then, finding that
particular someone, blows a kiss. She walks off the
stage with a broad smile::