Jennifer Brozek | July 2015

It’s a Star!

This is the Scribe Award. I’m in love with this little statuette. Right now, it’s my most favorite award of all-time. Not because of what it is for—though I’m very proud of my YA Battletech novel—but because of what it represents.

On a professional level, it means a jury of my peers, who read and write tie-in fiction, judged it worthy of the award. That means a lot. On an personal level, it means I’m not a hack. I can write and affect readers. I do know what I’m doing. On an emotional level, it means I didn’t lose four awards in a row. No matter what happens with the ENnies and Hugos, I’m still an award winner in 2015.

I didn’t realize just how much was riding on the Scribe Award. It was the one I had the least stress about and was the award I was absolutely certain I would not win. I had already prepared myself to congratulated the winners and move on. Then I won and I felt 90% of the pressure from the ENnies and Hugos just melt away. The feeling is amazing and startling. I can relax now. I’d won one of the awards I was up for. Hurrah!

Sometimes, the littlest things mean the most.


This is what I wrote to accept the award for The Nellus Academy Incident. I’m really glad Matt Forbeck got to read it:

“Having grown up a military brat, I wanted to give Battletech fans an idea of where hard-bitten warriors come from. The military is a way of life and that starts when you’re a young dependent. Military kids grow up fast. I wanted to show this with The Nellus Academy Incident. I think I succeeded. Thank you to my editor, John Helfers, and to Jason Schmetzer who pushed me out my comfort zone. Thank you to my Battletech Thinktank group who helped me get the details of the story right. And thank you to the jury for this award. It is an honor.”

It looks good up there. I like it.

Gen Con Schedule 2015

If I’m not at one of these panel spots, I’m probably in the writers lounge area outside the Writer Symposium Rooms 243, 244, 245. Don't forget to ask for my Convention Story Card.

Thursday
11:00am – Signing in the Exhibit Hall


4:00pm – SEM1580472, How SFWA Can Help You, RM211
Whether or not you are a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, SFWA has the ability to help you with expert advice, tools, examples, & community outreach.

6:00pm – SEM1577164, Craft: RPG Tie-In Fiction, RM243
Learn about the tips & tricks authors use to write amazing fiction based on your favorite RPGs, & find out what it takes to write successfully in a shared world setting.

7:00pm – SEM1577168, Craft: Plotting for Short Fiction, RM243
Explore the differences when plotting short fiction VS novels, & learn tips and tricks that the pros use to create fantastic short story plots.

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Friday
11:00am – Signing in the Exhibit Hall


2:00pm – SEM1580463, Diversity in Gaming, RM210
Discrimination ordinances, Gamergate, & the expanding Geek culture emphasize the importance of diversity. This is an opportunity to brainstorm how we can make gaming more welcoming for everyone.

8:00 PM – ENnies 2015 Ceremony at the Union Station, Indianapolis, Indiana

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Saturday
10:00am – SEM1580486, Women in Games After Gamergate, RM211

In the wake of Gamergate, we'll explore what the industry is doing to help, how women are interacting differently & ways we as a community can support women as leaders in the evolving gaming world.

11:00am – SEM1577138, World Building: Flora, Fauna, and the Natural World, RM244
Nature & its denizens are crucial background elements in many genre stories. Learn how to subtly incorporate them into your story to make the reader's experience even more enjoyable.

7:00pm – SEM1577100, Writer’s Craft: Erotic Interludes, RM245
Explicit sex scenes are perhaps the easiest type of scene to write badly. Learn from the pros how to turn up the sexual heat without making your readers laugh mockingly.

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Sunday
Hanging outside the Writer Symposium Rooms 243, 244, 245 when I'm not in meetings.

More Thoughts On Awards

Tomorrow, the Scribe Awards happen at SDCC. This is not a convention I ever intend to go to. I’m not sure how I would deal with the crowds. However, it’s got me thinking about awards again. I’m up for four awards with three different styles of nominations and voting for the win.

The Scribe Awards is a juried nomination and awarding system. Both of my nominated works were sent into the jury who decided on whether or not it should be nominated. Then that same jury chose the winner. This way is probably the smallest number of people to nominate and vote on the win.

The ENnie Awards is a juried nomination system followed by a popular vote. My work, Chicks Dig Gaming: A Celebration of All Things Gaming by the Women Who Love It, was sent in to the jury who decided on which works should be nominated. From July 4-14, anyone and everyone can vote in the ENnies. You do not have to vote, nor are you expected to vote, on every category. Chicks Dig Gaming is listed under Best RPG Related Product. If you are going to vote in the ENnies, I’d appreciate any love you could throw my way.

The Hugo Award is a limited popular vote for the nomination and a limited weighted vote system for the win. Only people who were at/supported the previous world con or are going to/supporting the current worldcon can nominate. Only the people who are going to/supporting the current worldcon can vote in the Instant Runoff System.

Three very different types of voting systems for three different types of awards. I’m really not sure which one I like better. Awards are a strange thing. They can be something you shoot for. Or something that you are surprised with. Or, something some people dread. Other people don’t care one wit about them.

I do care. I would be a liar if I said otherwise. I’d love to win at least one of these awards but, realistically, the nomination is all the honor I will enjoy.

They are all honors. I think my favorite part of the whole award process is the notification you’ve been nominated. It’s like lightening from the blue. 90% of the time, you can’t tell anyone for a couple of weeks. That’s the feeling I try to keep in the forefront of my mind as the ceremonies go on with or without me. That's what I recommend anyone who is nominated keep to the forefront.

I won’t be at the Scribe Awards. I will be at the ENnies and the Hugo Awards. Despite the nervousness that comes with being in attendance, I’m looking forward to both.