Congratulations to those who made it this far into the competition!

Let's take time to also thank your judge, OneWinterNight!

We hope that you've enjoyed your time in the competition!

Note: If you would like a medal with the background removed, please message AdrielleReina. 

Without further ado, here are the final results!

Subterra Heart by littlesilverwren 
Writing style: 8/10
Plot: 8.5/10
Creativity: 9/10
Conflict: 7/10
Organization: 8/10
Character Development: 7.5/10
Total: 48/60
Notes: 
Writing Style, Plot, Creativity: Your writing style is engaging and the action moves along at a good clip. As for the plot, I liked how it continued to develop a bit of sinister mystery with the disappearances seeming to be linked to Lenny and his fascination with the tunnels. The pacing overall is good, but I felt that some of the chapters were a little too short, and could have been expanded to let the world and characters "breathe." Your descriptive paragraphs are lovely (the forest in Chapter 5, the tunnels in Chapter 7), but I found myself wanting to know more about the world and how it looks, smells, and feels. The world of this story is fascinating, I just wanted to see more of it! On that note, does the prologue with Nelda's journal ever come back into play in the story? Since she worked with Connor's granddad, it seems like it might be something that pops up later.

Conflict and Organization: The central conflict of Connor's predicament with his illness/continuing need for parlin and borderline poverty continued to develop and drive the action in a logical way. However, the addition of the despicable Lenny/Leonard was well done and heightened the stakes, as well as giving us a foil and contrast to Connor's character. I look forward to seeing how Connor completes his impossible underground mission (or not). The organization and flow of the story/chapters made sense and was easy to follow. However, there were some longer narrative paragraphs at points that could be broken up to build dramatic tension. For example, in Chapter 10, where we catch back up with Tess, I think you could add more description, thoughts or dialogue (monologue in this case) and build the suspense and terror by breaking up some of the longer paragraphs.

Character Development: I appreciated how Chapters 4-10 introduce Lenny further as an antagonist/villain, and we realize he's a piece of work. I like how you used his "disposal" of Tess and his exposure of Connor to someone with bloodrot (in the past) to show us how evil and ruthless Lenny is. Also, having Connor suspect Lenny for the mysterious disappearances of Rocharogosis sufferers makes sense. However, Lenny seems to be making things a bit hard for himself? Does he really think his plan will succeed, or is he just wasting resources? In Chapter 9, I think we could see a little more of his mania or obsession portrayed as he talks to Connor.

However, there wasn't much deeper development of Tess or Connor and their individual personalities. We know Connor's needs and basic motivation, and chapters 6 and 8 provided more insight to who he is as a character, but I still want to know more. What drives him beyond his illness (if anything)? How does he think and feel? What does he dream of/what is his great goal? Tess seems cute, kind and naive, but I can't get a feel for her character as of yet. What are her dreams and motivations? How has being tossed underground thwarted her plans (other than the ill-fated vet trip)? I look forward to finding out more about her as the story develops - and I really hope Bug is okay . . .

Final Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, and plan to continue. I love adventure stories with mystery twists, and Subterra Heart is shaping up into that kind of story. I want to know more about bloodrot, Rocharogosis, and the people who shaped this world and the tunnels beneath it. What sort of things are down there? I look forward to finding out^^

Blank Slate by ToWolfKin 
Writing style: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Creativity: 8/10
Conflict: 9/10
Organization: 8.5/10
Character Development: 7.5/10
Total: 49/60
Notes:
Writing Style, Plot, Creativity: Your writing is clean, engaging, and flows along at a great pace. I found myself clicking through to the next chapter without thinking. I also loved how you titled the chapter with Blank Slate's rules, which kept them in my mind as I read. The plot development in chapters 5-10 included key introductions of the mysterious purple-eyed "Viper" as well as Cyclone, and thickened the layers of confusion for Blank Slate/Elias while giving us some nice crumbs of backstory and glimpses of Blank Slate's past. I also appreciated your use of cliffhangers–they always seemed fitting, rather than forced. Chapter 7 finally gave us a little more insight into the world around Blank Slate and its more futuristic/high tech setting. Details such as the "heroes only" hovercar lanes were delightful, and I wanted to know more. To some extent, Blank Slate is also experiencing this world for the first time (even though he didn't forget everything, of course!). I think that is a great opportunity to describe the world in more detail through his POV, let us see and wonder at things that are different from our world.

By Chapter 10, the heroes are (logically) starting to suspect Denizen, and I was surprised that they didn't search him. What happened to his Blank Slate mask (which he was wearing before)? This is a minor detail, but it did make me pause.

Conflict and Organization: Blank Slate/Denizen/Elias (what should I call him, lol?) and his internal conflict, his struggles with who he is/was, and his precarious position with the heroes have provided a delightful tightrope of a predicament. While this is a "superhero" type story, it's impressive that the tension and stakes have been high even without many hero fights. In Chapter 6, when we finally do have one of those fights, the action scene was well written and easy to follow, and I loved seeing the inventive display of Blank Slate's powers. I know he has personal rules to follow, but I was curious as to the rules/limits of his abilities. How much or how drastically can he change a form? Your chapters are logically organized and flow well, but I think there is room to add more details and information. Obviously, since this is a novella, it will be thinner on things and faster paced than a novel, but should you decide to flesh it out and expand it, I think you could extend some chapters and scenes to further develop the world, its rules, and the characters.

Character Development: I liked how Blank Slate got A LOT of development–as he continued to figure out who he was/who he is. Chapters 7-8, in particular, stood out as they showed us Blank Slate reclaiming his identity and deciding to stop being a pawn. I really felt his frustration and confusion at his predicament, and his motivations were clear. However, while I felt like I was just getting to know David and Citizen a bit better, the rest of the handful of named characters are still a blur to me. Even David is still rather indistinct, although we have gotten to see his (seemingly!) unequivocal sweetness and support for his "friend" Blank Slate/Denizen.

Final Thoughts: I thought I was tired of superhero stories, but you proved me wrong. Blank Slate has been such an engaging read, and I had to stop myself from continuing to read past the judging point for the sake of time/fairness! I will definitely finish the story, and I loved reading and reviewing it.

THIRD PLACE:

The Dangers of Winning the Game by HockHayal 
Writing style: 8/10
Plot: 7/10
Creativity: 10/10
Conflict: 8.5/10
Organization: 8/10
Character Development: 8/10
Total: 49.5/60
Notes:

Writing Style, Plot, Creativity: I have mentioned before how much I appreciate the creative and true sci-fi nature of this book, and that was only strengthened for me as I continued through Chapter 10. The combination of science and teenage experience, art, the animations, and the nature of the story definitely stand out from the Wattpad crowd, and I hope you get all the credit you deserve for that. This being said, I wanted more from the plot in these chapters. I had so many questions while reading. For example, where are all the adults/parents? Do people get exiled or terminated at a certain age? What do people eat? Where do people other than Finn sleep and live? What does the average day look like for someone who is not one of the students? The glimpses we have of this world are tantalizing–cooking spiders (!), dark energy highs, children raised by robots, rebellious professors–so of course I want to know more about it all.

Conflict and Organization: The reveal of the dark energy and how Finn is so gifted was placed at a great spot in the story, and you continued to make your reveals at opportune timing (*that* Zara one at the end of Chapter 7)– so I salute you. Zara's internal dilemmas and increasingly violent run-ins with Xavier and his goons added a lot of interesting conflict and helped to propel the story in a logical direction. Finally, I thought the addition of ideological conflict between Finn and Zara in Chapter 10 was well placed, and really raised the stakes–especially with the ever-present threat of Axion finding out Zara and Finn's secret(s). Axion as a potential antagonistic force (if that makes sense?) is both terrifying and strangely funny, and I love all the maxims and teachings spread throughout and spouted by the characters.

Character Development: Chapter 5 had some great character development with Zara and Finn (your descriptions of him are beautiful). Their relationship going from 10-100 by Chapter 6 surprised me a bit, and at first I thought I missed something. I liked how we saw a softer side of Finn in his interactions with all the older people in this chapter as well. Xavier is the most well-developed of the bullies, and it was interesting to read a chapter from his POV. While he is a jerk, his character has been self-consistent and continues to make me worry about his confrontations with Zara! Zara really came into her own in Chapter 10, and I admired her for continuing to stand up for what she sees as right. This was a good progression of her character from the first few chapters, and while she is young and naive, I applaud her for pushing past Finn and his "settling" with doing things the easy way. Their falling out seemed natural and inevitable. That being said, it still felt like many things were skipped over–including Finn and Zara's relationship progression into romance. In addition, other than Xavier, there has been little development of any other named characters. Finn himself is only starting to be revealed, with his sweet side in Chapter 6, and his immature, abrasive side in Chapter 10.

Final Thoughts: (I loved the LOTR reference in Chapter 9, so I had to say something about that). While I saw the dark energy twist, I did not expect everything to pan out the way it did. The real "dangers of winning the game" seem to be Axion's attention and everything the excelling characters have to lose, and I am excited to find out where things go. I can't decide if this story's resolution will be happy, tragic, or somewhere in between, but you can be sure I will finish it to find out!

SECOND PLACE:

Masters of the Sky by axgirl13 
Writing style: 7.5/10
Plot: 8/10
Creativity: 8/10
Conflict: 10/10
Organization: 8.5/10
Character Development: 8/10
Total: 50/60
Notes:
Writing Style, Plot, Creativity: Your pacing continues to be strong, with a smart use of cliffhangers and action sequences to move the story along. However, longer passages explaining the crew's feelings mixed in with dialogue (i.e.,Chapter 5) did slow things down a bit, and provided details that could probably be slipped in elsewhere. In addition, there are still frequent missing words/articles and mixed tenses, which could be easily fixed with line editing.The only other note I have on style was with action scenes, in particular the fight in Chapter 6. I was unclear as to how Hector managed to "shield" himself from the shotgun blast. Did he dodge? How close was Celia (as she'd have to be quite close to do much damage to the railing with just a shotgun)? I would recommend acting out fight sequences to make sure they flow logically, or storyboarding to help the reader follow them.

While I have read a lot of steampunk and pirate novels, I found the introduction of dragons and the aspect of the crystals to be fresh additions that really added a creative element to this story. The stakes only continued to increase with each chapter. I really enjoyed reading about the criminal rivalries, and getting some more background on them in Chapter 7.

Conflict and Organization: This book has a great mixture of external and internal conflict driving the story. Celia's dreams, in particular, which put her at odds with both Chief and Theo (to different results), are a good example of this. Your story's organization and structure is solid and well-thought out. Scene changes were easy to follow, and the placement of the flashback Chapter 4 made a lot of sense and did not distract from the narrative at all, so great work with that. Structurally, Chapter 9 stood out to me as both the "title track" (XD) and a mini climax for the first arc. Having dragons be the real "masters of the sky" was a lovely twist, and it was perfectly placed in the story structure.

Character Development: I loved the way Celia's character developed in Chapters 3-10. She is very cool, but not untouchable, and Chapter 4 really helped us sympathize with and root for her, while Chapter 5 showed us why she is a great leader. I liked how you used character interactions and motivations (Chapter 3 -Theo, Celia, Vash) to drive the conflict and develop the plot naturally. Theo, in particular, is a great foil and contrast to Celia. Also, I love Sir Prancer (and Celia's "now I need a fancy hat" line was one of my favorite moments so far)! Finally, I was excited to see our little lordling from the prologue re-enter the story in Chapter 10. It seems like the perfect moment for him to pop back up again.

Final Thoughts: This story really came back and grabbed me in the later chapters. The extended development of Celia's character, the surprise dragon element, and the found family vibes all make this story a winner. I'm excited to see what happens to Celia and her crew on the next leg of their adventures^^

FIRST PLACE:

Facing Fear by MiyaHikari 
Writing style: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
Creativity: 8/10
Conflict: 10/10
Organization: 10/10
Character Development: 9/10
Total: 56/60
Notes:

Writing Style, Plot, Creativity: I've read stories with similar premises, but Mori's gaming background, the hunt for her sister, and the concept of the FEAR game all give this story a fresh and interesting feeling to it. Likewise, the design of the game and how real-world aspects shape in-game abilities was a particularly fun concept that felt unique and appealing. Your writing is crisp and clear, and I kept forgetting I was supposed to be judging. I especially appreciate how you explained the game and its rules as we went along, never bogging down the action or narrative, but letting us learn with Mori. I thought the way stats and abilities correlated to the real world was cool (I want to know how they managed that!!), and it made sense to me that many people would want to play this game (I mean, before it tried to kill them). Personally, I would like to know even more about what the game looks like, what things feel like to Mori, and even more details about people and objects in the world.

Conflict and Organization: Mori's internal conflict and the external conflict from the game (as well as the continuing increase in inter-personal conflict) really propel this story along and kept me scrolling on to see how each mini arc would resolve itself. Your action sequences in Chapter 6 leapt off the page, and the action scenes overall are excellent and drive the story without ever bogging it down. Mori's progress through the games and the rings seems well organized and thought out, with the stakes slowly rising as she finds out more information about the game and players. Reintroducing her previous squad in Chapter 9 both added some more delightful layers of tension and conflict, and seemed like the perfect timing from a structural standpoint.

Character Development: Mori and Ronin have a fantastic dynamic, and I loved our glimpses into both their disagreements and continuing growth of their relationship in Chapters 4-8. Some highlights were how Mori's compassion was both a strength and a weakness that led to an amazing healing power (Chapter 6), and the forced vulnerability and reliance brought about by the partner challenge in Chapter 8. This gave them some relatable weaknesses while developing their characters and relationship in a compelling way. I also really liked how Ronin's appearance kept changing, while Mori resembled her offline self more than any of her gamer avatars did. I wonder if this is because she is more secure in herself offline than he is?

Ultimately, I just found myself wanting more - more conversations, more background on Mori and Shiori's relationship, and more insights into Ronin. Of course, I realize that this is a novella, and you managed to do so much in so little space (so hats off to you!). The addition of Ren and Co in chapters 9-10 added even more characters (some of whom were referenced/name-dropped in earlier chapters), but I felt like I got a good, initial grasp on their individual characters and how they are different from each other.

Final Thoughts: "Facing Fear" was a pleasure to read and judge, and I plan on finishing it as soon as time allows. The story concept is fun, accessible even for nongamers, and I appreciate how character relationships are at its heart. Can't wait to finish it, and I look forward to finding out how Ronin's special ability (I kept calling it Big Brother in my head) factors into the greater plot–I have my theories!

Once again, congratulations to the winners and thank you to all who have participated! 💛

Good luck in all your writing endeavors!