We're Moving!

SJMA's primary blog will be migrating from
Blogspot to
WordPress sometime in the next month. (We've enjoyed our time here on Blogspot but WP has more function & features for us to play with!)

You may go ahead & bookmark blog.samandjackawards.com to keep track of the latest SJMA news & posts. There's no content there yet, but we promise there will be soon!  

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So, Like us, add us to your Circle, Follow us, or Subscribe, and of course, please drop by the official SJMA website to keep enjoying the 2014 nominees & award winners. 

Coming 1 November 2014: Meet The 2015 SJMA Volunteer Staff!

Writing is not what I do, it's who I am.

Merriam-Webster defines fan fiction as : "stories involving popular fictional characters that are written by fans and often posted on the Internet — called also fanfic"  

It doesn't seem like much of a definition to describe the phenomenon of creating entire worlds, new storylines, and basically rewriting and rebuilding Stargate and Sam and Jack in any way we want. We do it not only to keep reliving their adventures, but in many cases so that we can rewrite or fix those moments that we know should have happened on screen and most especially in our Shippy world, to make Sam and Jack get together no matter what the cost. Whether it's done with humour, angst, in a different universe, or so steamily that it could never have been on air, the options in the world of fanfic are limitless.

The stories created by the nominees in this category have all gone above and beyond in ways we never could have imagined. The characterizations are spot on, the plotlines are dramatic and at times heart-wrenching, and they all leave us wanting...for more!

Best Author

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

The words of Degas ring perfectly true, even in the world of FanArt.  For, in this world, these wonderfully talented individuals take scenes from our favorite ship and blend them together with other scenes, textures, gifs, drawings, paintings, and just about anything else they can get their hands (or mouse) on.  Their ability to create such unique pieces using the same materials and subject matter is absolutely amazing.

The nominees for Best Artist each have their own unique style which makes choosing just one so very difficult!

Best Artist

Choose a favorite holiday? When Sam & Jack are involved? Impossible!

Ah, the holidays.  A time for family, friends, levity, and heart-felt emotion.  It's no wonder holidays are a shipper favorite.  From taking Sam and Jack completely AU to simply taking them off-world, any holiday can provide plenty of fodder for a writer.

Unsurprisingly, this was a popular category.  Let's take a look at some of the nominations!

Best Holiday!

Fics in this category must be centered around the celebration or observance of one or more holidays. Holidays need not be publicly recognized.

Llama Llama there's more drama!

These stories make us laugh, they make us cry, and the keep us on the edge of our seats. There's torture, there's war, there's the general angst of Sam and Jack being forced to weather another storm in their tumultuous relationship. Whether they are keeping us in tears, or keeping our characters in stitches, the rest of the stories nominated in the category of Best Drama will definitely keep you wanting for more.

Best Drama Part II

I Vid Therefore I Am

We've gasped over the angst. We've sighed over the fluff. We've oohed and awed over the songs that turn us on and turn us to mush when they accompany our favorite scenes.  They make us squee. They make us laugh. They make us bang our heads against the table because we just can't take it anymore.  But, once the video ends and the credits role, we find ourselves compelled to hit replay, give them a thumbs up, and save them to our favorite list because we just have to be able to find their work again.

The vidders who've been nominated for Best Creator have all proven their talents.  They use images of Sam and Jack along with color, effects, music, and their own creative visions to produce unbelievable videos that keep us coming back for more.

Best Creator

Must you be so dramatic?

When it comes to real life, nobody wants a lot of drama. When it comes to Stargate fanfiction and shipping Sam and Jack, however, we say "Bring it on!"

Whether there's angsty separations, creepy significant others, fluff, four weddings and a funeral, we aren't truly happy unless there's something dramatic going on. They create it, get in the middle of it, and just can't help it when the find themselves in dire straits. We welcome their struggle because in the end they all love, um...live happily ever after, right?

Best Drama!

Drama is a genre that relies on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters. Often, dramatic themes are taken from intense, real life issues. Whether heroes or heroines are facing a conflict from the outside or a conflict within themselves, Drama aims to tell an honest story of human struggles.

Celebrating Sam Carter, part II

Last week, we blogged about a couple of the fics nominated in the Best Characterization of Sam Carter category. There were some awesome stories in there that read just like in the show when it came to Sam; today, it's time for the other half of the fics in this wonderful category.

The Continuation of the Best Characterization of Sam Carter Category!

Who are these people?

So you start reading a fic by one of your favorite authors and alongside our favorite foursome there's a new character. You don't know their name. You don't know what they do. And you find out that they are not just any new character, they are a character who plays a big role in the plotline of the story. You freeze, you pause, you debate...do I keep reading and give this "new" person a chance or do I change the page with a click of my mouse and go back to what I know?

Like all of the fiction nominated for these awards, the fiction nominated in the category of Best Original Character all have awesome storylines. What sets them apart is the addition of some great original characters who are woven so well into the tapestry of the story that you won't even remember that they are not usually a part of the SGC. 

Best Original Character!

Nominations in this category can be works of any length, genre or rating. Original characters must appear in more than three scenes and have dialogue. The work is being judged on how well the author has developed an original character, not necessarily on the work as a whole.

Ready for some giggles?

After all the angsty, dark and twisty stuff from the past couple of posts, it's time for something a little bit lighter. Just beware, your cheeks might start cramping from all the grinning and/or laughing!

Best Comedy!

Fics in this category must include elements of humor or comedy. Crack fics are nominated in this category.

Bet you didn't see that one coming!

The plot twist.  That part of any story where the bottom falls out and makes you re-wind (or re-read) to find out where you'd missed the clues.  Because even if we couldn't see it coming, we really, really want to once we know it's there...don't we?

We included this category for just that purpose - the moment when your expectations are turned on their heads and suddenly you're looking at a story in a different light.  It's fun, it's exciting... it's a plot a twist.  And we've got several on the ballot for you!

Best Plot Twist

Fics in this category are being judged on how unexpected a plot twist is as well as how deftly that plot twist is handled/resolved.

Because a little angst just isn't enough!

It's that time again.  Grab a glass of wine, some tissues, your favorite afghan...we're settling in for the rest of the Angst nominees.  

Category: Best Angst

Just to spice things up a little, we're going to rock and roll on this one a little differently and present you with some juicy tid-bits from the stories themselves or some telling reviews.  You're just going to have to read on to find out. ;)

From friends to lovers...

Some claim it was love at first sight. There are those who think it was just lust at first sight and, well, can you blame them? Both of them look ridiculously hot! Others think they didn't even like each other, or at least not in that way. 

Perhaps it's like the chicken and the egg... which came first, the attraction/lust/love or friendship? Whichever you prefer, there's no denying there are some fabulous opportunities for fanfiction writers here. That's why we decided to have the following category...

Best Friendship/Pre-ship!

Fics in this category must highlight the friendship between Sam and Jack and/or their relationship prior admitting to themselves or each other that they have romantic feelings for one another.

If a picture is worth a thousand words...

...then these nominees are priceless!

You've heard people talk about Photoshop and every smart phone now allows you to download apps that edit your photos. But posting a pic on Instagram and changing the coloring or shadow effect is not the type of photomanipulation we are featuring in our Photo-Based Art category.  

Although it is exactly what it sounds like, photomanipulation in fanart is something completely different from touching up the family photo from last Thanksgiving.  These artists use popular pictures of our favorite celebs or, most often, screen captures they've either made themselves, or gotten from an online source. Once they have the pics they like they transform them into whatever they want.  

Some of the nominees focus on manipulating the color schemes or adding their own dialogue to create a screen cap fic, while others take images and put them together to form something completely new.  All we know is that we love the way they've enhanced our favorite images of Sam and Jack.

Best Photo-Based

From a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed captain to a seasoned commander - fandom celebrates Sam Carter

Sam Carter. One of the best female role models on TV, ever. Reason enough to inspire a whole category on its own: the Best Characterization of Sam.

A strong and intelligent character who doesn't rely on her looks to help her get what she wants. No, Sam is just a kick-ass soldier with a brilliant mind, who just happens to be an attractive woman as well. Not that there's anything wrong with being good-looking - after all, none of the men on SG-1 could be called ugly by any stretch of the imagination.

Although Sam's first appearance wasn't the best - even the biggest fans have to admit there were some cringe-worthy lines there - she managed to pique everyone's interest and quickly proved her worth to the men. Just because she's a girl doesn't mean she can't fire an M5/P90 with deadly accuracy, pull a brilliant plan out of her six or blow up a sun!

Clearly, she's not your typical female character in a TV show. She's not perfect either; like everyone, she has her flaws (two psycho ex-fiances, albeit in varying degrees, for starters) and that's what makes her so great. Sam is a genius in a field usually dominated by men and an officer in the United States Air Force - or "this man's army", in the words of Janet Fraiser's ex-husband - but like any normal person she makes her share of mistakes and isn't afraid to own up to them. 

Her intelligence and strong persona can be difficult to write for even the most experienced writers. Everyone interprets certain behavior and interactions differently, which complicates things like characterization but deep down there are certain things that are just Sam and everyone can agree on that. Like how despite Sam's analytic mind she has a big heart and isn't always the most confident in her own abilities - not to mention her bad track record with men. The following fanfictions have all been nominated because the authors did a great job when writing Sam!

Well, that's enough of us going on and on about the awesomeness that is Samantha Carter. Let's start with the first half of the nominated fics in this category!

Best Characterization of Sam Carter!

Enter the cavern at your own risk...

We've got it!  You want it!  So, we're bringing on the angst...again.

No matter the genre, when it comes to Sam and Jack, there just has to be some angst involved in telling their story. Destined to be together yet constantly forced apart, our favorite couple continually find themselves pining for one another. But, whether they are literally worlds apart or desperately trying to have "normal" lives, happily ever after isn't always how the story ends.

So, make yourself a cuppa, curl up in your favorite chair, and get lost in the Cavern with these fiction nominees for Best Angst.

The continuation of the Best Angst category!