This is the first year for quite a few that I've actually nominated. The last couple of years, I've waited for the shortlists to come out and then have read everything in the categories in which I was voting.
The reason I haven't nominated in so long is that I had not read enough stories to feel able to do so. This year, however, I have read a
lot. (I think I've read about 3/4 of the eligible stories, albeit with a bias towards the shorter ones.)
I do feel bad, though, that I haven't read
everything. Okay, so there are some stories that I peaked at and which didn't catch my attention. I don't feel so bad that I've discounted them; at least I got to take a look at them first. Far more worrying, though, are the other stories out there that are probably excellent, but that I've not managed to read. (And I hereby apologise to those people whose stories have got missed in my reading.)
Still, I do think that it was worth nominating those stories that particularly impressed me of those that I
have read.
As for whether I would encourage people to nominate stories when they, like me, have not read everything... I'd give that a resounding 'yes'. I hope that, if enough people nominate then they will compensate for each other's 'gaps'. In other words, the more nominations the better, even if they are not 'complete'. (Okay, if we're going to talk sampling strategies, there may be bias in... Oh, shut
up, Chris! That's just getting way too involved!
)
Speaking from experience, here: I did want to read everything this year. I even set myself targets to get everything read before deadline. The trouble with that is that what should be a pleasure became more of a chore... kind of like homework. In the end, I just said, enough is enough. Let's nominate from what I
have read. Having sent those nominations in, I felt as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders!
Ideally, I would want to read everything. But that ideal has to be balanced against the fact that reading and writing fanfic is a hobby. If the hobby stops being fun, for whatever reason, then what is the point?
Chris
