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HONOURABLE MENTIONS (2015)
These were stories that came in second! Some of them were really close to winning first place! These stories deserve the recognition as well, therefore, we've decided to show the runners-up whom have competed for the Best (respective genre/s) Story Awards!
Runners-up are allowed to re-enter the following year (only if there are some changes made to the story), if they wish to! Please Read: Note that the ratings below are not accurate, and are not of the same standard as the Epy Awards' main Judging Criteria (refer to the Enter Contest tab to compare). Reviews may differ in standards/format/length because they are written from the biased perspective of the two main judges of each category, and not the whole panel. Judges do not use the Epy Awards's judging criteria as a base for their short reviews. |
BEST ROMANCE/DRAMA
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Oh, Boy!Written by Josefina R.
Nicole has been in love with Brad since forever, but for him, she's invisible. Will that change when she turns into a boy? |
First thoughts on Oh, Boy!
Title and Summary: The title isn’t very intriguing and could be almost a little bit more professional but even though the title may not be the best, it does represent the story. Even though at first glance the summary may seem a little cliche, it does have a fantasy component that makes it stand out. The summary is eye-catching and grabs the reader's attention. It would’ve been fun with a cover art to represent the story and make it stand out a little more.
First rating: 8.2/10
Overall Review:
The introduction started off well, a bit into the story there hasn’t been any spelling, directing or grammatical errors. The fantasy elements are realistic, and the reactions and dialogues are also quite realistic. Some of the episodes could be a little longer, there are a decent amount of choices but there could also be a few more. For most parts the story is realistic, but at some parts the plot seems a little unreal, like the idea of transforming into a boy pops out of nowhere. The plot is interesting and makes the reader want to read more, there always seems to be a new problem for the main character and her best friend to conquer, and even though it seems to be in the beginning all about a boy, we assume that the characters are going to develop throughout the story. This story stands out because of all the plot twists and the characters are relatable.
We recommend this story to anyone that likes to read about romance and extreme twist to otherwise cliche stories.
Overall Rating: 9.4/10
Written by
Milly & Emma
Title and Summary: The title isn’t very intriguing and could be almost a little bit more professional but even though the title may not be the best, it does represent the story. Even though at first glance the summary may seem a little cliche, it does have a fantasy component that makes it stand out. The summary is eye-catching and grabs the reader's attention. It would’ve been fun with a cover art to represent the story and make it stand out a little more.
First rating: 8.2/10
Overall Review:
The introduction started off well, a bit into the story there hasn’t been any spelling, directing or grammatical errors. The fantasy elements are realistic, and the reactions and dialogues are also quite realistic. Some of the episodes could be a little longer, there are a decent amount of choices but there could also be a few more. For most parts the story is realistic, but at some parts the plot seems a little unreal, like the idea of transforming into a boy pops out of nowhere. The plot is interesting and makes the reader want to read more, there always seems to be a new problem for the main character and her best friend to conquer, and even though it seems to be in the beginning all about a boy, we assume that the characters are going to develop throughout the story. This story stands out because of all the plot twists and the characters are relatable.
We recommend this story to anyone that likes to read about romance and extreme twist to otherwise cliche stories.
Overall Rating: 9.4/10
Written by
Milly & Emma
BEST FANTASY/ADVENTURE STORY RUNNER-UP
SHORT REVIEW |
Another's LifeWritten by Sally I.
Serena's life suddenly changes. She finds herself in another world and has to pretend to be someone else in order to survive. |
First thoughts on: Another’s Life
Title and Summary :
The title is really intriguing. It gives us masses amount of ideas of what this story could be on and really makes us ponder. It’s mysterious and we love it. The in-app summary gives good detail about what to expect but doesn’t give anything away. The use of rhetorical questions is good, it gets the reader thinking.
First rating: 10 /10
First Episode:
When Serena is thinking you should have her doing the ‘yawning’, ‘thinking’ or ‘check_nails’ animation (or something similar) to give the story more “wow”. When the people are ordering their coffee or whatever drink they are having the author should use the ‘receive_coffee’ animation to make it look like they are actually taking the drink. We feel like the narrating is distracting from the story and makes us feel less connected, as soon as we get into the story there’s this narrator who’s saying that “I’m so nice for telling you all the information beforehand”, and “This narrating job is so boring. Here I go again…” We would like to get on with the story. There should be more choices to make it more interesting, there was only one and it didn’t affect the story in any way. The author could add a choice when Serena is talking to Jason, even if it was just a mean comeback to say to him or to slap him in the face. It just needed that extra push to make the episode more intriguing. Perfect grammar and spelling.
Second Episode:
The author could include a choice where it says “Walk into a tree” or “Stub my foot with a rock” or something else to give the reader more power and so they can feel in control of the story. When Serena is talking to the guard and says “Get your hands off me.” there is no animation, you could add the ‘talk_angry_point’ or ‘talk_angry_stubborn’ to create a bigger effect on the reader. The episode (even though it lacked choices and it was very short) was very intriguing, we enjoyed it and we can’t wait to read more. Perfect grammar and spelling.
Third Episode:
The episode was so intriguing but it was way too short…we really wanted to keep reading (which is a good thing) but it was so short. There was an improvement in the amount of choices but more could still be added. Perfect spelling and grammar as was the directing and animations.
Fourth Episode:
You could add a choice when I’m talking to the Prince something like “Give Dean a hug to make him feel better.” or “Give him a kiss.” Or “Do nothing.” More choices makes the reader more interested. Perfect grammar, directing and spelling.
Overall Review:
We are really impressed with this story. Besides the lack of choices and the short length of the episode it was pretty much perfect. The spelling and grammar was spot on in every episode, which is good in the reader’s point of view as it’s easy to read as it flows really well. The story is fast paced and keeps the reader on their toes, by the fourth episode,we were dying to keep reading. We could hardly fault your directing except for one time; maybe the author could use ‘spot directing’ to make Serena look like she got hit by a car in the distance instead of in ‘screen center’. Sometimes the author didn’t use animation when the characters were talking which is a downer for us--but it only happened occasionally. The character depth is really good, Serena seems like a classic 2015 White Girl with the attitude and whatnot, she seems very 2015 compared to the people in the castle. Serena has a strong and bold personality which is great as she is the main character. However, we would love to see more development for the other characters so we can get to know them better and see if we can relate to any of them. The story was very well executed with only a few faults here and there, we’re sure if the author worked on it, it could become faultless. The genre matched perfectly and suited the story very well. The content of the story itself was super impressive and would amaze a lot of viewers. If you forget about the errors and things the author could improve on, you’ll see this really nice story that had a lot of time devoted into making it and you as a viewer will appreciate it. Overall, we loved it and will definitely keep reading this episode, we are very impressed!
Overall Score: 8.8/10
Written by
Izzy
Title and Summary :
The title is really intriguing. It gives us masses amount of ideas of what this story could be on and really makes us ponder. It’s mysterious and we love it. The in-app summary gives good detail about what to expect but doesn’t give anything away. The use of rhetorical questions is good, it gets the reader thinking.
First rating: 10 /10
First Episode:
When Serena is thinking you should have her doing the ‘yawning’, ‘thinking’ or ‘check_nails’ animation (or something similar) to give the story more “wow”. When the people are ordering their coffee or whatever drink they are having the author should use the ‘receive_coffee’ animation to make it look like they are actually taking the drink. We feel like the narrating is distracting from the story and makes us feel less connected, as soon as we get into the story there’s this narrator who’s saying that “I’m so nice for telling you all the information beforehand”, and “This narrating job is so boring. Here I go again…” We would like to get on with the story. There should be more choices to make it more interesting, there was only one and it didn’t affect the story in any way. The author could add a choice when Serena is talking to Jason, even if it was just a mean comeback to say to him or to slap him in the face. It just needed that extra push to make the episode more intriguing. Perfect grammar and spelling.
Second Episode:
The author could include a choice where it says “Walk into a tree” or “Stub my foot with a rock” or something else to give the reader more power and so they can feel in control of the story. When Serena is talking to the guard and says “Get your hands off me.” there is no animation, you could add the ‘talk_angry_point’ or ‘talk_angry_stubborn’ to create a bigger effect on the reader. The episode (even though it lacked choices and it was very short) was very intriguing, we enjoyed it and we can’t wait to read more. Perfect grammar and spelling.
Third Episode:
The episode was so intriguing but it was way too short…we really wanted to keep reading (which is a good thing) but it was so short. There was an improvement in the amount of choices but more could still be added. Perfect spelling and grammar as was the directing and animations.
Fourth Episode:
You could add a choice when I’m talking to the Prince something like “Give Dean a hug to make him feel better.” or “Give him a kiss.” Or “Do nothing.” More choices makes the reader more interested. Perfect grammar, directing and spelling.
Overall Review:
We are really impressed with this story. Besides the lack of choices and the short length of the episode it was pretty much perfect. The spelling and grammar was spot on in every episode, which is good in the reader’s point of view as it’s easy to read as it flows really well. The story is fast paced and keeps the reader on their toes, by the fourth episode,we were dying to keep reading. We could hardly fault your directing except for one time; maybe the author could use ‘spot directing’ to make Serena look like she got hit by a car in the distance instead of in ‘screen center’. Sometimes the author didn’t use animation when the characters were talking which is a downer for us--but it only happened occasionally. The character depth is really good, Serena seems like a classic 2015 White Girl with the attitude and whatnot, she seems very 2015 compared to the people in the castle. Serena has a strong and bold personality which is great as she is the main character. However, we would love to see more development for the other characters so we can get to know them better and see if we can relate to any of them. The story was very well executed with only a few faults here and there, we’re sure if the author worked on it, it could become faultless. The genre matched perfectly and suited the story very well. The content of the story itself was super impressive and would amaze a lot of viewers. If you forget about the errors and things the author could improve on, you’ll see this really nice story that had a lot of time devoted into making it and you as a viewer will appreciate it. Overall, we loved it and will definitely keep reading this episode, we are very impressed!
Overall Score: 8.8/10
Written by
Izzy
BEST HORROR/ACTION STORY RUNNER-UP
SHORT REVIEW |
Trigger HappyWritten by Aurizle
After five years in prison, Johnny is freed. Now, he just wants to move on, but can he do it with the past lingering? |
First thoughts on Trigger Happy
Title and Summary: The title and summary were very unique in our opinions. It had something different about it . Perhaps it was the mystery of what happened to Johnny in his past. The title makes us think of guns and war. Definitely action oriented., which is always exciting when you get a different feel from a story that you don’t usually get.
First rating: 10/10
Overall Review:
Reading the first few episodes we can already tell you excel with choices and directing. Although we didn’t see anything super crazy, we didn’t see a single directing error which is amazing. Choices were another thing that were just great! We replayed the choices twice to see if they actually matter and they do. we absolutely love stories like that! We get all giddy just thinking about it. It’s nice to see Authors going the extra mile to make their stuff matter. The characters were also unique and all so different it really gave you a chance to connect with multiple of them. Connecting with characters and their situations is what makes a good story. We think this story lacked one major thing throughout the first four episodes and that’s the action genre. Since we’re only allowed to base it off the first four we think the pacing was extremely slow you saw lots of drama, mystery and intrigue but the action was missing. It does catch up later though and if we may say we hope you don’t stop writing. You have a talent but we would also like to mention that you should probably double check your script because there were some small grammatical errors here and there. Perhaps entering next year in a different genre would give your story a better chance at winning! We honestly think it’s amazing but belongs more in drama or mystery.
Overall Score: 9/10
Written by
Nina & Airella
Title and Summary: The title and summary were very unique in our opinions. It had something different about it . Perhaps it was the mystery of what happened to Johnny in his past. The title makes us think of guns and war. Definitely action oriented., which is always exciting when you get a different feel from a story that you don’t usually get.
First rating: 10/10
Overall Review:
Reading the first few episodes we can already tell you excel with choices and directing. Although we didn’t see anything super crazy, we didn’t see a single directing error which is amazing. Choices were another thing that were just great! We replayed the choices twice to see if they actually matter and they do. we absolutely love stories like that! We get all giddy just thinking about it. It’s nice to see Authors going the extra mile to make their stuff matter. The characters were also unique and all so different it really gave you a chance to connect with multiple of them. Connecting with characters and their situations is what makes a good story. We think this story lacked one major thing throughout the first four episodes and that’s the action genre. Since we’re only allowed to base it off the first four we think the pacing was extremely slow you saw lots of drama, mystery and intrigue but the action was missing. It does catch up later though and if we may say we hope you don’t stop writing. You have a talent but we would also like to mention that you should probably double check your script because there were some small grammatical errors here and there. Perhaps entering next year in a different genre would give your story a better chance at winning! We honestly think it’s amazing but belongs more in drama or mystery.
Overall Score: 9/10
Written by
Nina & Airella
BEST COMEDY STORY RUNNER-UP
SHORT REVIEW |
The Wicked Witch of the BestWritten by Opal
Jhudora is up against her goody two-shoes sister in the Miss Witch Pageant. Can she secure a win and stay sane? |
First thoughts on Wicked Witch of the Best
Title and Summary:
The title and the summary is quite clever, which makes it all the more memorable. The summary if very informative, which gives us readers are better understand of the story. You did an amazing job of capturing the reader’s attention and making it clear that the story was a comedy. We really liked that you wrote ‘Note: contains appalling weirdness’, but the C in contains needs to be capitalized. There are no other suggestions, except for the one grammar mistake. The summary gives the reader a good idea of what to expect from the story.
First rating: 8.7/10
Overall Review:
The beginning was an interesting start. Some of the judges found it quite funny, the humor was unique, quirky and creative, but it may be appear as corny to some. After the little girl turned into her sister, the story made a lot more sense. We already like the characters, especially Minion, the lovable, hilarious henchmen. We loved how you shaped the characters, especially Jhudora, with her conflicting personalities. You conveyed her characters well; showing how much she really wanted to be an evil witch, yet ironically, has a difficult past and a soft heart. The twist of Jhudora being an evil underdog with hidden softer sides was brilliant. We like how you make Lucifer ask Jhudora a series of questions, especially the varied answers! In the third episode, that was when things got slightly confusing. We want to know if something happens with the crazy lady at the Zumba class, because if that scene was there just to add more comedy, that would be a little bit disappointing. It seemed that you were going somewhere with the lady, because you also show her characters in the asylum, yet you didn’t explain how she got there in the first place. So the flow of your story could have been improved.
We enjoyed the quirky situations, but we weren’t sure how relevant or important they would be in the future. We would have liked to learn a bit more about the pageant in the earlier episodes. We found the innuendos a bit much for our taste, but it did still make us laugh! There were a few directing errors found in the story but they were relatively understandable ones. Overall, you have a good storyline, good grammar/spelling, good dialogue, and a knack for keeping readers hooked, but we do wish that the episodes were slightly longer and the plot fleshed out a bit more. Great job! We will definitely continue reading!
Overall score: 8.9/10
Written by
Danica & Marissa
Title and Summary:
The title and the summary is quite clever, which makes it all the more memorable. The summary if very informative, which gives us readers are better understand of the story. You did an amazing job of capturing the reader’s attention and making it clear that the story was a comedy. We really liked that you wrote ‘Note: contains appalling weirdness’, but the C in contains needs to be capitalized. There are no other suggestions, except for the one grammar mistake. The summary gives the reader a good idea of what to expect from the story.
First rating: 8.7/10
Overall Review:
The beginning was an interesting start. Some of the judges found it quite funny, the humor was unique, quirky and creative, but it may be appear as corny to some. After the little girl turned into her sister, the story made a lot more sense. We already like the characters, especially Minion, the lovable, hilarious henchmen. We loved how you shaped the characters, especially Jhudora, with her conflicting personalities. You conveyed her characters well; showing how much she really wanted to be an evil witch, yet ironically, has a difficult past and a soft heart. The twist of Jhudora being an evil underdog with hidden softer sides was brilliant. We like how you make Lucifer ask Jhudora a series of questions, especially the varied answers! In the third episode, that was when things got slightly confusing. We want to know if something happens with the crazy lady at the Zumba class, because if that scene was there just to add more comedy, that would be a little bit disappointing. It seemed that you were going somewhere with the lady, because you also show her characters in the asylum, yet you didn’t explain how she got there in the first place. So the flow of your story could have been improved.
We enjoyed the quirky situations, but we weren’t sure how relevant or important they would be in the future. We would have liked to learn a bit more about the pageant in the earlier episodes. We found the innuendos a bit much for our taste, but it did still make us laugh! There were a few directing errors found in the story but they were relatively understandable ones. Overall, you have a good storyline, good grammar/spelling, good dialogue, and a knack for keeping readers hooked, but we do wish that the episodes were slightly longer and the plot fleshed out a bit more. Great job! We will definitely continue reading!
Overall score: 8.9/10
Written by
Danica & Marissa
BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER STORY RUNNER-UP
SHORT REVIEW |
The FlickeringWritten by Brittany D.
It's up to you to investigate a haunted house, and discover how much you truly believe in the supernatural realm. |
First thoughts on The Flickering
Title and Summary:
“The Flickering” is a nice title. It makes us think of creepy, flickering lights at night, like in the horror movies, which is very intriguing! The summary is pretty interesting and well-written too! It gives viewers a throughout grasp of what the overall story is about and still leaves many questions behind to provoke the curious minds of the readers.
First Rating: 7.4/10
Overall Review:
We really enjoy reading this story. However, we thought the story was a bit dull and boring since the progress was slow, so it was a bit hard for us to see a clear mystery plot. However, the cliffhanger at the end of episode one immediately caught our attention, and left us wanting to read more. As the story progressed, we started to get really hooked into this haunting adventure. However, we suggest that the author should include more cliffhangers and maybe some shocking revelations, so that the story can be a bit more thrilling and exciting for audience. Nonetheless, from what we saw, the grammar and spelling was absolutely spot on, so kudos to the author for the amazing job there! The directing is great too! We love that the story is very interactive with lots of different choices in each episode. Good job!
Overall Score: 8.25/10
Written by
Suzy & Megan B.
Title and Summary:
“The Flickering” is a nice title. It makes us think of creepy, flickering lights at night, like in the horror movies, which is very intriguing! The summary is pretty interesting and well-written too! It gives viewers a throughout grasp of what the overall story is about and still leaves many questions behind to provoke the curious minds of the readers.
First Rating: 7.4/10
Overall Review:
We really enjoy reading this story. However, we thought the story was a bit dull and boring since the progress was slow, so it was a bit hard for us to see a clear mystery plot. However, the cliffhanger at the end of episode one immediately caught our attention, and left us wanting to read more. As the story progressed, we started to get really hooked into this haunting adventure. However, we suggest that the author should include more cliffhangers and maybe some shocking revelations, so that the story can be a bit more thrilling and exciting for audience. Nonetheless, from what we saw, the grammar and spelling was absolutely spot on, so kudos to the author for the amazing job there! The directing is great too! We love that the story is very interactive with lots of different choices in each episode. Good job!
Overall Score: 8.25/10
Written by
Suzy & Megan B.
First thoughts on Pieces Of Me
Title and Summary:
I really like the title, I think it fits the story since it seems to about five different love stories, probably bringing out/ showing different pieces of the main character. At least I think that’s what you wanted to achieve. Maybe you had a different reason for choosing that as a title? However I still really liked the title and it seems to fit the story quite well. I’m not really sure what I think about the summary, it’s different, and I guess I like that. It isn’t your ordinary summary, however, I don’t really think it describes the story very much. It's a smart way to make your story appeal to readers.
(Cover is different from the submission) I really like the cover in the app, though I’m not really sure what it has to do with the story, it’s a girl walking on a runway and the picture zooms in on her feet and legs. Maybe the main character’s a model? As of right now, I’m having a hard time seeing what the cover picture has to do with the story.
First rating: 7.4/10
Overall Review:
I couldn’t find any spelling or grammar mistakes. I still have no idea what the story’s really going to be about, but I am intrigued to find out more. The character’s reactions seemed a little unrealistic in the beginning, but it may be because there wasn’t a command that could fit. Some scenes and conversations happens a little too fast and doesn’t seem very real. I like the length of the episodes so far. There could be more choices, even though I got a few. Instinctively, the main character is not very likeable. The way she reacts to Nolan’s love reveal seems to lead him on even though she has made it clear that she wants to keep her distance. She pursues a relationship with Nolan even though she has stated that she has a fiancé who she still loves. In the second episode, the episode could’ve been a little longer and contain more choices.
I do like the story-- the directing, grammar and spelling are great, I couldn’t find any errors. However, the story feels a little unrealistic and too fast-paced at times. Even though I have finished the fourth episode, I still haven’t gotten to know the characters and I’m not really sure where the story’s going. The story flow progresses fast in terms of events, but the development isn't there. Hopefully, the story will develop more as I continue reading. Overall, I do think it’s a cool idea, having five different love stories with five different personalities.
Overall rating: 7.3/10
Written by
Emma
Title and Summary:
I really like the title, I think it fits the story since it seems to about five different love stories, probably bringing out/ showing different pieces of the main character. At least I think that’s what you wanted to achieve. Maybe you had a different reason for choosing that as a title? However I still really liked the title and it seems to fit the story quite well. I’m not really sure what I think about the summary, it’s different, and I guess I like that. It isn’t your ordinary summary, however, I don’t really think it describes the story very much. It's a smart way to make your story appeal to readers.
(Cover is different from the submission) I really like the cover in the app, though I’m not really sure what it has to do with the story, it’s a girl walking on a runway and the picture zooms in on her feet and legs. Maybe the main character’s a model? As of right now, I’m having a hard time seeing what the cover picture has to do with the story.
First rating: 7.4/10
Overall Review:
I couldn’t find any spelling or grammar mistakes. I still have no idea what the story’s really going to be about, but I am intrigued to find out more. The character’s reactions seemed a little unrealistic in the beginning, but it may be because there wasn’t a command that could fit. Some scenes and conversations happens a little too fast and doesn’t seem very real. I like the length of the episodes so far. There could be more choices, even though I got a few. Instinctively, the main character is not very likeable. The way she reacts to Nolan’s love reveal seems to lead him on even though she has made it clear that she wants to keep her distance. She pursues a relationship with Nolan even though she has stated that she has a fiancé who she still loves. In the second episode, the episode could’ve been a little longer and contain more choices.
I do like the story-- the directing, grammar and spelling are great, I couldn’t find any errors. However, the story feels a little unrealistic and too fast-paced at times. Even though I have finished the fourth episode, I still haven’t gotten to know the characters and I’m not really sure where the story’s going. The story flow progresses fast in terms of events, but the development isn't there. Hopefully, the story will develop more as I continue reading. Overall, I do think it’s a cool idea, having five different love stories with five different personalities.
Overall rating: 7.3/10
Written by
Emma
