Monday, November 23, 2020

Judging a Writing Contest


By Elizabeth Spann Craig

Judging a writing contest can be a real treat. You have the opportunity to read excellent emerging or established writers, sometimes in a genre that’s different from what you usually write or read. Plus, reading other writers’ work can help inform and improve your own writing.

Here are six questions I like to ask as I read contest entries:

1. Did the story comply with the theme and contest guidelines? This is sort of like following directions for school assignments—it’s key. With some stories there’s more adherence to the theme than others and it can make a difference when judging. It’s tricky working within the confines of a theme and guidelines—entries that do, and do it well, get extra points.

2. Does the story hook me right away? This is crucial for books, but especially for short stories. There’s no time in a short story to load up with backstory and entries that do will be at a disadvantage.

3. Is there obvious conflict early in the story? This goes hand-in-hand with the previous question and is vital for story pacing and keeping the reader (or the contest judge) engaged.

4. Does the character have a clear goal? Is he or she developed as much as possible within the limits of the story’s length? The protagonist’s goal is the whole point of the story . . . it’s why the story exists. The protagonist doesn’t necessarily have to obtain his goal but there does need to be one stated. I don’t expect a ton of character development within the parameters of a short story, but I do expect enough to feel a connection (good or bad) to the main character and to keep the other characters distinct from each other.

5. Is the story clear and focused?
If I get confused as I’m reading, I’ll go back and try to figure out what’s happening by re-reading. If I’m still confused, it’s a bad sign for the story.

Here are two ways I like to keep organized when judging:

1. Make notes in the margins. When you’re reading lots of entries, it helps to make notes in the margins with Track Changes or on paper if you’re working off printed sheets. The notes can help remind you of excellent sections of a story and parts that didn’t work as well. You can even tally up the totals to come up with a rating as you work through the entries.

2. Re-read my top picks. Sometimes there’s not immediately a clear favorite for me among the entries but several that I especially enjoyed. That’s when I re-read my top picks. Reading the best stories back-to-back can help clarify which is superior to the others.

Have you judged writing contests? What tips can you add?


Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting mysteries, the Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries, the Village Library Mysteries, and Memphis Barbeque mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. Follow her on Twitter where she shares writing links @elizabethscraig or at her blog where she offers tips for writers. She lives in Matthews, North Carolina with her husband and is the mother of two.

20 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Thanks so much for hosting me today! It's a pleasure to be here. :)

nashvillecats2 said...

Most interesting to read Elizabeth, thanks for sharing.

Yvonne.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Yvonne--Thanks for coming by!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks for contributing to the IWSG with this great take on judging a contest, Elizabeth!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Happy to be here, Alex! Thanks for hosting me.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I always take notes and give each story a rating.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Diane---That really helps to stay organized!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I've bookmarked this page. Thanks, Elizabeth. These are valuable pointers and sure to improve any contest.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

So glad you found the post useful, Joylene!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Greattips, e


Great tips, Elizabeth. It would be hard to judge a contest.









Jemi Fraser said...

I've never judged a writing contest - but these are great tips. And very similar to how I've assessed writing assignments over my years as a teacher!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Natalie--It can be hard, especially when there are lots of good entries!

Jemi--I can only imagine doing this with the volume of essays you're used to dealing with as a teacher!

Ingmar Albizu said...

Thanks for sharing your insight and tips. Interesting post, Elizabeth. I bet it can get hard to pick a winner sometimes.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Ingmar: That's definitely the hardest part!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Elizabeth - really interesting to hear your approach - thorough as ever. I've made a note of the questions and your comments ... and I'll look through them when I read a book - though I don't often read fiction, I'm sure they could be used in other ways for book reviews etc (I don't do them professionally - only for local groups) ... Thanks - stay safe ...

Happy Thanksgiving to you both - Alex and Elizabeth ... all the best - Hilary

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Hilary: I didn't think of that, but I bet they'd be helpful for reviews, for sure. Thanks for coming by! Stay safe.

Pat Hatt said...

Yeah, not following the rules or having to make one read 5 times over to get it sure aren't ways to win anyone over.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Pat: That's for sure! Thanks for commenting.

Janet said...

I served as a judge for a literary contest for the first time this past summer. Fortunately the contest provided a scoring rubric, which helped me make sure I was weighting various aspects consistently across stories. It was a good experience and gave me some new insight into my own writing by forcing myself to examine what worked and what didn't in other people's work.

Leigh Caron said...

Nice to meet you her on Alex's blog. I'm just beginning to find why way to cozy mysteries Yours sound inviting. Will be checking them out.