An article by one of the contestants in the Fiction in Five contest who was curious about what the judges looked for when they read the stories.
by M. F. Vogel
Being new to the writing contest scene, having entered around nine contests so far, I am feeling no better off than when I started in spite of all my efforts. The reasons I enter writing contests are to challenge my writing skills, have writing experts critique my work so I can improve, get the messages I am trying to convey out to the public, and with the hope that someday my writing will lead to a prosperous career.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why sponsors have writing contests.
- They simply love it.
- They want to help writers improve.
- They want to give an opportunity for new talent to be discovered.
- They want to sell their services like classes and critiquing services to writers.
While it is unrealistic to win every contest I enter, especially right off the bat, it is still disappointing when I don’t. Especially when I see the winning stories are completely different in theme and style from what I have written. So it makes me wonder, how can I know what the judges are looking for? More so when entering contests that are “open theme” with no prompts. How do they decide the winner and are their personal preferences a major issue? For example: If the judge is a funny kind of guy, always joking around, is he going to shy away from serious stories? Or if another story has spelling mistakes and the judge is a stickler on grammar and spelling is she going to dismiss a story even though the content is outstanding? And what is their critiquing process?
As soon as I finished a story full of symbolism that I thought was quite clever, I found information on the judge and he said when he judges stories he “demands to be moved.” I interpreted that to mean he wanted strong characters who overcome a terrible crisis and he wanted to feel their pain. So I redid my story with more emphasis on the character and truthfully it made my story much better. I’ll have to wait a few months to know if I was right.
That’s another thing – why does it take so long for the judges to decide a winner? (Fiction in Five contest results are very quick compared to most other contests.) Don’t they know for us writers the waiting is torture? And then if we don’t win, we don’t get any feedback or critique and are left wondering what we did wrong. How can we improve without feedback? Isn’t that one of the reasons we entered the contest and the contest was sponsored, to promote excellence in writing? Ok I know I’m not in writing 101 waiting for the teacher to grade my paper, but still, it’s not fair. (Sniff, sniff) It makes me wonder, did I pay for someone to throw my story in the trash? What if I am the worst writer the judges have ever seen? Shouldn’t someone tell me not to quit my day job?
When I posed these questions to the Center for Writing Excellence, sponsor of the Fiction in Five contest, Janie Sullivan, director of the Center and editor of Excellent Writing, suggested that I ask the contest judges directly through an interview. Great idea! With no further ado, let’s see what the Fiction in Five two contest judges have to say and hopefully shed some light on the subject. Those of you who are paying attention will have a heads-up for the next Fiction in Five contest.
Interview
Thank you Becky and Carol for taking the time to answer some questions to help enlighten us eager writers about what judges look for in writing contests. Click here for an introduction to the judges.
#1. What is the process from beginning to end for judging a writing contest?
Becky: I prepare by first reading the writing prompt(s), printing the stories and scheduling an uninterrupted period of time when I can quickly read through all of the stories at one sitting. I put them in order of preference as I read, leaving my favorite on the top of the stack. Then I set them aside for at least one day. During the second reading, I take more time with each story, underlining interesting excerpts, making comments in the margins and reorganizing, from top to bottom, the stories in order of preference. I reread my top three to five choices, noting any strengths and weaknesses and do a final ranking. Finally, I collaborate with the other judge(s) to agree on our top three entries.
Carol: Reading each story carefully. Jotting down thoughts about the story- what I thought was good, memorable, or not very good. Then comparing the stories with each other. Usually one or two pop out as the best.
#2. I realize this depends on the number of entries, but on average, how long does it take to review a story and decide if it is going to be in the top three?
Becky: I spend approximately five minutes during the first reading, 15 minutes during the second reading and 30 minutes on the final reading before I enter into a discussion with the other judge(s). If their opinions differ from mine, then I carefully reread their top choices to see if we can come to consensus.
Carol: Fifteen minutes–but yes it depends on how many stories I’ve read.
#3. How much do your personal preferences as far as for romances, mysteries, humor, sci-fi, etc. play a role in your decisions?
Becky: My reading habits are broad, and I do not have a favorite genre. Therefore, if a story is well written, I will most likely enjoy it.
Carol: I think my personal preference for genres doesn’t really affect my decision. I primarily look for a well-written story. That always trumps genre!
#4. Are action stories more appreciated or do you like stories that are more thought provoking using techniques such as symbolism, allegory and imagery for example?
Becky: I prefer thought-provoking stories with literary elements. If a story is action packed, then it is nice if it has good character development as well.
Carol: I like a combination of both.
#5. Due to the high volume of submission, is it possible to respond to each writer giving one positive comment and one constructive criticism for each story?
Becky: Since I write comments in the margins as I read, positive and negative comments would be readily available if I were asked for them.
Carol: Maybe. It depends on how many stories I’m reading and what other deadlines I’m facing.
#6. What are your opinions about the use of controversial issues such as profanity, politics, religion, or sex?
Becky: If the use of opinions about politics, religion and sex is meant to portray a character in a story, then it helps me to know the character better. If the author is merely trying to spread his/her political, religious or sexual ideals to the reader, it is a turn off. Profanity for the sake of shock value is unnecessary.
Carol: Politics doesn’t bother me at all. Profanity is a total turn-off, unless it is absolutely crucial to the story (which is hard to imagine.) Sex should be handled delicately and not overpower the story. Obscenity and pornographic material would guarantee that I wouldn’t judge the story favorably.
#7. Can you give us writers some do’s and don’t tips? Things you really grab your attention and things that are big turn offs.
Becky: Spell and grammar check! Spelling and grammar errors are distracting and take away from a good story. Read your story aloud to yourself before submitting it. Better yet, have someone read your story aloud to you.
Carol: DO: Paragraph appropriately, check spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Make sure your tenses match. No silly names or repetitious first letters of names. Make sure your story makes sense and that I don’t have to reread a sentence to understand what you’re trying to say. Even fantasy stories must be plausible. Original use of language, clever premise, beautifully written and well-placed figurative language are all bonuses. Characters that are original.
DON’t: Preach in your story. Writers who don’t let anyone else read it before you send it. (or don’t take the time to read it out loud. Not in favor of animal characters in children’s stories. These are rarely done well. I would be careful about sex or drug use in YA stories- just not my preference.
#8. What do you least like about judging writing contest?
Becky: The deadlines are sometimes overwhelming.
Carol: A few times it’s difficult to pick a winner, but usually one surfaces. Sometimes it takes time and I’m busy with other things in my life!
#9. And to end the interview on a positive note, what do you like the most about judging writing contests?
Becky: I enjoy reading, and there are some very talented writers submitting stories.
Carol: I truly enjoy reading well-written stories!
Thank you for the insight and answering questions that have been weighing on my mind. With all this inside information I can’t wait to enter some more contests!
Center for Writing Excellence 