Judging Criteria

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judging criteria
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*revised: points have been changed

*revised: points have been changed again

Hello again! Here is le my rubric and le short descriptions of what I will be looking for in your stories ~~because I have a snow day tomorrow, which means I can waste time doing multiple-chapter-updates~~. (I might put up some bonus point opportunities later for personal enjoyment, graphics and such, but only if I'm feeling less lazy. OTL):

Title: (5pts.)

Titles are one of the most important parts of a story because, if you do not have a good title, hardly anyone will read your work. In the name of the story, I score how eye-catching it is, how original it is, and how relevant it is to the story.

Description/Foreword: (10pts.)

Your description/foreword should have some sort of hook to make readers interested in your story and demonstrate/state what genre your fanfiction will be. This can be done in many ways, such as quotes, excerpts, summaries, etc. It should also include all of the information that I asked you to include. (the prompts you are using and the link back to the contest)

Characters: (20pts.)

Your characters will be graded on originality, likeableness (it's a word okay) and credability. I will also grade your development; from the beginning to the end, I should feel like I got to know your characters more. Don't give me any Mary-Sues.

Plot: (30pts.)

This is clearly the most important part of your story; your score will be essentially based off originality and how interesting it is. If your story is angst, make me cry. If your story is fluff, make my heart flutter. If your story is horror, give me nightmares. You know what I mean.

Flow/Grammar: (20pts.)

This is important, guys. I'm going to be honest and say that I don't really like to read stories that have bad grammar and spelling because I am a bit of a grammar soldier (I know that's not the real term but I don't wanna offend anyone). I am quite aware that English is not everyone's first language, though, so I am allowing beta-readers and co-authors. It would be really cruel if I didn't OTL. The flow in the story is also something that I will grade. Grammar is part of flow, but flow also means sentence fluency. How good does your story sound? How do your ideas go together? How are your paragraph transitions? This all contributes to flow. A good way to check this is reading your story out loud. It will help you pinpoint any awkward spots.

Prompt Use: (15pts.)

This is pretty self-explanatory. I just want to see that you used your prompt effectively in the story.

Total: 100pts.

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bonus opportunities
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With the original judging critera, I decided that there should be some bonus opportunities for authors to score some extra points where they were lost in a seemingly unfair way. For example, if one has an unbelievably outstanding storyline, but loads of hidden mistakes when it comes to grammar, then it would be possible for an author who is not as talented to end up ranking higher. However, with these opportunities, I'm confident that will not happen. Bonus opportunities will help judges recognize authors for their talent, rather than solely their writing mechanics. All of these opportunities will be kept in mind by the judges while they are doing their thing. If you have any additional ideas, please do mention them in a comment! The more, the merrier!

tba.. (still putting all my ideas together)

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message
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To all of my lovely readers and writers:

I'm going to die, you are all just so generous! I was given a second karma donation today from...lonelystar! Thank you so much I love you! Check out her profile, she's an amazing reviewer/beta. ~~And don't forget to shower her wall with love, praise, and affection~~.

Also, I wanted to remind you that questions can be submitted here. I will answer as soon as possible.

XOXO,

exocontests