Τhε Wrιτεr's Cσδε - Rhythm

To Judge Or Not To Judge?

I am tasked with decisions I don't think I can make. So, I break them down into smaller pieces. When judging other's work, it is so hard to pick a winner. There is the court of popular opinion, but since when is this an accurate barometer?

So, we make our spreadsheets, with all the categories.

Was the Title a good one, appropriate for the work it stands for?

Hmm, that's not always possible to judge in the first few chapters of a book. Sometimes it takes till the last chapter before it becomes clear.

The Blurb or Summary?

Now that one is easier. If it made me curious enough to click on the first chapter, then it's done its job. Too long, and it becomes a synopsis, not good.

The Cover?

Easier to deal with than the written word. Sometimes it's merely a symbol, other times the artwork is spectacular, but does it give a sense of what you are about to read? Yes? Then good enough.

And we get down to the things that will spoil the read.

Grammar, spelling, punctuation. Minor problems are forgivable. Continual gross infractions are not. It can take a wonderful plot line and destroy it inside a couple of pages. Edit, edit, edit. There are so many programs that can help, even as simple as what is there in Google Docs, or Word. Use them.

Gaping holes in the plot... again, how am I supposed to figure that one out in a few chapters. Especially when the plot develops slowly, as characters are drawn and world history is brought to play.

Character development. Are they flat? It's hard to get behind a character who has no feelings and is all action. Action is fine, but at least let me know what the protagonist likes for breakfast and if they dream or not.

Flow, pacing and vocabulary. Are you using words no one knows the meaning for? Do they have to run to a dictionary to understand and interrupt the progression of the plot to figure out what you meant? Reading is meant to be entertainment in most cases. Keep it simple, but don't use the same ten words over and over again. The thesaurus exists for a reason. Anything that might make the reader go WTF is to be avoided if you want them to continue till the end of the story.

And so, it goes down a line of boxes, each with a heading and the highest possible score.

I have sixteen works to judge, in two awards and three genres. I know what good is, but differentiating between excellent work to pick the best is hard. These little boxes are what help me to choose the winner.

Please don't judge the judge too harshly. Don't question them too closely. Each day is unique, and their decisions are to be taken with grace. I've come back to a book I judged harshly years ago and found myself wondering why on the second reading. The opposite is true as well.

And this is what came out when I was challenged to just write. Can you guess what's worrying me? Of course, you're all smart cookies.

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