  Noticing Newbies
This week: Quality Entries: A Judge's Thoughts Edited by: JACE  
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Hi, I'm JACE .
Welcome to this issue of the Noticing Newbies newsletter. I hope to take you into some nooks and crannies of Writing.Com that you may not have found time to check out yet.
Don't forget to toss me a note about what you liked or didn't like in my column, or about a topic you'd like to see discussed. This newsletter is about and for you. And for you seasoned members, I hope you'll find something you can take from my ramblings. 
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Qualifying and Quality: A Judging Perspective
Part Two
Welcome back to part two of our discussion on one judge's perspective about your entry to a contest. Last time I talked about the qualifying aspect of an entry. If you missed that, check out "Noticing Newbies Newsletter (September 21, 2011)" . Now let's talk about a few things that may enhance the quality of your contest entry.
Please don't interpret the things I say as the Holy Grail for contest entries; each judge's opinions are colored by his or her life experiences AND specifically what is going on in the judge's life at the time your entry is read. Multiple judges in a contest compounds your task even further. What to do? In my opinion....
First, your story must be correct in a technical sense. Your grammar must fit the type of story you've written. Does the story take place in the present, or in medieval times? Sentence structure, dialogue, punctuation, spelling, tense agreement--everything must work together to engage and keep your reader in your story. Whether your reader notices grammatical hiccups right away or they gnaw at him as he reads, they will interfere with his critical enjoyment of your story. When judging, I read each story twice, the first time just to get a feel for it. However, if I notice a lot of technical errors, I find myself wanting to 'fix' them, which detracts from me becoming invested in the storyline.
I'm not saying your story has to be perfect when you submit it. We're not perfect, and those pesky typos and an overabundance of -ly words will often find their way into your story.
Second, if you have time, ask a friend you trust to give you an unbiased opinion of your story before you submit it. An extra set of eyes can help find those technical errors. Don't forget to ask his subjective opinion of your story. Does he like the storyline, do the characters come to life for him, what does he like or dislike about them, does your story even make sense, does it flow logically, and is your dialogue natural?
I think writing a good story is like trying to hit a golf ball--there are dozens of things to think about in each situation, and they all have to work together to achieve the optimal result. I still work hard on both activities, though I have to say a day on the golf course is a great way to let my subconscious work out a rather thorny aspect of a story.
After you've written your story, set it aside for a few days and do something unrelated to writing ... or at least, not related to that story. Let your subconscious stew about it. Carry a small notebook with you for those occasions when a salient thought pops into your head. Write it down immediately. I've lost more than a few good ideas because I didn't take the time to write them down as they came to mind. Inspiration is fleeting.
Last, edit without abandon
A Google search regarding the use of 'with abandon' vs. 'without abandon' yielded mixed results.  |
Ultimately, be true to your inspiration. Your voice is unique; no one writes like you do. Use that creativity to catch a reader's or judge's interest. Present your story in a different way, and use your experiences to hold their interest. Who knows, you may just garner that coveted First Place.
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Check out these Newbies, writing with a decided bent toward the Horror/Scary genre in honor of the forthcoming holiday....
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What do you do to assure your stories are the best they can be?
And from the mailbox about my last Noticing Newbies newsletter, "Noticing Newbies Newsletter (September 21, 2011)" .
From phillywriter71: Awesome newsletter. Though I'm not new, your comments on the contests as well as reading through the comments you put to other writers like myself has inspired me to continue with my writing and my time here. I have been away from Writing.com several months now and I'm glad I"m back. I definitely will ask for help if I need it. Sorry if this is a little off topic. Take care.
Not a problem with going off topic, my friend; we're writers and our minds often go where they will. Welcome back.
From Megz  : Well, I'm new. This is just something I thought up. It's a rough draft, and after reading one of the news letters for inspiration, I thought it would be a good idea to submit my work :)
Submitted item: "Invalid Item"
Welcome to WDC, my friend. Submitting your work for others to read and review is always a good thing; don't be afraid to ask them questions if you don't understand something they say about your offerings. You can also plug your items here: "The Shameless "Plug" Page" .
From Leila : You are right; few will judge. Running a contest is a hard work; harder than I though it would be. People do not read the rules. My contest requires reviews; its forum has not yet received any review: All reviews for the contest forum were for poems to be reviewed!
I must ask: are you hoping for reviews of your contest forum, or do you as a judge provide reivews to the contestants. Of course, you have control over the latter, but little over the former, unless you have some friends who can review your forum for clarity, etc. Good luck with your contest.
From jim1184  : Good News Letter, Jace, I definitely have to practice my navigation. I have been making use of random reads, which have lead me to a lot of poetry. I seem to be developing a taste for poetry now. I like the judges perspective on contests.
Thank you, and good luck with your writing.
From Mara ♣ McBain  : Great NL! As one that has ran, judged, and submitted to many a contest I am always amazed at the number of people that simply don't read the rules.
And I'm one who has blundered into that category, Mara.  Fortunately, I'm much more careful now.
From BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  : Judges look for the basics: Followed Rules, Spelling and Grammar, Originality, Timeliness, and so forth.
Submitted item: "Writing"
These are difinitely some things I look for.
From chipthe3rd: Hello, Sir/Madam. I really enjoy your Noticing Newbies newsletter (Being one myself), and I must ask you if you have any advice for writing one's first original work? Hoping to hear from you again soon, B. Marley.
First, I'm a guy, though I have come across a young lady with the same name.  Second, I've found it best and easier to write about something that you know or feel passionate about. Only you can decide what that is, or whether you'll write a short story, poem or novel. I love sitting at Starbucks and watching folks to get ideas for characters. Your offering doesn't have to be long. I'm sure you'll come up with something. Good luck.
From eyestar~* : Jace. This was an excellent and useful topic! Well done. I will keep it handy to pass on to new folks in the future. Thanks.
Thanks, my friend. That makes my day. 
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Noticing Newbies: October 19, 2011 Issue [#4671]
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