Call me a glutton for punishment but I love to judge contests. A contest junkie? You bet! I can’t afford to enter all the contests I’d like, so I judge ‘em instead.
I’m absolutely floored when magnanimous friends of mine volunteer to chair contests for their chapters then moan the blues about not being able to find judges for all the entries pouring in. Are you kidding me? People won’t judge five - count’em 5 - creative pieces of genius begging for words of wisdom to guide them on their way? The disheartened coordinator shakes a heavy head at the task before him/her, while I shake my head at the blown opportunity.
What a learning experience each entry poses. I prefer to say I offer feedback rather than judging– you know, the whole judge not lest ye be judged thing–an opportunity to pass on a part of the knowledge I’ve gleaned over my 14 year career of writing. I can’t say I offer a whole lot of wisdom to the contest entrant outside of technique pointers and personal opinions. Rather, I’m totally selfish about the whole thing. These entries teach me what writing is all about, teach me to view the world through different eyes. I can spot a pro a mile away, and say a prayer for a publishing contract on their horizon; I can spot a newbie a hundred miles away, and say a prayer for a compassionate mentor to enter their lives. Each person courageous enough to offer their work as a sacrifice on the pillar of subjective criticism deserves a Badge of Courage.
To the pros, I sympathize with you and I’m feelin’ your pain, scowling at the fact this masterpiece of brilliance in my hot little hands (or on the computer monitor) is still on the aspiring market. I’m not an editor, nor do I have ambitions to ever be one. Its got to be the most confusing profession on the face of the earth. I often scratch my head and wonder what in Godiva Chocolates are editors looking for when all in the space of 30 pages, I’ve laughed, cried and scooted up to the edge of my seat? To all of you gifted writers I offer my thanks for entertaining me with unique plots, winsome writing, and the dedication to continue submitting your talent to the next contest.
Newbies, hey, we’ve all been there. I think I love judging your work even more than the pros. I see your heart, I feel your emotions. Enthusiasm bathes your plots like diamonds in the rough-sometimes very rough : ) Yeah, I can see it. So, you need to perfect your craft, don’t we all? Remember, aside from the Instant Successes who have their own issues to overcome, we have all poured our hearts into learning to present a great story. I praise God daily for nurturing deep within me the seed of storytelling, for giving me the desire to throw everything including the kitchen sink at a pair of characters that eventually leads them to a happy ending. Newbies often run headlong with such excitement. I see it in the entries that have no POV, whose writing is passive, who run off on tangents that leave me cross-eyed and flummoxed. Those are craft techniques that we all must learn, practice, perfect and incorporate. BUT, the ideas are works of art. Life experiences uniquely yours make me smile and nod, and humbly remember years ago when the only body part worthy of my attention were the eyes, and gazes were the sum total of the action of my plots.
Writers are not made, we’re chosen.
Welcome to the club : )
-audra
A loving Christian blog by writers for writers and readers... browse, learn and enjoy! The Seekers
So beautifully said, Audra. Even in the hard to judge entries (for techincal reasons), there's the heart of a great story.
ReplyDeleteNow if I can just learn to get my daimond in the rough out and on the paper so it sparkles!
Missy
Great post, Audra. Wow, you're kind as well as talented. I've only judged one contest, and three of the four entries were definitely newbies. I made sure I made lots of positive comments wherever I possibly could, but it tweren't easy.
ReplyDeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteAudra, you summed up judging contest nicely. I used to be a contest judge junkie, but then baby #5 decided to enter our lives. So now I'm down to three or four contest a year instead of ten or twelve. Yes, I really used to judge that many.
But while I learned a few things from the six times I ever entered contest, I learned a bajillion things from judging.
Audra, I love that you pray for each entry to get published. What a special thing to do. I'm sure it means a lot for the entrants too. I agree with you that judging gives you new insights and keeps you updated on what's out there. Thanks for your input.
ReplyDeleteHi, Gina!! How's that #5 baby doing? :)
ReplyDeleteMissy
Audra, I've seen that sparkle in rough manuscripts before. And those are the ones I've always wanted to encourage as much as I could.
ReplyDeleteI've been there, and looking back, I KNOW some judges must have seen a diamond in the rough to polish me as they did!
Wow, Audra, wonderful post! I love judging contests, too, only I can't afford to judge every single one out there because of the 4-6 hours per entry my anal personality requires. But like you, I grow when I judge a contest. I see such potential in those with whom I get to share the writing lessons I've learned, and I learn soooo much from others regarding new and unique ways to improve my own craft.
ReplyDeleteAnd, oh yes, my friend, I concur wholeheartedly--"writers are not made, we’re chosen." What a blessed calling!
Audra you humble me. I shared with my friend while Christmas shopping that I know a gal who prays for the contest entrants. Not trying to embarrass you, but gee what a fabulously simple but glorious idea. I am honored to know you kiddo.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I wrote comments earlier in the day and they never posted. Hmm, technology worries me : )
ReplyDeleteYou guys are way too kind. I would place any of my printed children in your hands any day of the week.
-audra
Audra, thank you so much for your beauty and your gracious spirit. You've put my feelings into gentle, inspirational words with a touch of Harders Humor. Bless you, kid.
ReplyDeleteAnd Melanie, LOL! As long as we can all remember being that newbie, so anxious, so sure, we're in good hands.
Gina! Glad you're spending some time rocking babies/toddlers and put a little of the judging on hold. Remember the saying, (I'll no doubt butcher this, so save your stamps, ladies and gentlemen):
'So close your eyes cobwebs,
Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby
And babies don't keep...'
I think the same applies to contests!
Bless you and those little ones.
Ruthy
Hi, Missy! Niley's doing great. She finally cut her first tooth yesterday. Did you get your lovely suit clean? I'm so sorry.
ReplyDeleteOn praying for entries, I'm embarrassed to admit I never thought of doing it before I judged. Although, I have often prayed, "Lord, help me find something good to say to this entrant because her writing is awful." Once I cried over an entry because of how excrutiating it was to read.
Ended up, I gave her mostly 2s and 3s. I HATE giving a 1 and feel pretty much the same about a 2, but telling an entrant something that isn't true doesn't sit well with me. In other words, if I say WOW!, I mean it.
Hmm. Actually, now that I'm pondrering 1s and 2s, I realize I don't mind giving them to a strong entry that's just awful in a particular area. Case in point, this last contest I judged. One entry was FABULOUS because I could tell the entrant had a natural storytelling ability and had invested time in learning craft. But based off of her entry and her synopsis, I didn't see any external conflict.
By EC, I mean hero wants X because he thinks it will bring him happinesss. Heroine wants Y because she thinks it'll bring her happiness. Their goals conflict, so the reader wonders how can these two find a HEA and still achieve their individual story goals. Who will compromise or can they find a way to make both things happen.
Instead, the story was of a divorced couple who end up living again in the same town. They're still in love and have no external obstacles keeping them apart. The did have an internal conflict, but that could have been easily solved over a nice cup of tea at the end of chapter 2.
Yet despite the lack of conflict--okay, basically, plot--the story was amazing. Dimensional characters, great balance between narration and dialogue, strong secondaries, and fabulous setting, sensory, and character details.
That entrant got mostly 5s, a couple 4s, and one 2. And in case you were wondering, I took the whole back of one scoresheet page to nicely explain my score and give her some tips on how to strengthen her plot.
4s and 5s really do soften a lower justifiable score. But it's VERY important for the judge to explain the score in more than one sentence.
One of my CPs entered her double Rita-finally book in another pubbed contest and got straight 1s with no comments.
Thanks, Ruthy, for the encouring rocking my babies comment. I fell asleep last night during the Cowboys-Packers game with the baby on my chest and my 4-yr-old practically in my lap. Considering how our kids are usually sitting or sleeping between hubby and me, I'm thinking God figured out a way to make conception by osmosis, because that's how I'm figuring we got #5. ;-)
Audra, what a lovely post. You do us proud!
ReplyDeleteCan anyone explain why it's easy to see flaws in others' writing but not your own?
LOL! My suit is just fine, Gina. I enjoyed holding Niley so much I didn't mind at all. My kids are all way too big now. :)
ReplyDeleteMissy
Wonderful thoughts! I'm just thankful I finally have enough of a grasp on the craft to help others through contest critiques. I hope I never forget how it feels to be new and I try to incorporate that into my judging. Heck, what am I saying??? I STILL feel green on lots of stuff and I hate when I get an entry I feel is SO good, I'm not sure I'm qualified to help them. LOL! Your post reminds me not to take what I've learned for granted, nor keep it to myself.
ReplyDeleteCheryl
Forgot to say I also pray over each entry and love that you do also. I just hope most entrants, if they don't final, realize their critiques have been carefully, prayerfully canvassed....
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts, ladies!!!
Hugs,
Cheryl
Julie, I'm like you...I probably spend WAY more time on each entry than I should...but I can't seem to help it.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Squirly
Cleanign and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
ReplyDeleteFor babies grow up as we've learned to our sorrow.
So quiet down cob webs.
Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby
And babies don't keep.
Yes, that's right, I know this poem. I embroidered it onto a wall hanging for a friend who had a baby. That was umpteen zillion years ago. I don't do much needle work these days.
audra you are a fine human being. I'm going to use you as a yardstick to measure my own failing from now on!!!!!!!!!
I was using Ruthy before but I've got a new gold standard.
Something dawned on me this morning. What if someone reading this thread thinks that entry I mentioned was hers? Yikes. I hope I didn't offend anyone.
ReplyDeleteLemme clarify but adding that entry was most definitely NOT an inspirational...unless having a not-out-of-the-closet brother making out with the heroine's-best-friend-who-is-also-her-gay-uncle is a new kinda inspy subplot. ;-)