Contests Continued...      All the contests I've entered have had score sheets to guide judges in their scoring. Most will rate your entry and give points on a sliding scale. Areas of judging may include a number of elements or a few. I recommend requesting a copy of the score sheet from the contest coordinator so you can evaluate your own manuscript before you send it off. Some RWA chapters include their contest score sheets on their web sites. The following are judging elements that have appeared most on score sheets in the contests I've entered: OPENING/PROLOGUE/CHAPTER ONE: Does the story start at the correct place, with an interesting, intriguing hook? Is there a good introduction of characters and plot? Has the writer revealed enough information, or too much, too soon? SETTING: Is it clearly defined without extraneous detail? Is there a sense of time and place? CHARACTERIZATION/HERO AND HEROINE: Are they skillfully developed, multi-dimensional, and believable? Can you empathize with him/her. Are their actions motivated? PLOT LINE: Is the plot line interesting, unique, skillfully developed? DIALOGUE: Is it natural? Does it move the story? Is it distinctive to each character? Is it appropriate to the genre? Is dialogue well balanced with the narrative? NARRATIVE: Is it necessary, interesting. Does it progress the story. Is it in character viewpoint rather than author-intrusive? PACING: Does the story flow smoothly? Is every scene essential to the story. Are there highs and lows of conflict? MOTIVATION: Is it genuine; not contrived? Is it compelling? POINT OF VIEW: Is it clear and concise? Are transitions smooth and the changes logical? STYLE/VOICE: Is the writing vivid and evocative? Is it special, unique? RELATIONSHIP: Can you feel the tension, magic, excitement? Does the relationship progress at a satisfactory rate? MECHANICS: grammar, punctuation, spelling FORMAT: follows generally accepted guidelines OVERALL IMPRESSION: Are the characters likeable? Do you want to read more?      Once you've followed and considered all the steps above and believe your manuscript literally sings, you proudly send it off and wait. And while you wait, your mind begins to work overtime. Did I send a SASE? Did I include a title page? Did I spell check? This, of course, is not a good scenario. Gives me ulcers. So, I have a check sheet for each contest entered and keep it in a file with copies of my contest entries. Then I forget about it and keep on writing. If I have second thoughts, I simply check my file. I've never had a manuscript returned and I've never had one disqualified. To guard against the most common mistakes, take a look at the Do's and Don'ts list that follows: Do follow directions. Different contests ask for different things. Read your check list one last time and check off each item in red before sealing that envelope—check your number of copies, separate and clip them exactly as requested, enclose your check with the correct amount and the correct name on the check, send a SASE with the correct postage on it, and a title page if requested. Include your signed entry form and anything else they require, double check your check sheet before sealing that envelope, and mail to the correct contest coordinator as instructed, well before the contest deadline. Many contests have limits on the number of entries. If you wait till the last minute before the deadline, you risk getting your entry returned. Do send the correct sized SASE. If you send one that's too small, you may not get your copies back and your postage will be wasted. Do proofread, even if you've spell checked a dozen times. Your spell checker won't catch everything, I guarantee it. Typos, misplaced indentations and the like are not picked up by your spell-checker. Do double-check the category you've entered. I once entered the Golden Heart and had a choice of long contemporary or romantic suspense for two different books. When I checked, I found I'd entered my long contemporary in the romantic suspense category, thus eliminating my intended entry for that category. If your book might fit one or more categories, talk with other writers to determine the best fit. Call the contest coordinator if necessary. Don't take any contest critique or low scores as an indicator of your writing ability. Do read the critiques with discretion, consider the context in which the scores are given, write the book you want to write, from your heart of hearts, and do it with passion. Whether you're a beginner and simply want someone besides your mother to read your work, or a seasoned contest veteran who's going for the gold, that passion will win out. Do notify the contest coordinator if a judge rakes you over the coals instead of providing a helpful critique if that's what the contest promised. Do send thank you notes, even to those judges you think are off the mark. Rise above any initial knee-jerk response. You are a professional. If you can't write a sincere note thanking the judges who took away from their own valuable writing time to judge your entry, don't write anything. You don't want to be remembered in a negative way.      During this last year, I wrote a series of editor interview articles for my local RWA chapter newsletter, and in those interviews, I asked editors if contests made a difference to them. By and large, the responses were the same. Entering contests and making personal contacts with editors can be helpful. But none of it matters if you don't write a good book. Take your craft seriously, always strive to make your book the best it can be, one you really care about. Write romance fiction because you love reading and writing it.      You can't get any better advice than that.      Good luck and happy writing. Continued... Page   1   2   3 Back to the Files Author Note • Books • Bio • Appearances • Romantic Travels The Style Files • Contest • Email • Home Article originally printed in the Phoenix Desert Rose Newsletter, 1998. Copyright © 1998-2000, Linda Style. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2004, Linda Style. All rights reserved. Original site design by Author Spotlights. Hosted by