A heavily anticipated box landed on my doorstep last Monday. My fingers trembled as I tore open the UPS box. The smell of fresh manuscripts waft through the air and I'm jittery with excitement as I dumped the entire contents, six partial manuscripts, onto my desk. The anticipation of discovering new authors, reading new stories, and helping writers discover their dreams resides in my hands.
And it is a heady power that I do not treat lightly.
I love this time of the year. And I especially love judging Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart contest. Why, you ask? What makes this contest so special?
I love judging the Golden Heart because I don't have to follow any chapter prescribed score sheet. I don't have to award individual points for the hero, the heroine, their first meet, dialogue, the plot, or any individual element of the story. I can let the story do what a good story is supposed to do, as it sucks me into another world. I can walk in the protagonists footsteps enjoying their adventures, and always to wonder if the hero and heroine will be able to get together in the end.
--Yes, I know it's a romance, and they all end with some sort of HEA (happily ever after), but romance, and many other awesome stories, is all about the ride.
But what I love most of all is that I get to judge the entire story on its own merits. We do have to give each manuscript a score, between 1 and 9 to the nearest decimal, as an overall score for how we liked the manuscript. This year I got some really good stories to read (YAY!), and if I do say so myself, I tend to be a harsh critic. I scored two 9's this time, two 7/8's and two 4/5. Now this isn't to say the one I scored 4 was hideous, it wasn't, but it wasn't ready to get published. It had some real problems, but it also had a fun premise and decent plot. The problem is that the author needs to learn more of the craft of writing. The story isn't ready yet.
I wish all the authors well and hope the two 9's will final, but it's out of my hands as RWA plugs the numbers into some weird algorithm along with the scores from the other judges.
Now it is time to get back to my poor neglected manuscript that I abandoned to read six new stories.
Write on!
I judged the GH entries once. It wasn't a good experience for me because I longed to tell the writer why I marked something down. I'm judging Great Expectations entries right now. The first one was perfect (love it when that happens). The second one, not perfect. (That's all I'm going to say about that. lol) But I hope what I said will help the writer. Although it's all subjective.
ReplyDeleteI FINALLY got my entries today after RWA mailed them to the wrong address and my mother had to pick them up and REMAIL them AT HER EXPENSE to me in Florida.
ReplyDeleteWhy go to so much trouble? Because I think this contest is important. I want to judge it. I love no scoring sheet. I love being able to basically say, This was great, or good, but needs a little work.
IMHO, so many contests grade on things that just aren't important to an editor or agent as a good story/good voice.
Getting on my tonight!