By judging the FWCW Contest, I agree to treat everyone’s ideas as their own and respect their creative ownership. If the contest officials deem it necessary, I will reevaluate my comments and/or scores of an entry or present sufficient justification for my comments and/or scores. I understand that ALL aspects of an entry are confidential and I will not discuss any entry with anyone other than the contest directors. I understand the contest guidelines and agree to abide by them.

We want our entrants to be happy they entered our contest and to receive meaningful, helpful feedback. If for some reason you feel you cannot judge an entry fairly, contact one of the contest chairpersons. Any judge who cannot meet the judging deadline due to circumstances beyond their control MUST contact the contest committee immediately at fwcwcontest@gmail.com.

For reference, here is a brief Contest Training document that should be useful: 2021 FWCW Contest Training

Keep your comments professional and diplomatic. Never interject your own morals or personal preferences. When unsure of your evaluation, give the author the benefit of the doubt. Be kind and encouraging. That doesn’t mean put unworthy manuscripts in the top 10%, but don’t crush the author's aspirations either.

Make comments throughout the entry. Your comments are very important because finalists have a chance to revise their manuscripts before submitting to the editor judges. Perfect entries need comments too, even if it's just a smiley face or an acknowledgment of something you like.

If you take off points on the score sheet, explain why!

Do not take off points for the same element in different sections of the score sheet. If you feel the dialogue slows the pace, explain and deduct the point in the dialogue section, but don't take off points for the same thing in the pacing section.

Do not take off points if you meet only one character in the entry.

Do not mark down for historical or factual accuracy. You are encouraged to comment on them, but they are not “judged” components.

Point-of-view. Deep POV should be judged in Characterization. Head-hopping should be judged in Pacing and Style. Changing POV within the same scene IS ACCEPTABLE as long as it doesn’t jar the reader from the story, but if you come across a scene that is in the wrong POV, comment on it.

Plot & Conflict. Give the writer a break. They can’t tell you everything in the allotted word count. That said, there MUST be a hint of some type of conflict in the 1st chapter, and there MUST be at least a hint of the story question (what’s going on in this book?) in the allotted word or page count of the entry. Please consult the entrants' provided summaries for plot and conflict hints not addressed in the 4500-word submission.

Make comments in every section of the score sheet i.e., Characterization, Plot & Conflict, Dialogue, Style & Pacing, Mechanics, Presentation, and Additional Comments.

Make sure your comments on the score sheet justify the scores and reflect the comments you make in the manuscript. Don’t make minimal remarks in the body of the manuscript and then give a low score on the score sheet, or vice versa. Doing so gives the entrants a conflicting representation of their work and leaves them questioning their scores and the contest’s integrity.

Check your spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure in all your comments. FWCW and you lose credibility when you tell an entrant they’re wrong, and then turn around and commit the same errors.

Do NOT discuss an entry with anyone other than Katie Ascher or Emily Gray. Contact us at fwcwcontest@gmail.com.

The FWCW Contest Committee reserves the right to edit judges’ comments on the entry and score sheet if necessary to meet Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion guidelines. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Scoring Guidelines

(Based on the Diederich Scale)

The descriptions presented below are not meant to be exact. They are intended as guidelines to fairly evaluate an entry. There is room for interpretation. Not all of the descriptions within a score range will apply to every entry. You must decide which statements MOST apply to the entry you are judging. These descriptions should not take the place of comments on the score sheet or entry, but feel free to borrow wording from the guidelines.

Characterization

Elements to consider when judging Characterization:

Is/Are the main character(s) likable?
Is at least one main character’s internal and external goal and motivation apparent?
Do the main characters’ actions and reactions ring true? Is the story logical?
Does the author use dialogue, narrative, and action to make each character distinct?
Can the main characters carry the story?
Do Secondary characters overshadow main characters?
Does at least one main character show a deep and effective internal and/or external point of view?

10 ABOVE AVERAGE - The author does a fantastic job of creating a multifaceted character(s). They present clear, sustainable goals and support those goals with believable motivations. The characters feel like real people and the reader is eager to be a part of their lives. Their actions and reactions conform to the background provided. One or both of the main character(s) are likable and unique in their own way. The main characters are instantly discernible from secondary characters. The secondary characters are necessary and interesting but don’t overshadow the main characters. The points of view are appropriate to the story and effectively depict the characteristics of the characters. 8 AVERAGE - The characters are fairly well rounded and more interesting than ordinary, but the author could put more effort into their development. Their actions and reactions sometimes seem inconsistent with the given situation. One or both main characters may not be “likable”, yet the reader still sympathizes with the person. The main characters are easy to identify, but more detail of their flaws and virtues would draw a clearer picture in the reader’s mind. Secondary characters, at times, tend to pull the story away from the main characters. Points of view could be deepened to better illustrate the characters’ goals and motivations. 6 BELOW AVERAGE - The characters are ordinary or predictable and don’t capture the reader’s interest. Their goals and motivations are nonexistent, unclear, or not proactive enough to show the reader their intentions. Their actions and reactions are unbelievable based on the situation. One or more secondary character overpowers the main character(s). The lack of skill in showing the characters’ points of view does not allow the reader to become familiar with the characters.

Dialogue

Elements to consider when judging Dialogue:

Is dialogue appropriate to setting or era, moving the story forward?
Does the dialogue suit or fit the character and is it natural?
Are lines of dialogue easily attributable and are dialogue tags used appropriately?

10 ABOVE AVERAGE - The author shows a perfected skill with dialogue that moves the plot forward and reveals the character in ways narrative and description cannot. The natural flow of dialogue makes the reader feel they’re participating in the conversations. Each character's speech rings true to their age, position, time period, and personality. Exchanges between characters are quick-paced, vivid, and important. Expressions and inflections in the dialogue are used to reveal the characters’ diversities. The tags are carefully chosen and provide the exact amount of movement and internal thought. 8 AVERAGE - The author is somewhat skilled with dialogue, but the conversations aren’t as engaging as they could be. The dialogue could be more distinct to suit a character’s “voice” or fit their personality, position, or age. More depth in dialogue and action tags would enhance the story. 6 BELOW AVERAGE - The dialogue is inconsistent and is used in some places where narrative or description would be more effective. There are too many tags or not enough tags, or they are used inappropriately. The words don’t ring true to the personality, age, and position of the person speaking. Conversations between characters sound stiff and contrived. Errors in the arrangement of sentences and which character is speaking, confuse the reader.

Plot and Conflict

Elements to consider when judging Plot and Conflict:

Does the first page draw you in and make you want to keep reading?
Does the story start in the right place?
Is there a clear sense of time and place?
Has the author revealed enough of an intriguing plot to invest the reader? Is it fresh?
Is the tension level high enough to hook the reader?
Is the situation well-motivated and believable?
Is there a sense of internal and external conflict and is the level of conflict appropriate to the genre?
Does the author use the five senses (six or more if Paranormal) to add depth to the setting?

10 ABOVE AVERAGE - The story starts with a great hook and a strong sense of movement even though the author cannot reveal everything within the first pages. The plot draws the reader in with intrigue and a sense of the unexpected. The internal and external conflicts are well motivated, and one, or both conflicts, cannot be solved easily or without great risk to the main character(s). There are enough stakes and/or tension throughout the plot to make it a page-turner. The groundwork and foreshadowing for complications is clearly laid and effective. The author uses settings, descriptions, and the five senses (six or more if Paranormal) to add depth to a fresh, believable plot. 8 AVERAGE - The opening starts at a good point but could be more effective. At least one main character has an obvious external and/or internal conflict to engage the reader. The story concept is compelling and the situation has a twist that keeps the story interesting. The author does a creditable job using the senses to enhance the story. The plot is plausible, but better worldbuilding would help clarify the storyline and draw the reader deeper into the story. 6 BELOW AVERAGE - The opening lacks the ability to propel the story. The author needs to start the story at a different point or rewrite the opening. The story concept is rather conventional, but with some work and thought, it could be interesting. Either the external or internal (or both) conflict needs clarifying or improving. The conflicts are either unclear, not present or are easily solvable if the characters took a different path. The plot has too many holes to make the story believable. The conflict as presented cannot sustain the entire book. The plot is tried and true, and not unique enough to be memorable.

Pacing, Style and Story Elements

Elements to consider when judging Pacing, Style and Story Elements:

Does the author’s voice lend itself to the genre?
Is the pacing appropriate to the story and genre?
Is there an effective balance between dialogue, action, and narrative?
Does “showing” outweigh “telling”?
Is “backstory” layered without slowing the pace and is the story free of unnecessary scenes?
Does the author transition points of view smoothly without head-hopping?

10 ABOVE AVERAGE - Just the right balance of dialogue, action, and narrative keeps the pace of the story moving at the perfect speed. Every scene adds to the importance of the plot and progresses in a realistic, compelling manner. The compulsion to turn the page stays with the reader from start to finish. Transitions between characters’ points of view flow seamlessly. Varying sentence lengths set the tone and mood of the story. The author has a unique voice without being intrusive or overwhelming and is adept with words. The writing “shows” the scenes, only using ‘telling” to improve the pace. Pertinent backstory and/or information are interspersed throughout the story. The world-building is effective and engages the reader. Powerful hooks at the end of each scene and/or chapter leave the reader craving to read more. 8 AVERAGE - The pace would improve if the backstory was sprinkled throughout the story and not clumped together in large amounts. Sentence lengths are adequate to maintain the flow. The author could enhance the pace by replacing passive verbs with more active words, and/or “showing” instead of “telling” the action. Hooks may need a little polish, but the concepts are strong and effective enough to entice the reader to turn the page. There could be more world-building to help secure the reader's interest. 6 BELOW AVERAGE - The opening leaves the reader somewhat bewildered as to where the story intends to go. There is not enough world-building to engage the reader. The writer uses too many old phrases and clichés. The narrative and description are present but are somewhat colorless, or are too over-the-top at the expense of clarity. Sentence length and structure need more variance. Backstory could easily be trimmed and still maintain clarity. The pacing either drags or seems rushed in places and needs more balance and flow. There are too many areas where the author is “telling versus showing” the action, which reads more like a narrative than generally acceptable in fiction. There are times where points of view jump from one character to another. The hooks work fairly well but need more thought to keep the reader interested.

Mechanics

5 STANDARD – There are very few punctuations and/or spelling errors. Violations of standard grammar or style are few and far between and do not obscure the meaning behind the words. The sentence structure is usually correct, even in varied and complicated sentence patterns. Fragments are used purposefully and for effect. 4 BELOW STANDARD - Serious errors in word usage and sentence structure make the entry frustrating to read and/or hard to understand. There are many inconsistencies of tenses, reference to pronouns, misplaced modifiers, etc. The spelling and punctuation errors could be corrected with careful proofreading.

Presentation

5 STANDARD – The manuscript is clean, attractive, and legible and follows the standard rules of margins, the position of title, spacing, font, type size, etc. 4 BELOW STANDARD – The manuscript is sloppy in appearance, difficult to read, and is not prepared in the generally accepted industry format. FORMAT GUIDELINES:

8.5 X 11-inch page size with a white background (no pattern or color tint)
One inch margins on the top, bottom, and both sides
Industry accepted font (Times New Roman or Courier) in twelve-point type size
Double spaced, unjustified, and aligned left text with a half-inch paragraph indentation
Manuscript title on the left side of the header and page numbers on the right side

ADDITIONAL COMMENT AREA ON THE SCORE SHEET Please add constructive and helpful comments. Some concerns or comments might be:

Areas of the story that are unclear or that confuse you and why
Sections/scenes/plot aspects that take you out of the story and why
Who your favorite or least favorite character(s) is and why
What you like best, or don’t like, about the story and why
What you’d like to see more of, or included in the story and why
Encouraging words about the author’s writing

If you have questions or concerns, contact the Contest Directors at fwcwcontest@gmail.com. Thank you.