There are five main criteria with which every narrative entry will be judged. These categories include: The author's voice, the characters, the plot, quality of representation, and lastly writing style.
The Voice:
Yes, the dreaded voice. All writers and readers know that the voice to the literature industry is the same as the it quality to the film industry. Neither can be defined simply. Here, what we mean is a nuanced and authentic voice that has personality, depth, and above all something to say. We are specially looking for stories with strong voices that jump at us with their own brand of uniqueness. If your words sparkle with your character and personality, you have nothing to worry about, but if you are unsure about this, leave it to our judges. They'll simply follow the tone.
The Characters:
Character building is more than just ticking off quirks and ambitions, it is about emotions, desires, and fears. In this section, we will be looking closely at the characters you have developed, and consider their growth be it positive or negative, in order to determine whether or not they made our hearts throb, or our tummy ache with laughter.
The Plot:
That is to say, the meat of your story. The storylines, the hooks, the cliffhangers, everything that includes the plot and makes up your story but is more than just a series of causes and effects at a certain time and space. Though we will be looking at those as well. Actions have consequences!
Quality of Representation:
This is perhaps the hardest criteria to define. Here, we will consider the effectiveness of the representation. Ask if it is positive, negative, or important representation. What we will be looking for in specific is the type of representation that diversifies the story not as a part of a quota, but rather as an authentic reflection of the real world in which we live. We understand that everyone's experience is different, and hence every character and story will be different as a result. This is why this criteria exists, so we may ponder questions for which we do not have the answers.
Writing Style:
This criteria considers the general writing ability of the writer, thinking about tone, mood, language use, grammar, and the overall artistic choices the writer has made.
This year, to create a unique opportunity for all of the wattpad Poets who do not get many opportunities to shine, we have decided to include a section for those heartbreaking LGBTQIA poems that sing songs of love like our beloved Sappho. As poetry is more freeform and differs greatly subject to subject, our judging criteria for it is much more relaxed. As a general rule, you should note that our poetry judges consider the following: Prose, Tone, Imagery, and the quality of LGBTQIA theme.
Our Judges: Lastly, the following will be your judges for this contest:
@parisable
@InkAndWander
If you would like to join us as a judge, please message us so we can discuss!