Right now, all my spare time goes to reading manuscripts for a contest. This isn't the first contest I've judged, nor is it likely to be the last. Although the effort is certainly time-consuming, it's also a great education. I thought I'd share some of the lessons learned, lessons that apply to any contest you enter.1. Read the directions. I know you're probably thinking, well, duh! But I can't tell you how many people goof this up. They misread … [Read more...] about Lessons Learned Judging Contests
contest entries
How to Make a Contest Judge Very, Very Grumpy
The organizers of the contest I was judging sent an urgent email saying that a few of the judges had opted out at the last minute. Would I review two more entries?Of course, I said, "Yes."One of those is still upsetting me.You see, this particular entry featured a charming and highly original story idea. To my mind, it was "high concept." It was a big idea that causes people to smile and say, 'Ahhhh!"But the writer didn't proof her work. The 30 … [Read more...] about How to Make a Contest Judge Very, Very Grumpy
