Opulence Judging Criteria

Here at the Opulence Writer's Awards, we want to help and inspire as many undiscovered authors as we can. To achieve this, we need the best judges possible... Do you think you are up to the task?

We are looking for well written, in depth reviews that will help us complete the first round of judging. You will need a high level of technical competency as well as a passion for reading your chosen genre. We understand that we are asking for quite the undertaking, so please don't offer your services if you are unable to complete the task.

There will also be specific points to look for in each genre. These should also be taken into consideration alongside the main categories. These will be located alongside each genre on the genre chapter.

Please apply on the 'Judge's Form' Chapter. Any applications made on this chapter will not be taken into consideration.

The Judging criteria is as follows:

Books and Short Stories: If a Full Length novel, you must read minimum of Five Chapters, and the reviews written must be based solely on these Five. If a Short Story, you must read 5,000 Words minimum, or if a collection, at least Three Stories.

Judge:

Genre:

Author's Name:

Book Title:

Title/Cover: /10

·       Relevance

·       Design/Execution

A good title and cover should be enticing to behold. They should capture your attention and be your first small glimpse into the story within. They should match perfectly to the story's overall theme as well as the individual storyline. The design should be well composed and well executed.

Blurb: /10

·       Relevance

·       Intrigue

·       Length

Blurbs are the gateway to the book; they should make you eager to read it. They should give you just enough information to tantalise you without giving it all away. It should be short enough to leave you wanting more but long enough to capture your interest.

Plot Development: /15

·       Pace

·       Information

·       Intrigue

A good plot should be well paced to their particular genre. The storyline needs time to gather enough information to keep the reader hooked. Readers should not be bombarded with information all at once, and instead have it interwoven into the text. We don't want to learn everything right away, but we do want morsels to keep us going. Show don't tell is always the best strategy. Tell us why this is done well. What was it in particular that made you think this?

Technical Ability: /15

·       Grammar (Punctuation, Syntax, Spelling)

·       Language Use

·       Formatting

Technical ability is certainly important for any writer. There should not be consistent errors in their grammar, and they should show a general level of competency. The author's choice of words should mirror the character's voice and general setting of the story itself. Their descriptions should be well constructed and be neither laborious or withholding. The piece itself should also be well structured, with dialogue correctly formatted and the text broken into appropriate paragraphs.

(Allowances should be made if English is their second language.)

Character Development: /15

·       Protagonist

·       Antagonist

·       Relationships

·       Clear Voice and Purpose

The main character(s) should always stir a certain level of empathy in you. Even if they are supposed to be standoffish, there should be something that makes you root for them. Contrary to that, their antagonist (if there is one) should be loathsome; even if they are charismatic, the reader needs to know that they are the opposition. The author should create strong and believable relationships between all characters, and their dialogue and descriptions should cement this for us as readers. Each character should have a distinct voice, letting us know who they are without having to rely on 'character lists' at the beginning of the book or simple descriptions as their defining factor. Each character should be introduced for a reason, be it good or bad. Do they bring balance or further the plot? Do they help show our protagonists flaws or aid them in bringing down the antagonist? Explain how the author achieves this.

Overall Enjoyment: /10

·       Feeling

Any good book should leave you with the desire to read on. Why does this book in particular do that? Tell us the specific things that you enjoyed, be they lines of dialogue, plot points or characters. Why should other people want to read this book? If you could summarise your experience of this book in a simple sentence, what would it be? Give it a tag line.

Total Score: [/75]

Poetry: You must read a minimum of Three Poems and the reviews written must be based solely on these Three.

Judge:

Genre:

Author's Name:

Book Title:

Title/Cover: [/10]

·       Relevance

·       Design/Execution

A good title and cover should be enticing to behold. They should capture your attention and be your first small glimpse into the story within. If there is an overall theme for the poetry, does it portray this? The design should be well composed and well executed.

Technical Ability: [/15]

·       Grammar (Punctuation, Syntax, Spelling)

·       Formatting

·       Rhyming Pattern (if used)

Technical ability is certainly important for any writer. There should not be consistent errors in their grammar, and they should show a general level of competency. The piece itself should also be well structured, with rhyming structure correctly formatted and the text broken into appropriate stanzas.

(Allowances should be made if English is their second language.)

Poetic Licence: /15

·       Language Used

·       Emotion

Poetry is a thing of beauty. The language used should evoke emotion through every wonderful description. Poetry should make you feel something and should convey a certain depth. How does this poet achieve that?

Overall Enjoyment: /10

·       Feeling

Any good poem or collection of poetry, should stick firmly in your mind. Why does this collection in particular do that? Tell us the specific things that you enjoyed. Why should other people want to read this collection? If you could summarise your experience of this collection in a simple sentence, what would it be? Give it a tag line.

Total Score: [/50]

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