Please stay tuned for the judge results and show some love to our amazing judges! They'll be ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd!

THESE ARE THE FANTASY SCORES AND FEEDBACK:
Thank you to all of our judges who got these results back to me in a timely manner. Thank you to the participants who allowed themselves to be vulnerable as we reviewed your work. I hope that the in-line comments and feedback have found you well. Do not let feedback discourage you! Allow this input from a secondary source to motivate you to review and improve your work! You are all so talented <3

(You can view your judges in Round I results. The winners of each genre and category will be posted separately in Round III results!)

Olvaaarrdd Heart of Straw

Total Score: 99/100

Feedback:
            The synopsis is concise and intriguing, well written. I enjoy the author's style of writing. The cover and font choice are cute, imparting the feeling I'm reading a children's fairytale. I came into this expecting some sort of Wizard of Oz type Fan-Fiction story, but it contains so many surprising, unique elements. I was pleasantly surprised. Prologue is well written. The story picks up at a different place than the prologue leaves off, hence an initial confusion. This is quickly remedied, as readers do not have to wait long to find out more about the character who was first introduced in the prologue.
            The author employs a vast vocabulary to conjure a very vivid image of each scene and character to the forefront of my mind. I think the way Swishy is described is very well done. I love how realistically the writer is able to detail his body and his experiences from the perspective of a scarecrow. Already he is a dynamic character and even his speech thus far sets him apart. Swishy makes his mark. I particularly adored the little detail of those dainty flowers springing up in his wake. How charming. Even the boy in the prologue has a personality that is distinguished from the others. He is sporting attributes of a typical 20-year-old.
            I can clearly and easily imagine a scene unfolding. The writing itself is flawless, I found virtually no grammatical errors. I can 100% see this in bookstores one day. You are a very talented writer. I actually wish I found some more errors to offer more help with finding areas of correction, lowkey feeling a little bad, but that just goes to show that it is already quite polished.

Aravis-Brightspell Rhyshannon Chronicles

Total Score: 94/100

Feedback: Cover is striking, well formatted. Synopsis hooks the reader, captures enough of the storyline to be found intriguing. I found a run-on sentence or two, could be broken up to read better, but besides that, an interesting read. Amazing imagery, I remember reading the opening scene, I could hear the beeping of machinery in the hospital room, I could envision the environment and put myself in the character's shoes. Everything is so well described and interesting from the get-go. The worldbuilding is excellent. There are a variety of characters and even side characters feature an accurate, distinct portrayal according to profession. The ambiance of each different scene is /chefs kiss/. Loved the addition of the language and the description of that realm where the Being resides. This work gives off major Sci-Fi vibes, reminding me of those types of books I first fell in love with as a young reader!

Fowler0821 How to Save the World with Mediocrity

Total Score: 71/100

Feedback: The title was definitely very intriguing, because you don't see someone saving the world with mediocrity every day. The cover though, I feel like it could have been better. Same with the blurb. It definitely isn't bad alright. Just not anything catchy. Now the imagery was honestly not that advanced in the beginning, but it improved as the story progressed. The world building was actually well-done, nothing too in-depth, but it got the job done. Vocabulary was pretty good too. Just the use of a bit more words could do the trick. I will be honest; the characters need more development, and plot was a bit rushed. The climax was good, but there were some nit bits where the plot felt unnaturally fast paced. There were nearly no spelling mistakes, the paragraphs were neatly arranged as well. The beginning could have been better. Otherwise, many would drop the story and wouldn't know that it actually was good by the end of it.

IredescentRose The Unfound

Total Score: 57/100

Feedback: At a closer glance, the cover is pretty alluring, however it doesn't quite fit the mood of your story. What I mean is that the cover, though well done, would be more fitting for a horror, or grimdark fantasy book. It's not a setback, don't worry, but you might want the cover to convey the mood of the story. Also, you may want to center your name on the bottom. The font choice is good for this one. The introduction entices the reader in a galactic setting, where the characters are in a high-speed chase in space-faring ships - a concept that easily hooks readers. Problems with pacing and detail later on (seems overly fast paced, therefore lacking scenic detail to keep readers attached to story), but with these things corrected the introduction would be astounding. Worldbuilding needs more nuance. It's an alien world - make us feel utterly engrossed in this society run by superhumans. Make us feel awe and think "Huh, that's kind of weird but pretty cool". Try to think outside the box and come up with new traditions and ideals these people can have that would set them apart, for they really take after western civilization. If eastern countries are vastly different from western ones, how much more unique should a civilization from another galaxy be? Remember to utilize more commas and pauses, as run-on sentences are common in your work. Also, be aware of how much you tell. Remember that you don't have the obligation to make everything clear and set in stone right off the bat. Yes, make the plot clear as well as the character's intentions (unless if someone's two faced. Make sure to add hints towards their possible other side of possible), but it won't cause confusion to not explicitly tell us about their internal struggles. Rather, see what you can do by showing. Either it be dramatic actions or slight gestures.

I would also advise you to work on individual voices. You see, many of your characters don't talk that differently from eachother. Lots of them talk very plainly, and don't show unique speech patterns or word usage. Try to do what you can to boost their individuality and take into consideration every piece of dialogue after your draft is written, and ask yourself, "Would a real person even talk like this? Can I imagine meeting someone talking like this? Would I sound unnatural and fake if I sounded like this?"

And let me caution you against telling us about a character's personality without giving us proof of it being true. What do I mean? Throughout the story, Teresa is described (not shown), to be lonely and "different". Different how? I wondered about this, but didn't get an answer. She seems pretty normal, and she's attractive on top of that. I couldn't find anything about her that seemed odd. If anything, she should have more friends than me. There were unique concepts. I especially enjoy the concept of the aliens and their similar culture; however I do not peculiarly enjoy how Iridescent's too similar and lacks its own culture.

Overall, It's pretty rough, if I'm honest. Please, don't be disheartened. Taking honest criticism only leads to improvement, not shame. My friend's work was a bit more rough than yours, and she improved a great deal when she took her proof reader's advice into action.

If you have any questions of how else you can improve, or if you're unsure about something, you can DM me (:

The main way to become a better writer is by writing. And from seeing your catalog, you've been cracking at it for some while. That's a good thing! In truth, you've probably written more than me, as I see a whole line-up of books authored by you. As for me, I'm still writing my first novel after years of writing one-shots, creative writing assignments, and projects that went nowhere. You, unlike many others, have something in mass proportions - consistency and endurance. Just be conscious of your writing throughout and be open to criticism.

AshlynLynx Lawless Heaven

Total Score: 97/100

Feedback: I would give this more points if I could. You utilize the "show and don't tell" technique so very well. Many authors use the narrator as an excuse to bombard the reader with info. Not you! You understand that reading a book should be like watching a movie - an experience gained by watching the scene unfold in front their eyes, figuring out the world as they go on, not having their hand held as a narrator tells then what's what, and why. It can be confusing as to what's happening, though. Your writing style requires much focus to comprehend, at least from me, as I find myself rereading certain parts. However, much of that confusion should be cleared later on when the explanation behind the conflict and the settlement's unique culture is revealed through showing and storytelling.

Worldbuilding is vivid and beautiful, not needing to be a fantasy world to feel "fantastical". You've invested many readers, including me. Only thing is how some aspects of your writing is hard to understand, for example, when you introduced the people who tackled "The Fellow". I wasn't sure what you were going for at first. However, that may just be me. I find myself needing to reread something over and over again if it's not described literally, or if it's described really quickly. Just be conscience of how complex you describe something. You don't want to cause more confusion than necessary. However, you did create some needed confusion to match that of the characters during that scene, so that deserves applause.

Ah... the dialogue. It's... incredible! They sound like people. A bit of profanity, but good realistic dialogue. The characters are very unique as well. I can tell you put more effort into Amias later on, for at first, I didn't really care more for him, or really notice him. To begin with, I was more acquainted with Eli and The Fellow. You seemed to have redeemed that character.

First Impressions are a bit vague, but that was intentional. The setting is fleshed out in the next chapter, but still keeps lots of truths hidden, as to why folks, especially children are sent out of town. Overall, just get the thing published when you're done.

I hope you will release more original works after this one! (Please no smut or anything like that. It's your choice, but I would like to enjoy your writing without worrying about those things)

Cosmodeus25 Starborn

Total Score: 78/100

Feedback: I admire the concepts you imagined. However, it seems to be telling quite a bit. Now, it's 1st person narration, and it's normal for some info to be dropped, as you're strictly in the mind of the character. However, it would have been better if you left some details to be personally explored through the world (for example, maybe you could write in some manuscripts or some relics that mentions the past when the protagonist once lived, and have him be nostalgic, or have deeper, more impactful subtext and inner dialogue, as lots of the inner thoughts of the character seems rushed, dropping info like it's nothing. Maybe tie in some emotion (which is something you do already, but you could expand upon that to make the thoughts feel less rushed).

Now to get this clear, it's okay to drop some info right off the bat. As long as you don't go overboard, and allow the readers to explore, which is something you do. We don't know how the shadow creatures returned, why Obsidia turned out the way it did, and the deal behind "Bishop the Bleak". You did good there. You got us wondering.

The worldbuilding in the first few chapters is interesting, but other than the Clerics, monsters, and the warriors (Along with the magic), there's little nuance. Get those out of the way, and I see a generic fantasy world (or a medieval world, perhaps). The worldbuilding mostly circulates around the conflict - the war between good and evil, the knights who utilize the flame, and the demons. Outside of that isn't much that stands out. I would have liked to have seen more worldbuilding that would have set this setting apart asides from the conflict, such as the day to day culture, religious and ceremonial days (and how that effects everyday society), folklore, unique ideals and beliefs held by the people, and maybe different positions, professions, odd skills or trades, perhaps unique tech, even if it's based on medieval history (there's still room for techy stuff in an old fashioned setting. You'll be surprised what our ancestors came up with) - that sort of stuff. It's a different reality, so it's okay to be weird.

However, as I go on, I start to see a little more. I see hints of a city rich with culture and entertainment, and with beautiful architecture. I have yet to get to that point, but you had the right idea to add in something new. Also, the concept of the Stonekeeper was out of nowhere, but I'm not against that. It's a world of magic, so it's not out of the ordinary. I actually enjoyed seeing a nuance of worldbuilding outside of the main conflict, but a part of the overall continuing world existing apart said conflict.

But remember, don't feel pressured to world build to the littlest point. You can if you want to. Surely, that will get you some brownie points. But if you want to focus more on theme and symbolism that evokes the themes and ideas you're working on, you can focus on that instead. I heard Game of Thrones took that approach - utilizing symbolism found throughout the world to strengthen the themes of the book rather than cold hard worldbuilding - which in its core is mostly for fun, not having to have a deep meaning.

So, if it helps, take the themes and ideas that are true to you and the story, and invoke that through the world. Incorporate that into society and the conflict.

There was a video that explained this. It was called "the thing they won't tell you about worldbuilding", but the thing's now a "private video". A pity... But if you want to talk more about what I mean here, you can DM me.

Characters are unique and have an impact on the story, having unique voices and personality. Likeable overall. Lots of the sentences do seem a bit flat. I get that you're practicing faster pacing during the action scenes. You do that quite well. However, there are moments when its best to let the imagery, the subtext, the emotions and thoughts settle in a bit more. Think about pauses. In a pause, or a moment of contemplation or calmness, there would usually be longer sentences with more subtext. There are also pauses in an action scene where the character stops to think for a while. Usually, you wouldn't go deep into thoughts and sensory detail depending on what you want to accomplish, but pausing in correlation with the character to allow us to sink in deeper with the story is something to practice on. I gave you an example with the Stonekeeper scene, where the king ripped off the little guy's ear.

Also, I would suggest using more sensory inducing words throughout, and using wordplay (:

First Impressions: Introduces good concepts and a unique setting. A bit too fast paced to allow us to fully take in scenery and sink into the world. Improvement in worldbuilding and nuance was found deeper in the story, which is preferrable than a book starting off flamboyantly only to settle into a bore. I hope you'll be working on more books after this. Starborn shows promise, and so do your skills and passion!