Going through a slush pile is tough, time-consuming, often excruciating, occasionally exhilarating work. And being the first-round judge in a writing contest is the same. What criteria to use? How do you compare stories of various genres? Do you rank stories lower for grammar issues and typos?
There are so many factors to consider, and the truth is, a story just works or it doesn’t. There is no clear-cut formula or objective set of criteria. That’s the joy of creative writing.
I wanted to offer writers an opportunity to participate in a fully transparent writing contest and see the full range of what typically gets entered—the sublime stories, the terrible ones, the typos, the sexist and racist, the in-your-face offensive—the full gamut of what a first-round reader would see in a writing contest. And I also wanted to give writers a chance to help rank the stories and have a say in selecting the winners.
Of course, having your story up for other people to judge and competing openly against other writers is a nerve-wracking experience. I congratulate all of the writers who are keeping an open-mind and fully participating in this experience. I can’t guarantee you’ll win, but I can guarantee that you’ll take away a valuable learning experience. There’s nothing like going through the slush and putting yourself in the judge’s seat to help you understand how an editor or a contest judge’s thought-process really works.
The beginning of the ranking process for the Editor Unleashed/Smashwords Flash Fiction 40 Contest has spurred some of the most interesting conversations. I wanted to share some snippets here:
“I’ve never participated in something like this before, where the voting is public, so it’s an interesting phenomenon to be involved in.”
“The main thing I’ve learned from the contest is how important that first sentence/first paragraph is and that titles really do make a difference in catching my interest as a reader. Both are areas I can improve upon—so, for me, this contest has been invaluable.”
“…that’s the beauty of art— we all have different taste. Writing, like painting, is subjective. the best we can hope for is good judgment.”
“I had to stop comparing one story to others. This is the stage that is all subjective and I’m trying to remember that. Some people are not as bothered by typos and may not even consider them when ranking. Others might. I’ve decided to set my own criteria and rank based on that.”
“I think the majority of us will try to be fair and honest in evaluating the stories. I’m not critiquing them, just reading them as I would a story in a magazine. Even if something isn’t a genre I enjoy, I’m trying to be objective and judge it by its effectiveness and overall quality of the writing.”
“I’ve spent some time as a volunteer slush reader and read these exactly as I would those. Would I send it to a senior editor (who would chew my head off if I sent him something not worth reading)? If not, how close would it come. I’m not sure I’m a perfect judge of flash–not my favorite length but the standards are still very similar to regular short stories.”
“I admit I’m feeling a bit confused and conflicted. I know it’s a big DUH moment but I didn’t really consider how public the rating would be or how blow by blow (up, down or stagnant). I don’t think I thought about it at all.”
“I’m just glad I ranked at all. It is my first piece of flash fiction but it will certainly will not be my last!”
“When I created my little story, I had a great time doing it. I didn’t even anticipate winning the contest. There’s some good stuff on here. It is way to early to be so concerned about what your peers are thinking or ranking, or the cliques helping each other out.”
“I have found merit in all the stories entered, even those with subjects and/or genres I don’t care for at all. I believe the idea is to look beyond one’s personal preference—to discover what flash is to different writers. This is very exciting stuff!”
“I’ve been ranking my choices by what I expect from a great story. If it is engaging, has a unique voice, great character, great dialogue, or any of the things that make for a good read, it will get a good ranking.”
“Writers are often paranoid—which is why I’m not. Who wants to be a cliche?”
“Writers are probably the best conspiracy theorist on the planet. And why not? Making up stories is what they do.”
“The BEST thing to come of this contest is reading all the fabulous stories all of you fabulous people have put out here. I feel honored to be trusted with that. Remember, it takes tremendous ballz to put your writing out for all to throw stars at, so congrats for writing the story and congrats for posting it.”
“Since I’m an avid reader of everything…mystery, romance, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, tragedy, and so on, this is so much fun for me. I could do this forever, I swear. I’m not so much concerned with grammar, or spelling mistakes, unless they are too distracting.”
“Being an editor sucks. I’m not ever going to do it unless the job comes with chocolate and wine and a pillow.”
“It’s an experiment, through and through.”
“I bathe in the warm water of rejection. Just me, some soap, and my rubber duck.”
“Dean Wesley Smith says an author is the poorest judge or his or her own writing (I paraphrase, but that’s the gist of it). So, in that vein, given I will be a poor judge of my own entry (I haven’t ranked it as yet) I can as easily give it a 1 as a 5 – as I haven’t “clue one” (and that is a quote if I remember rightly) about its merit.”
“This is a BRAVE EXPERIMENT. I think it is mentally stimulating, full of learning opportunities and just—fun. Now, back to the stories.”
“As this is the first flash fiction contest I’ve entered, I’m enjoying the fun of reading good fiction, albeit short, and offering my opinion. My difficulty in judging is this—how to judge a story that is well written, but a bad story? In my opinion, fiction, however diminutive, should still follow a format, i.e, plot, beginning, middle, end…”
For more context, you can read the whole thread here. You might also want to check out this post: Tips for Judging a Story.
Thoughts, comments, rants or raves about the Flash Fiction 40 contest? Feel free to post them here.
-Maria Schneider
Flickr photo by Striatic
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Because I blew the contest entry date (schedule-challenged), I’ll get in here with an early comment. This is a wonderful contest. I’ve read a few of the entries already and seen some great writing. I’m going to read them all and vote. In fact I’d like to see an “I voted in the Editor Unleashed/Smashwords Flash Fiction 40 Contest” button that I could wear. That would stop folks in the supermarket. I’ll hold my other thoughts because I plan to post about it soon over on Write a Better Novel. It was an inspired undertaking, Maria. Here’s hoping it ripens into an annual event.
No one likes being told they have an ugly baby. Writers, perhaps more than any other vocation, face rejection and constant critique of their work with more regularity than new business grads from a two-year community college.
Unless you hail from Lake Woebegone, any work when compared to others in a competitive venue such as this will be viewed as average, better, or worse. In a generally accepted “normal” distribution: 70 % will be average, 15 % above, and 15 % below. In other words, 85% will be seen as average or below. By statistical definition scores will regress to the mean. That is all there is to it.
Before anyone gets too upset keep in mind what the most popular TV shows and movies are in this land of ours. Look at what the “majority” of America likes/dislikes in terms of entertainment, food, sports etc. Our craft is of course different as most can recognize a well done story even if we don’t enjoy the subject or content.
I’ve gained a healthier respect for editors through this process and better appreciate when editors/publishers tell writers to get a feel for their publication before submitting. What may work in one venue may not work in another. This contest has us comparing essays, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, humor and more – a daunting task for the entrants.
Thanks Maria for the opportunity to be part of the fray and gaining great experience through the process.
I am enjoying the experience. I am nervous that my piece is not good but it is my first flash fiction but it gives me a sense of accomplishment that I actually entered the contest.
Thanks!
If this contest does one thing, I hope is that people learn to roll with the punches. :) It has shocked me how strongly some have reacted to the ratings. The whole process has been a real eye opener, even though I’ve been a first reader for a couple of contests before. This is the first time I’ve been able to read peoples reactions to what is happening in the rating process. Good idea, Maria. A real educational opportunity. I hope all take something positive from the experience.
Early on I read what I believe is the winning entry. Since then, I’ve been comparing all other entries to it, and though I’ve read stories that compare in writing skill and were enjoyable, none (so far) have had such a memorable impact.
@Martin, Yes, that’s how you can tell a great story. It sticks with you.
For a long time now I have wanted the opportunity to get behind the scenes to read the entries in a writing competition and so I am grateful for the opportunity you have provided. It has been an invaluable learning experience.
It reminds me of the first semester I worked as a guest lecturer, both in understanding the hardwork that goes into presenting an hour long lecture and what it means to grade essays/presentations. I realized that with essays and presentations, there is a standard of what works and what doesn’t. Students have different ways of processing and expressing information and just because I enjoy one particular style does not mean another student’s essay was not of equal value and I graded taking that into consideration.
I have approached the competition with the same understanding, that regardless of preferred genre or style, I believe there is a sort of universal ‘Yes, this story is working’, or ‘almost there, but not quite’, or ’still growing.’
I think all the writers involved who have put their work on the line by participating in such a public contest deserve a round of applause. Now that I have voted, I am banning myself from watching the process – too anxiety producing!
After reading through the stories I now know how hard it is to get that one story that rises above average. Don’t get me wrong. I see plenty of of good stories, good writing. Picking out one that sticks out is more difficult than I imagined.
Great contest, and as others here have pointed out, great opportunity to see what you are up against in the publishing world. I hope you can make this a regular feature.
–John