Judging Philosophy for Quickie

I got this idea from competing in policy debate in college. For almost every tournament we received a packet of papers or emailed attachment that we would print out with every judge that was going to be at the tournament and their "philosophies". Those papers told us which judges would be open to the crazier plans we had, which ones preferred straight up policies, if counterplans and disadvantages were the way to go, or could something else be just as effective.

So, the point of this is to explain what the judges look for in quickies and the criteria they use when judging for the

FORUM

The Weekly Quickie Contest  (18+) Can you excite in 969 words? Romance+ Contest, April 2024 Theme: Conflict #1355442 by Dawn Embers

.


Dawn's Philosophy ▼

1. Story. The story is the most important part. A good story is a good story, no matter what. Even if it's a pairing that I don't like, so yes even a f-m-f can win despite the fact that it might bug me a little the m got in the way. I don't judge by what is "appealing" or what would "turn me on" even though I know other judges have used that as their criteria, which is fine too. All I really look for is a good story, or even a good scene. I don't mind if it feels like a scene of a bigger story because I am not good with flash fiction or short stories either. I write novels, so a good scene that tells part of a story has a great chance of winning.

2. Erotica. While this is an erotica contest, I am open to romance. For romance, I'm looking for a conflict and focus on the relationship. For erotica, it doesn't have to be sex per se, but there has to be something sensual/sexual in order to qualify for the genre. Still need conflict and all of that jazz but it's focused around the couple and their interactions. If a sentence says "and then she screwed him" that doesn't count. Remember to at least show the reader something sensual.

3. Prompt. If there is a prompt, I need to be able to find it. But please, come up with a title that isn't just the prompt or contest title. Find something a little more creative, which can be tough at times, I know. Titles vex me to no end. The prompt is an important part of the story and if it gets ignored, even a great story is hard to give awards when they don't follow the rules. Rules are good to follow.

4. Technical. While this won't matter too much, there are a few things that might affect how I judge a story. I don't mind occasional errors for sure because I know they happen and if entering last minute like I always do, then they definitely will happen. But formatting is important to me because it can affect how a person reads the story. If the error is done too often, that makes it hard to read too. So, put a space between paragraphs because one paragraph isn't appealing. There needs to be a space after each punctuation mark (two is okay but the current preferred method is one space).

5. Preference. This is the one people get a bit antsy over. I am not saying that I am against straight stories or that they can't win because let's face it, that is what most people enter in the contest. I just want to see more people writing with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and any other types of characters. I want to see variety in the contest. It gets old being the only one writing m/m and such for the contest. So, yes I have a slight (very slight) preference to glbt characters but write whatever character works best for your story.

Purple Princess' Philosophy ▼

Use your prompt and make me feel something. I enjoy strong female characters and I love a good mix of romance and erotica, but basically look for good storytelling. Pull me into your scene and take the time to use description and emotions. There has to be more than just sex happening for the sake of sex. You don't even have to get to the act of sex. Foreplay can be just as hot. Watch the head hopping. Nothing pulls me out of a story faster than constant head hopping and not being able to connect with your characters.

A.J. Lyle's Philosophy ▼

First off, there’s only a few things I don’t want to read. They are all covered in the rules for The Weekly Quickie. I don’t want to see incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and those kinds of taboo subjects. I also don’t care for golden showers or excessive violence. Otherwise, please feel free to play around with pairings. I enjoy straight vanilla, gay, lesbian, transgender, threesomes, moresomes, BDSM, D/s scenarios, anal penetration, and so on. I’m really quite open minded!

When judging an entry for The Weekly Quickie, I take a few things into consideration. First of all, my personal reaction as a reader—did the piece excite me? Make me feel for the characters? That sort of thing. If I have to go looking for hubby after a read, that’s a great thing. *Wink* I also take spelling and grammar seriously because it impacts the fluidity of the read, and therefore, my reaction to the story and the characters.

Here is how I break it down when reviewing. Each element accounts for 1 star out of 5.

Tone & Mood: Did the tone of the writing match the scenario? By this, I mean that if it’s a light hearted romance, the tone of the narrative should be light and emotional, whereas if the story is focusing on BDSM or domination, it should be more serious in nature. Most writers do these things without realizing it, and the only time it becomes an issue is when the writer contradicts the scenario with a tone that doesn’t fit. The mood is the emotion that the reader feels after reading the piece. If I feel angry at the end of a romance, then I know the writer went wrong somewhere.

Plot & Characters: Even in flash erotica, there should be a reason behind the encounter. Why did they get together? As far as characters go, were they believable? Did I care about them? Did they act in a realistic way?

Technical Aspects: This includes spelling, sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. I will give suggestions where I think these elements could be strengthened.

Use of Prompt: No matter how good your story is, if it doesn’t follow the prompt, it will lose a star rating. Please make sure you use the prompt in a way that I can see clearly.

Blush Factor: This is my own personal reaction to the piece. Did it arouse me? Did it make me want to track down my husband? If so, then the blush factor is right up there. Also, surprise me in a good way, and the blush factor skyrockets. *Wink*

I hope this helps the writers for The Weekly Quickie when entering my rounds. I love reading erotica, and I love judging this contest. Honestly, there is very little I don’t like. Above all, have fun and challenge yourself any chance you get!

Royal Eduardo's Philosophy ▼

My judging philosophy is characters and the chemistry between them above everything. Am open to both romance and erotica.

Edgework's Philosophy ▼

My judging philosophy is simple. I want to see a story. It doesn't have to be "War and Peace," but an arc of some kind catches my attention. I also like the eroticism, but don't need it to be necessarily hard-core, though that's perfectly fine. I simply want there to be something at stake for the characters, and a payoff for the reader—besides the money shot, that is.

Krysha's Philosophy ▼

I look for heat factor, definitely, but I want more than just sex. Is there a reason for the steam? Is there a connection of some sort? Any sort? Also, just so you know and have fair warning... I was an English major... so, I pick up on grammatical things and they stick out for me and will kill the mood so while I try to overlook some of them, try to keep them to a minimum if you can.

Jeff's Philosophy ▼

I will read and consider any subject matter. In addition to the usual criteria of character, story, pacing, and writing style, I place a premium on creative use of the prompt and including erotic content throughout the story. The least successful entries, for me, are ones that just do the bare minimum to address the prompt in an obvious way, and are little more than a random sex scene where the eroticism is disconnected from the rest of the narrative. Successful entries find a way to surprise me with their take on the prompt and are sexy and alluring from beginning to end, not just once the characters shed their clothes. Typos and technical errors are only factored into my judging when they affect readability of the work.

Penn's Philosophy ▼

I don’t review with any sense that I’m any better or worse than the next writer. I’ve won weeks but I’ve also been rated poorly, so please accept that my comments are purely my take on your story under no pretense of being the authority on your work. I do take reviewing seriously so I do my best to give reasonable comments and ratings.

I’ve been told I take my reviews too seriously, but I’m probably more casual than many recognize. What I do is try my best to give an honest appraisal and offer recognition for an honest effort. What I will take seriously is attention to the boundaries (rules of the contest) and the prompt. I like the rules and don’t want to read anything that violates them.

I believe there is one primary spirit that should be behind a writer in this contest. It’s exercise and learning. Take it seriously. This contest is as much about training regarding what does not need to be there as it is about being erotic. Economy of words is a skill every writer needs to learn. One of the best quotes I can offer, though I have no idea who said it, is “every word must earn its right to be there.” Write On!

The Story – You need to tell a story. The genre doesn’t mean it’s just a tale of sex. I want to see a beginning, a middle and end, although the order doesn’t matter. The story needs to validate the scene or scenes you paint for us.

The Prompt – I tend to think and read visually, so you will find I prefer image prompts. For me, the ability of a writer to bring the image to life and creatively incorporate it into the story is important. A passing reference to a component of the image won’t do that. I expect to see that the image inspired the story. I do have an exception to pure interpretation of the prompt. I have read pieces where the writer was able to craftily take license with an image of a specific gender to write something of another. It’s an interesting challenge and I do like a writer who can push that envelope. Although stories such as G/L/B/T are not my taste in reading, that does not mean it won’t be read and does not mean I won’t recognize a well done piece.

Erotic Component - The contest genre is erotica. Obviously I look for an erotic component and I try to be objective – meaning, I’ve awarded winners that didn’t turn me on because it was well done. I’ve also awarded winners where the entire story was one long erotic scene. The important thing is that your work is a story and that the erotic component belongs there. Don’t force that component – make it logical.

I’m one of the more vanilla writer/reviewers, I suspect, though I do try to step out of my comfort zone in some of my stories, so I can appreciate a full range of tastes. I tend to like creative descriptors, though I can accept highly graphic and bold language, but not if it is gratuitous. Language should fit your characters, the scene, flow, and any turning point that calls for it. If it feels like porn, that’s a different genre.

What I like – Engage me. Tease my senses. Nobody is likely to use them all in this short of a piece, but they are important. I want to visualize, and if I can smell a scent, taste a flavor, hear conversations and noises, or feel the textures, you may have a winner.
Technical Aspects – I do my best to not get too picky on this. Punctuation is my evil demon so I tend to suggest rather than tell. I’ve been called out wrong in punctuation comments and I accept that others know it much better than I. If I mention something, take it as you will or tell me I’m way off base. I try to focus more on flow of the story, paragraphs sentences that don’t make me feel like I’m stopping and starting.

The End – Putting a creative story with imagery and sizzle in a piece this short can be hard. I believe it’s harder still to write the end of an erotic story. This is another place where your creativity will get my attention.