Critic's Choice Round 4 Discussion/Sign Up

[Chicklet]

Okay I want to try to make this round a little more fair. One of the problems I had being a Judge the last round was that it was hard to rate a story that I didn't necessarily like - I might have rated a Nonconsent down because I didn't like Nonconsent, for instance.

I want to break the score system up: Each Judge would rate 1-5 a) spelling and punctuation b) style/story and c) hotness of sex scenes. about "c" - I believe that since we are an Erotic site, and this is a contest of Erotic stories, the sex scene/s are important. That is why I included that. After those three, the Judge will give a 1-5 final score. The mean average will be accepted as the score entry.

The Critique - each Judge would be responsible to pm or email me with their scores after reading the story. Included in the scores I'd want to see a short list - the two things the Judge liked the most and the two things the Judge would like to see improved. I'll post all the critiques in the round 4 thread, so that they all remain anonymous.

About Judge to story ratio: I think that if we have ten stories we should AT LEAST have ten Judges. If we have less Judges, we should cut the number of stories down. I don't know why. It just makes sense to me. So once we get the stories and the Judges picked out, we might have to drop the stories off of the bottom.

Okay, so, does anyone like my ideas? Tell me.

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Okay let's start signing up. Every nominated story needs Author approval.

Chicklet

Stories So Far: "Rhiana" by SlavemasterUK; "Of The Deepest Dye" by Victoria Veiss; "From a Boeing 747" by TheEarl; "The Talisman Ch. 4: Lucy McFey" by Alex De Kok; "The Bondage Bench" by Cockatoo

Judges So Far: Svenskaflicka; Dirt Man; Chicklet; tatewaki (c'mon people...we need more)

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I agree with most things above, but I've been told that people don't like my way of using - instead of "" for lines. Also, my European grammar and spelling seem to tick people off.

Now, I realize that this is an American site, but please don't hate me for not being American!

 

[Chicklet]

as for the european style spelling, i'd expect that judges would understand. personally i prefer european spelling and *i'm* an american.

chicklet

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Then again, you are an exceptionally intelligent and open-minded American, Chicklet.


Excuse me now, I have to go and wash my nose...

 

[Chicklet]

lmao

i'd wondered what that strange feeling in my bum was

 

[MathGirl]

Well shod

Then again, you are an exceptionally intelligent and open-minded American, Chicklet.

Chicklet,
You also wear nice shoes. Ever since you started using that AV, I've been looking for a pair of shoes like that. No luck. Not in two narrow.
MG

 

[Chicklet]

Nomination #1

well I guess I'll get it started.

I want to nominate SlavemasterUk's Rhiana. It's pretty long, folks, but if we have a month to read through it, we can do it, right? = )

Chicklet

 

[gauchecritic]

I want to break the score system up: Each Judge would rate 1-5 a) spelling and punctuation b) style/story and c) hotness of sex scenes. about "c" - I believe that since we are an Erotic site, and this is a contest of Erotic stories, the sex scene/s are important. That is why I included that. After those three, the Judge will give a 1-5 final score. The mean average will be accepted as the score entry.
Chicklet

You just knew I'd have to post here didn't you?

Good ideas chicklet except perhaps the spelling and punctuation rule, that can be done mechanically and so wouldn't need all the judges to rule on it.

Bearing that in mind (and I realise that you won't want to change rules you have already made but) rule b) could be divided making a) style (the craft of the story) and b) story ( judges feelings) so giving judges the opportunity to be able to express their likes and dislikes.

Do nominations have to carry the authors approval? I haven't asked but will if I'm supposed to for Victoria Veiss's "Of The Deepest Dye".

Gauche

 

[KillerMuffin]

I agree with most things above, but I've been told that people don't like my way of using - instead of "" for lines. Also, my European grammar and spelling seem to tick people off.

Now, I realize that this is an American site, but please don't hate me for not being American!

Um, that's not an American rule, it's an English usage rule. Use quotation marks to punctuate quoted speech. Hyphens aren' used that way.

I looked, but not even the Oxford people note an instance where the hyphen (-) is used as punctuation for quoted speech. They indicate the use of single quotation marks ('quote') rather than the American double quotation marks ("quote").

I am unfamiliar with the concept of European English beyond British English. I would be very grateful if you could point me to references. I collect these things.

Thank you!

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Aaah, these English-speakers! All left to their own references. Poor souls!

Actually, it's a Swedish thing, KM. I have a Swedish sentence structure and hyphening. When writing stories in English, my Swedish way of writing sort of rubs off. And I just can't bring myself to use quotation marks, it gives me the same feeling as a cat gets when you rub its fur the wrong way!

 

[karmadog]

When in Rome, Svenska, when in Rome...

I have seen dialogue written that way, but it's very, very rare.

 

[gauchecritic]

Victoria Veiss

Has agreed that her story may be used in this round of Critic's Choice.

I thankyou

Gauche

 

[MathGirl]

Rules, rules, rules .............

When in Rome, Svenska, when in Rome...
I have seen dialogue written that way, but it's very, very rare.

Dear Svenska,
I guess it comes down to whether you want your stories to be well received. It seems that writing dialog the way you do puts some people off and lowers your scores.

How about writing your dialog the way you usually do, then use the "find and replace" to turn your -s into "s? That might make the writing more natural for you and the finished product would be more readable for an American.

Every helpful,
MG

 

[NoJo]

But. Svenska, please don't change your ö's into o's. I find those two little dots almost unbearably erotic.

 

[Alex De Kok]

My two cents/pennies/whatevers worth

I'd like to make a couple of observations here. When judging the last round, conscious of the varying genre appeals, I tried to break down my marking. I used four criteria -

Story/Plot
Characterization
Spelling and grammar
Appeal (very subjective!)

Each section was marked out of 25 and the marks added together to give me a final mark, which was used to determine the final order.

It helped, particularly since Real Life got badly in the way and I only just managed to get the stories read and assessed, and is also the reason no-one got the feedback I'd originally intended.

One point I'd like to make to Svenskaflicka - I had no problem with the beginning of speech being marked with - rather than " but where I had problems was determining where the speech ended and the narrative recommenced.

And now, back to class preparation for tomorrow...

Alex

 

[Svenskaflicka]

*sigh*

I've said it before, and I say it again:

This world would be SO much better if everyone else would just behave the way I want them to...


Sub Joe, do you mean to tell me that you read my stories in Swedish?

 

[Chicklet]

Re: Re: Critic's Choice Round 4 Discussion/Sign Up

You just knew I'd have to post here didn't you?

Good ideas chicklet except perhaps the spelling and punctuation rule, that can be done mechanically and so wouldn't need all the judges to rule on it.[/URL].

Gauche

you're right - and i don't have a problem with changing the "rules" that i've thought up = )

When judging the last round, conscious of the varying genre appeals, I tried to break down my marking. I used four criteria -

Story/Plot
Characterization
Spelling and grammar
Appeal (very subjective!)


Alex

I like the story/plot and characterization a lot. I don't know *exactly* what you mean by "appeal".

What do you all think? 1-5 ratings for a) story/plot b)characterization and c) overall spelling/grammar/etc?

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I'd like to see points 1-5 for a)plot, b)carrying out the plot, c)build-up of characters, and d)greatness of sexscene.

 

[Chicklet]

is "build up of characters" different from "characterization"??

also, I would consider "carrying out of plot" the same as "plot" personally.

wanna judge, svenska?

 

[Svenskaflicka]

is "build up of characters" different from "characterization"??

also, I would consider "carrying out of plot" the same as "plot" personally.

wanna judge, svenska?

To me, it's one thing to come up with a plot, quite another to be able to write a whole story based on that plot. Just look at movies like You've got mail and Alien: Resurrection.

But you're right on the characters part.

Yeah, I'll be a judge.

 

[pointless]

I agree with most things above, but I've been told that people don't like my way of using - instead of "" for lines. Also, my European grammar and spelling seem to tick people off.

Now, I realize that this is an American site, but please don't hate me for not being American!

maybe i'm mistaken, but didn't james joyce use hyphens for dialogue? he was an irishman, though he lived the last bit of his life on the continent. he was also a brilliant writer of the english language with a few certified classics of literature to his credit such as "portrait of an artist as a young man" & "Ullyses".

that's all i have to say. hope i didn't intrude too much.

 

[Chicklet]

To me, it's one thing to come up with a plot, quite another to be able to write a whole story based on that plot. Just look at movies like You've got mail and Alien: Resurrection.

What if I specify "Plot and whatever it means to you"??

 

[Svenskaflicka]

In the words of the great Montgomery Burns: Eeeeeeexcellent...

 

[MathGirl]

Tuppence

maybe i'm mistaken, but didn't james joyce use hyphens for dialogue?

Joyce wrote in stream of consciousness, and used the hyphens for that. I don't know if that could be considered dialogue.

My two cents worth on voting criteria: I don't believe a story should be given points for good spelling and grammar. That should be a given. Maybe lower voting for poor spelling and grammar. After all, we aren't in high school here. Are we? Don't really know, I never went.
MG

 

[Chicklet]

Re: Tuppence

My two cents worth on voting criteria: I don't believe a story should be given points for good spelling and grammar. That should be a given. Maybe lower voting for poor spelling and grammar. After all, we aren't in high school here. Are we? Don't really know, I never went.
MG

you little genius you.

I think it's a given, too...Okay, probably no one's going to nominate a story that isn't pretty good in spelling. So, scratch that.

Chicklet