2008 Launching A Star Contest Score Sheet 

 

    ENTRY NO:__________

TITLE: ___________________________

JUDGE NO:______     TOTAL SCORE:_______

(Judges: Return to coordinator NLT October 18th)

Each blank is worth 5 points where 1= Needs major revisions before submitting;
3 = On the right track, but still requires work; 5 = Outstanding and ready to submit

****************************************************************************************************

1. Format (Possible Score:  5 points)

      ______     Is the manuscript professionally formatted?

Comments:_______________________________________________   
      _________________________________________________________

2. Mechanics (Possible Score:  25 points)

      ______     Are spelling, grammar and punctuation correct?

      ______     Are fragments, if any, used effectively?

      ______     Is the action effectively shown?

      ______     Does ‘showing’ outweigh ‘telling’?

      ______     Is the balance of active vs. passive verbs appropriate to the story?

Comments:_______________________________________________         
_________________________________________________________

3. Opening (Possible Score:  5 points)     

      ______     Does the first page draw you in and make you want to keep reading?

 If so, why?________________________________________________                                     
If not, why not? ____________________________________________

4. Characterization (Possible Score:  25 points) 

      ______     Is/Are the main character(s) likeable?

      ______     Are the main character’s motivations clear and believable?

      ______     Do the main character’s actions and reactions ring true?

      ______     Does the author use dialogue, narrative and action to make each character

                         distinct?

      ______     If there are secondary characters, are they believable without over-shadowing the main characters? 
If there are none, are the main characters strong enough to carry the story?

Comments:_______________________________________________         
_________________________________________________________

5. Setting (Possible Score:  10 points)

      ______     Is there a clear sense of time and place?

      ______     Does the author use the five senses (if Paranormal, six or more) to add

                         depth to the setting when appropriate?

Comments:_______________________________________________      
   _________________________________________________________

6.  Pacing (Possible Score:  15 points)

      ______     Is the pacing appropriate to the story and genre?

      ______     Is there an effective balance between dialogue and narrative?

      ______     Is backstory layered in without slowing the pace?

Comments:________________________________________________        
 _________________________________________________________

7. Dialogue (Possible Score:  15 points)

      ______     Is the dialogue appropriate to the setting and/or era?

      ______     Does the dialogue suit or fit the character?

      ______     Are lines of dialogue easily attributable/Are dialogue tags used

                         appropriately?

Comments:________________________________________________      
   _________________________________________________________

8. Conflict/Plot (Possible Score:  25 points)

      ______     Has the author revealed enough of an intriguing plot to invest the reader?

      ______     Does the plot seem fresh?

      ______     Is there a situation that captures the reader’s interest in a manner believable

                         for this genre?

      ______     Is there a sense of internal/external conflict?

      ______     Is the level of conflict appropriate to the genre?

Comments:_______________________________________________       
  _________________________________________________________

9. Point of View (Possible Score:  10 points)

      ______     Is the point of view clear and effective for the story?

      ______     Are point of view switches handled smoothly?

Comments:_______________________________________________        
 _________________________________________________________

10. Voice (Possible Score:  5 points)

      ______     Does the author’s voice lend itself to the genre?

Comments:_______________________________________________        
 _________________________________________________________

11. Overall Impressions (Possible Score:  10 points)

      ______     Do you want to read the rest of the manuscript?

                         Why or why not? ___________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

****************************************************************************************************

          Total points for this entry_______   (Max.150)

****************************************************************************************************

Bonus Question

(The points assigned for this question do not affect the score)

If I were judging this entry for the Golden Heart, I would give it a (circle one):

1   2   3  4  5  6  7  8  9

 

Additional Comments/Suggestions/Impressions:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Judge #                         

                         Published in:
                         Romance                  _____        Other Genre(s)     _____

                         Unpublished:
                         Trained                     _____        PRO                       _____