So I have heard that some people have an issue with my judging, and I'd just like to clear the air.
#1, and most importantly, I ask everyone to remember that none of the judging should be taken personally. I genuinely do not know who is writing which story--in fact, for almost all of them, I wouldn't even feel confident about taking a guess--so I can assure you that:
- a) None of my critique should be viewed as a personal attack
- b) I am not judging based on favoritism
#2 When I say in a review that I am trying hard not to let my preconceptions about the topic sway my opinion, that should not be taken as code for "my preconceptions about the topic
have swayed my opinion."
I am trying to acknowledge the potential that a bias might exist, so that I can then adjust, and not let the bias sway my verdict. If you see a comment like that, it's me trying to be transparent about my judging process. It is not me calling you out for failing to read my mind.
#3 Having said that, I am not immune to my own personal preferences. I have said numerous times (again, trying to be transparent about my process) that I highly favour stories which contain images or ideas I haven't seen before. To pull out an example that seems to have caused some friction: I have never seen a story about a Disney princess being fed to the customers at Yo! Sushi before. That was a new one for me, and I found it very entertaining, especially given that its competition did little to distinguish itself from the works that inspired it (visually, it was basically The Hobbit. Not a bad thing to be, but not a new thing, either). If you are mainly concerned with winning, I'll admit that playing to that preference is probably not a bad idea.
However!
#4 I would like to reiterate that, from my point of view, this bias essentially boils down to "Writing Stories That Are Entertaining." And I understand that that's a subjective assessment, and that that's frustrating, but that's why we have two judges. James and I may joke about the "hive mind," but with a few exceptions we actually have very different preferences. If we both independently rule in favour of one story, the reasoning probably goes slightly beyond just what I, Matteo DiGiovanni, personally find entertaining.
I'd also like to note that, for example, I preferred Match #3, Entry #1 (a story about grandfather and grandchild) above Match #3, Entry #2 (a story about AIs and stuff) by a wide margin. So the formula (if you're trying to derive a formula) is not to just write something weird and sci-fi. Write something that gives me a reason to read it. Write something that I'll remember in a week. That could mean something with interesting imagery, it could mean something that gives me an emotional response, it could mean something that makes me ask questions, or that has a unique character or setting.
These are universal indicators of good writing.
You should never write something formulaic. You should never write something that does not distinguish itself in some way. If anything you should
use my preference for weirdness to push yourself. I have a broad, broad palette, and a very high threshold for experimentalism. If you take a shot at something novel and miss, I think I am still much more likely to enjoy the result than your average judge. If you think you can write a simple, circumspect story that focuses on real people and evokes real emotion, that's
great! Do that! Like I said, the grandfather/grandchild dementia story choked me up. I love having my buttons pushed. But if you're not feeling up to that, then throw some weird crap at the wall and see what sticks. I might like it anyway!
If you're still irked by the verdict, however, then you should pay more attention to:
#5 My critiques of writing mechanics. I have heard that some people are frustrated by the parts of my reviews that focus on specific lines and phrases. This, frankly, seems somewhat contradictory to me, because I would think that if you're suspicious that my judgement may be subjective, an analysis of my specific line-by-line thoughts would actually be very useful. Your pacing, your imagery, your readability: these are all built on top of individual lines. If a line is awkward, I'm going to let you know about it. If a line is ugly, I'm going to let you know about it. If a line doesn't make sense, I'm going to let you know about it. Pay attention to those comments and remember them the next time you're writing, because I see the same mistakes crop up all the time.
Also, I think I was one of the first people on AWR to say that an itemized list of spelling and grammar errors does not constitute a useful review, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't proof read your work. When I'm having to mentally correct you because you called your main character by the wrong name, that's a problem, guys. I am not being pedantic when I point that out.
Ultimately, taking criticism is at least as hard as giving it, so I'm not asking everyone to agree with every single thing that I say. The wording of my comments has definitely been curt, so I need to own the blame if people were offended. I've had limited time to review, so my primary focus has been on making my points quickly, rather than tactfully. I intend to sand off the rough edges for the next round.
I personally think we should relax the anonymity rule if people are really getting bent out of shape about it. It's better to vent those thoughts, especially if there's confusion about what my critique means. If I'm not communicating my review clearly, then you're not getting anything out of it, and this is all wasted time.
I am trying to acknowledge the potential that a bias might exist, so that I can then adjust, and not let the bias sway my verdict. If you see a comment like that, it's me trying to be transparent about my judging process. It is not me calling you out for failing to read my mind.
