What Judges are seeking

Have you ever wondered what gives one story “the edge” over another in a competition?

Whilst compiling results for the 2010-2011 Bush Curlews Literary Awards Competition, we kept a list of key elements based on the comments written by our three judges.

1. It’s important to have a good opening

2. Needs to have good spelling and be grammatically sound

3. Be well-constructed and flow easily

4. Stories work best if they include a build-up and climax

5. Don’t have sentences too long

6. Pay attention to the rhythm and tempo in poems

7. Stories and poems need to have a clear message

8. Sexually explicit details and swearing doesn't appeal to all readers and our judges gave entries with such content a lower score.

9. Be emotional, but not too personal

10. Have thought-provoking/educational topics relevant to today

11. Include strong and credible characters who inter-relate well.

12. Stories and poems displaying originality rated highly with our judges

13. It’s vital to have a good ending, such as: amusing, optimistic and/or unexpected

14. Don’t have an obscure or confusing ending