Judge. Does that word give you the heebie-jebbies? Maybe if you have to appear in court for a DUI or something worse, but how does the word judge make you feel when you submit a manuscript to a contest?First and foremost you must realize a judge is not out to get you.(especially if you receive low scores). They read works blind--no names attached. Most judges have a criteria they are looking for. Not their own agenda, but one that is meant to improve your writing.
PLUS, your writing helps judges.
I've just finished preliminary judging for a romance contest. This is the second time I've done this. Good experience or bad? Good. By reading other writers' works, I can see what works, what doesn't. I see weak heroines/heros, strong heroines/heros. I see interesting plots with lots of twists. I can see how a great hook pulls me into the story. I can see when secondary characters are pulling too much weight or even adding confusion to the story. Bottom line, being a judge helps me improve my writing.
Have you been a judge? Good experience? Bad? What have you learned from it? If you haven't been a judge, what have you learned from a judge's comments?
