Romancing the Judge

We’re well into spring in most of the country, which means for writers, we’re also well into contest season. The Genesis. The Golden Heart. The RITAs. The Carols. The Maggies. Touched By Love. FHL Reader’s Choice Award. So You Think You Can Write. The Golden Rose. Those are just a few of the many contests available to published and unpublished romance writers.

There are lots of reasons to enter contests. You often get great feedback about what works and what doesn’t. Some contest winners have their entries looked at by agents and acquisitions editors. A win or a final is definitely a great addition to your email signature line.

I’ve entered many contests, finaled and even won a few. Been a judge. Mentored entrants. Helped coordinate and run a few. So, I might know a little bit about contests.

In this latest season of judging, I noticed some recurring issues I want to address.

• The synopsis. It’s too easy to write your synopsis as a list of bullet points of what’s going to happen in the story. But it should be written in your character’s voice, just like the manuscript, using the same tone and vocabulary.
• Typos. Especially in the first two or three pages. Because those pages are crucial and have been revised and reviewed so often, the writer’s eye becomes accustomed and no longer sees the errors. Before clicking Send on that entry, have someone else give it a final once over.
• Metaphors and similes with clichés. It takes a little thought to twist a cliché and turn it into something special. But do take the time and trouble. It will make your entry stand out.

Also, remember judges are human and scoring is incredibly subjective. I once received scores of 98, 97, 95, and 69. On the same entry. Obviously what three judges loved, another loathed. Besides stinging, that low score was enough to keep me from finaling. Many contests discard the low and high scores and average the others for an official score.

Once you click Send, relax, knowing you’ve submitted your best effort. Then, no matter what your scores, commit to taking your feedback, learning from it, and improving.

And like seeing the first hummingbird of spring, a thank you note to your judge is always appreciated.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever after. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. Carrie and her Stud Muffin live in Central California with their cat and dog and within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

Twitter: CarriePadgett

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Facebook: WriterCarriePadgett

Amazon Author Page: Carrie Padgett