RATE YOUR STORY

         I've recently become a volunteer judge at Rate Your Story. Each month I receive a
     few manuscripts to critique and rate on a scale of 1-10.

      I'm a tough judge. Because I care so much about children and their books, and
     because I've read thousands of children's books, I hold each manuscript to a high
     standard.

      To be fair, these are beginning writers. Writing is difficult and it can take years to
    learn the craft. I hope these writers realize that their manuscripts are stepping stones,
    helpful practice on the path to learning to write well. Truthfully, I've yet to receive a
    manuscript which I think any amount of revision would turn into a publishable story.

     Why? Because the plots are tired and weak, the characters are not memorable, there is
   no real conflict, no resolution, hence, no story. There is a lack of understanding of
   children's book formats, a blurring of fact and fiction, such spare wordage that all
   clarity is lost.

        I'm not an editor. The manuscripts haven't been sent to me for publication, only for
     critique. Yet I think publication is the goal. So I'm not sure the writers want to hear
    what I wish to tell them which basically is, "Good try. Now read as many children's
    books as you can then start something new." It isn't what I say. I look for a fine point,
     suggest areas to tweak. And perhaps that is actually more helpful.

     But this is a tough business. So I start to question the value of critique. Is it more
     helpful for writers to have an honest judge, or to be offered encouragement? I think
    about myself too. Would I  have been better off hearing just enough praise to keep me
    going? Or would I have thrived if I  had learned early on how high the bar is, how
     much further I had to go?