The Character of the Character January 8, 2015 - February 25, 2015

Reading and Deliberating

Details

It's been a while since my last Contest closed, and so I have a new challenge of literary goodness to present to you all, my Readers!

Throughout my Contest-creating history, I've gradually gone for content that is shorter and stronger, a seeming and unintended trend that today I break. This Contest will be aptly-entitled "The Character of the Character," for in this piece I will explore the power of your stories' world's inhabitants.

By this Contest, I will analyze the strength, vividity and decency of the characters in your story (though I'd much rather read a book, shorter stories have surprised me in the past). I will make determinations on how well it is that you, Reader and writer, are able to effectively personify not JUST your main characters, but any secondary characters as well. Points in this Contest will be gained through vivid emotion, powerful interactions between character-and-plot and character-and-environment, effective realism and the sense of the character in general (i.e. NO DWELLING ON EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THEIR LIVES!). Points will be lost for such things as boring "back-stories," lackluster character interactions and connections to the plot, "cherry-picked" actions that serve the plot (i.e. nonsensical villains who "help" the protagonist achieve a goal), shoddy dialogue and generally the reverse of anything listed above in the "good character" section.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - THE JUNK YOU PROBABLY WON'T READ:

Anyone who has read through one or two of my reviews knows that I will not present tiny amounts of criticism. I can sometimes provide more feedback than there is content to a subject, depending on what must be noted. Also, what must be noted:

NOTE: I DO NOT EXPECT TO HAND OUT EACH OF THESE REWARDS, NECESSARILY. This means that, for example, should I only find two pieces I feel are deserving of awards, I will default to rewarding them with Goldiem and Siviere, and Braenzeim will be ignored. I will keep to my word, and hand out the awards as per my usual, but entrants should not expect me to grace them with prizes if I do not feel their work is up to par.

These are the traits of the trait, and yours will be the characters of the character! What I see in your stories will reflect your own abilities, but don't shy from this challenge, my Readers! Embrace the opportunity, and show me what you have to offer!