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This week: Contest Entry Layout Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Contest & Activity Newsletter by Dawn
Talking about some technical issues that come across when judging contests. Minor details to questions of how one should put together an entry for contests here on the site. |
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I have been a judge many many times and for a variety of contests, so I have seen my fair share of entries. Many have a similar look no matter the prompt, genre or contest being entered but others have varied in style. And it's something I notice as a judge. Not that there is anything incorrect about using a colored font or having a different approach to spacing. This isn't about things that are wrong to do. More of a food for thought as it is something one might want to consider when putting a piece up to be judged in any contest on here.
Some contests have rules or recommendations listed on the page. That does make it easier in that you know what they are wanting for certain elements. Like where to put the word count, for example. There are contests that just want it somewhere (though probably not right in the middle of the story or poem) while others list specific locations to put how many words or lines were used in the item presented. Personally, I prefer the word count at the end of the item because I want to story/poem or whatever type of entry as the main focus for whoever is reading it, whether involved in the contest or not. However, I don't restrict people to one spot for their word count, I just think it works better in the one location.
Most of the time, however, there are some technical and style elements that aren't going to be listed in contest rules or recommendations. And one can understand why it might be nice to give the writer freedom with what they are creating for the contests. However, there are some elements that can make it easier or more difficult for someone to read, whether they are the judge or not.
One that can be hit or miss depending on the particular choice is the use of color font. This is hit or miss because some colors are easier on the eyes than others, which will affect reading. Also, some get a little better when also making it bold. Most contests won't restrict colors or make any recommendations and probably use some variety themselves in their forums or whatever format they use. I've never been fond of having different colors for stories because it can distract a little and some of the colors are harder on the eyes since we are viewing these on computer screens. There isn't anything wrong with their use and on occasion with some poems and such, I can see why one might want to use a color. And that's the other thing. Sometimes the color choice seems random, without purpose. Since this is for an entry that is being judged by a contest, one might want to consider whether it's necessary to have the different font.
An element I noticed not that long ago was spacing. Space can be very helpful in both poems and stories. I would say, at the very least, put a single (or double though that's not common anymore) space between sentences. Seems common place but I've had entries that lack that and or don't use punctuation. Use punctuation. Also, one thing to consider is the use of space between each paragraph. While double space feature is useful in word documents and such, for reading on here, having that space break between every paragraph and more when there is a change in point of view or major change in scene does help. Like in this newsletter, with the paragraphs separated by a space.
Font size is another minor thing to consider. Too big can be a major distraction but too small is challenging to read. Different people have issues with their eye sight, different monitors and other factors come can affect the reading results.
Personal opinions: Do you think contest entries should follow certain formats or styles? What do you think about font colors or different space choices for entries? |
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Do you think contest entries should have certain guidelines for layout?
Last time, back in March, I discussed different types of prompts one might use in a contest.
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Contests & Activities: June 28, 2017 Issue [#8360]
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