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Quote: sophiemp, Monday, 15 Feb 2010 19:02Quote: Lin Lee Liu, Monday, 15 Feb 2010 11:20Quote: sophiemp, Monday, 15 Feb 2010 11:06Quote: Lin Lee Liu, Monday, 15 Feb 2010 10:55Quote: sophiemp, Monday, 15 Feb 2010 10:51I've tried top, middle, and bottom, but I finally settled on top. And I'm a voice person. If I like the voice, I'll follow it anywhere. I read a few blogs by agents and publishers; they all say the same. Did I read somewhere that not all categories are weighted equally on the YWO system? Surely, if anything, voice would be the most important category to include on an ideal marking rubric, weighted more heavily. Ah, there's a clue for the standard deviation fiends. Sounds like you've got it sorted out, Patti. I sure as hell haven't. Are there any categories weighted low? Is that proper English? Sorry, no, I didn't mean to imply that I have anything sorted out. I'm hopeless with numbers, and I'm inclined to think mixing words with numbers is a bad idea. I meant people will be taking out their spreadsheets to see if they can figure out if 'narrative voice' is weighted and if so, by how much. I've given up trying to understand the rating system. In the past, with other chapters which I have had on the site, the overall rating changed after some reviews, but not after others. After the fourth review of Domesday Disappearance, when the averall rating first appeared, it was 3.9. I now have 10 reviews, excluding a free will review, which doesn't count, and have not removed any. After each one the overall rating remained unchanged at 3.9 regardless of the individual ratings in the review. Fortunately I have had some very useful reviews so the overall rating is of secondary importance. A professional critique at this point would be of less value than after the book has been fully revised (or better still completed) in line with some of the suggestions that have been made. However, I would be interested if anyone could offer a non-technical explanation.
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Lin Lee Liu
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Here I was very much getting the impression that, for some of us, ratings were everything. Yet so far, those of us commenting on the post all agree that the reviews are the thing.
I find that after giving someone a review, having to dish out a score is a pain in the arse. I don't understand it either, and have little faith in the scores.
This comes partly from experience at English teachers' regional moderation meetings. I distinctly remember one time when it nearly resulted in fisticuffs. We were all told to grade three samples of creative writing according to the marking rubric and all of us had something completely different. Creative writing, of all things, does not go well with numbers. Fully agreed.
The only point to the numbers thingo is to give a sort of ranking, and does not reflect on the quality of art itself.
Perhaps this was a very long point not worth making after all.
Notleyab, what does your username mean? I keep thinking it's one of those whaddayacallits - anagrams. But I haven't worked it out.
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sophiemp
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Well, I've read your post several times, Lin Lee Liu, and I can't find anything to argue with.
I would suggest that this question: 'Is the proportion of dialogue, when balanced against narrative summary and action, about right?' should also be addressed when looking at Pace and Structure.
It's funny that people who have so much to say about the scores they get have so little to say about the scores they give out.
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antonygloster
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Quote: sophiemp, Wednesday, 17 Feb 2010 01:17It's funny that people who have so much to say about the scores they get have so little to say about the scores they give out. Well, I've read your post several times, Lin Lee Liu, and I can't find anything to argue with. Perhaps your second sentence answers your first. (I switched them round). All intelligent comment. I score from outside to in, just to confuse everyone. And I keep a die (as in singular dice, for the vocab challenged) just in case I'm not sure, although get panicky when a 6 turns up. AG
AG Home Page
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Lin Lee Liu
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Quote: sophiemp, Wednesday, 17 Feb 2010 01:17I would suggest that this question: 'Is the proportion of dialogue, when balanced against narrative summary and action, about right?' should also be addressed when looking at Pace and Structure. Or instead of, perhaps? It's easy to mark down for the same issue in two different categories. This is another area in which there are likely to be individual interpretations. For instance, if the dialogue sounds stilted it is easy to mark down for 'dialogue' and too easy to mark down again for 'language'. Since the boundaries are so nebulous, the separate categories are not entirely useful. Another reason not to take it too seriously.It's funny that people who have so much to say about the scores they get have so little to say about the scores they give out. I'm finding that interesting too. Next time someone whinges about their marks, they need to be drawn out on their own scoring system. If I'm around I'll do it.I read my own post again too. It's annoying the hell out of me that I can't spell 'humourous'. The Americans have it right. Why spell it 'humour' when you have to spell it 'humorous'?
Oh and Notleyab, I've got you all worked out. You're A LENT BOY! And after a little reflection, I’m not sure I like the term Southern ‘hemispheroid’ as it reminds me a little too much of a certain condition requiring unfortunate application of cream. The same cream they use for mayonnaise in Boots’ sandwiches, I’m sure, you Northern Hemmorhoid. Or does that make me paranoid?
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