In this part, we'll go into detail about judging.
As previously stated, the criteria we are using is:
1. Prompt Adherence
2. Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation
3. Story Enjoyability
Each criterion will have a maximum of five (5) points, meaning the combined score will be out of fifteen (15).
1. Prompt Adherence:
5 points - All prompts were effectively used by the writer. Judges should give five points to stories where the prompts have become a seamless part of the narrative. Meaning no dialogue like: "Hey, Dad, let's play lunar golf! Alfalfa! Mmmm! My favourite!"—where the emboldened text is a prompted quote. Note: Comedies should be given some measure of leniency, as stupid comedy can still be funny, and wacky use of prompts can become how the story's world is.
4 points - All prompts were used by the writer, but not in a completely congruent manner in regards to the story.
3 points - Some prompts were used by the writer in a way that didn't feel totally genuine, and/or in rounds with three or more prompts, only two were used.
2 points - Most prompts used by the writer felt artificially inserted, and in rounds with three or more prompts, only two were used.
1 point - Only one prompt was used (in rounds with more than three prompts), and/or the prompts weren't effectively used by the writer at all.
0 points - The writer seems to have actively gone out of their way to defecate on the given prompts. Not just not using any of them, but outright peppering in a "Fuck you, " here and there in their story. The writer will promptly be banned from SmackDown: Back to Our Roots and any future SmackDowns, and MadMikeMarsbergen will personally tattletale on them to Wattpad and use his close ties to the worldwide writing community to make the writer's life a waking nightmare. He will also steal their pet and adopt it as his own, providing it with more love than the writer him-/her-/itself could ever dream of providing.
2. Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation
5 points - A perfect story, or one mistake shy of perfect. No matter the case, a 5 given in this category will shoot a spotlight into the night sky, alerting .
4 points - Close to perfect—only a few mistakes.
3 points - More than a few mistakes but less than ten.
2 points - More than ten mistakes, and/or the same mistakes are made over and over.
1 point - The story is barely readable due to the gross amount of errors.
0 points - The writer either doesn't care, or doesn't know they're making these mistakes. Depending on which, they will either be advised to start giving a shit, or to hone their craft a little more and try again next SmackDown.
3. Story Enjoyability
Note: Judges will ideally be shuffled each round, as this is a very subjective criterion and one judge may enjoy the same story/writer more or less than another judge.
5 points - Enthralling from beginning to end. One's attention never wavers. One wants more, more, MORE!
4 points - A great story. Almost kept the judge's eyes glued to the screen the whole time, but at one point their cat came flying past on a unicycle and they had to look.
3 points - A good story, but the cat jumped on the judge's lap and they started to pat it, taking their eyes off the screen because the story wasn't gripping them.
2 points - Not very good, but not a terrible story. Needs more action/comedy/heartbreak/*insert desire here* (except if it wouldn't make a lick of sense to have that, of course).
1 point - The judge almost fell asleep while reading the story.
0 points - The writer seems to have gone out of their way to make the shittiest story possible—or the judge is an idiot, or has a vendetta against the writer in question. No matter the case, if a 0 is given in this category, MadMikeMarsbergen himself will check the story. If the story truly blows more chunks than into his toilet on curry night, the 0 will be permitted—otherwise, the judge will be banned from SmackDown: Back to Our Roots, any and all future SmackDowns, and they will be stripped of any and all belongings, including (but not limited to): their wallet, their hair, their heart and soul, and their eyeball(s). The judge in question will forever live a life of shame, cast out of society, doomed to walk the world alone, and they will almost certainly return in the next life as the anus of a person with irritable bowel syndrome.
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There we have it. Hopefully this leads to some damn fine scoring.
Got what it takes to be a judge? Are you fair and balanced? Immune to bribery? Sign on to be a judge today!
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