PHOCT - Judging

MOKO-OCT JUDGING MANIFESTO

Our judges are...

Friendly - We are all happy to answer questions, and work hard to make a welcoming environment. If you need clarification on the feedback you receive, just ask!

Fearless - We will tell you, frankly, what we think of your work. Positive or negative. We will not lie to you to protect your feelings. Doing so would be a huge diservice to you and your stories, because you cannot get better when nobody tells you things that might be hard to hear. We are here to help you become better storytellers, even when things get tough!

Opinionated - Not all judges will agree on everything! In fact, we will sometimes have very different opinions and feedback may be contradictory from one judge to the next. That's why it's called an Opinion, not a Fact! We're not gods - we can be wrong, or in the minority compared to the opinion of the general public. It's up to you to take the feedback you receive and filter it! (But as a rule of thumb - if three or more people are pointing out the same problems, those are probably the most important to tackle!)

Specific - We will do our best to be specific about the issues we find. If the material is not engaging, we'll try to tell you where it started, or why. If there's a repeated problem, we'll try to point out exactly how and why it happens. Similarly, if there's something you do really well, we'll try to highlight on it so you know your strengths as well as your weaknesses!

Helpful - If we have experience dealing with a particular problem, we will try to offer suggestions on how to tackle it. This might be in the form of examples, resources, or challenges to build a certain skill.

Human Beings - We're human too! Most of us have day jobs, our own projects, and even kids! Please remember that each judge is taking time out of an already busy schedule to provide you with the best feedback they can. Each judge will also have a different style of judging - that's why they were chosen! You may not personally like the style of a particular judge, but what you don't like about one judge might be critical for another person. If you have a particular complaint, please bring it up with the Host, *RobinRone. It's her job to work with the judges to come up with good solutions. Let her do her job!!