Application Rules and Judging Rubric

[Vin]

Application Rules

- You will have an 800 word limit to your application. This may not be as many words as you think, so be very careful with what you choose to include in your application. You don't have to use all 800 words if you don't want. I will use the following site to ensure you are meeting the word count: (http://www.wordcounter.net/)
- Each writer may submit up to two applications. Each application must be to a unique category. This means that if you submit an application to the Bone Rattler category, you may write a second application but you may not submit it to that same category.
- Applications must use original characters designed for this contest. Do not apply with a character from another story that you have written or a book that you have read, etc.
- Applications are strictly anonymous. Do not tell anyone which character or characters you have written, and if you believe you figured out who wrote another character, keep this knowledge to yourself. Don't tell people about your character if you have written an application or even ideas that you are considering for a character if you haven't.
- Applications must be written in 3rd person and in past tense. I am all for stretching the boundaries of writing but at a certain point it gets confusing to the reader, so let's keep it all in the same tense and perspective so that the story is crisp and coherent.
- The story will be rated PG-13. Obviously, this is going to be a story about war so violence is expected. That being said, gratuitous violence is a cheap substitute for story. I won't necessarily draw a line in the sand, but consider your audience and what may or may not make them uncomfortable. I expect to see some violence, but I do trust you guys not to go too overboard. If I think that you are, I will not throw out your application but I will let you know that you must dial it back before resubmitting. As for sexual content and swearing, let's keep it to a minimum.
- Applications must take place before the events of the prologues.

What Are We (The Judges?) Looking For?

I've got some excellent writers lined up to judge at the moment, and hopefully their schedules will line up with that of the contest. While I get that schedule hammered out with them, you all should start thinking about apps while you wait. That means you need to know what we will be looking for.

The first thing you should know is that your applications are going to be going to two judges who are familiar with the RSC community and with what makes a survivor application good. Both judges will be anonymous, meaning that at no point before the Top 24 are released will you know who is judging your app. While both judges will be bringing their own styles of expertise and critique to the process, there will be a common 3-category rubric, scored out of a total of 25 points, that I will provide them to score your applications that I will be using as well. That rubric will be as follows:

1. Technical Writing (5 points):
This is the basics, the bare necessities. Spelling, grammar, structure. How well is the syntax of your application formed? An application is always heightened by a firm grasp of the technical aspects of the writing. That being said, spelling, grammar, etc. is not the whole ball game. The content of a work is much more important that the way its dressed up. That's why this category has half the weight of the others. Don't ignore the fundamentals, because those will enhance your story, but also know that a couple stray commas or typos aren't really going to affect your chances

2. Character (10 points):
This is the core of the application right here, the heartbeat. Who is your character? Do they draw the reader in? Are their motivations realistic, their actions grounded in who they are? Without a compelling character, your application won't get anywhere. It's hard to define what makes a character compelling, and it's never universal. I recommend looking to successful applications written for past contests to find inspiration. Don't just look at the character. Look at the techniques and subtleties that they use to really showcase the character and what makes them tick.

3. Development (10 points):
Atmosphere is what surrounds the character. It's the world that envelops them, and makes a scene feel vibrant and a story feel realistic. Think of this as world building: what are the details you give the reader to help paint the picture fully, so it's not just the sketch of a subject but a fully coloured image with depth and magnitude.

This is by far the most important section for y'all to read in this rubric. Grammar and character are fairly straightforward, but given the fact that this contest will be completely removed from the context of Redwall as we know it, this category is a bit more complex. There's a lot about this world that we don't know. You have the categories, and you have an idea of what the nations are, but the complexities of the world really don't exist yet. You aren't going to be able to lean on things we take for granted as Redwall fanfiction writers, from vastly important things such as the vermin-woodlander conflict, or even silly things like moles having funny accents.

So...if we can't rely on the old tropes, how is the reader supposed to make sense of this world? Well, that's going to be up to one group of people: the writers. I've created the premise and the conflict and a couple of categories to get you started, but you guys are the ones who are going to be filling in the details of this story and giving it life. What is the significance of a Bone Rattler or a Icewalker or a Beastmaster to their society? What do they even do? How do different species interact with each other? What are the unique cultures of those different species that exist in this new landscape we're going to be creating? These are all things that you're going to have to think about when you're writing your application, and it's going to affect not just the judges scores but the top 24 votes as well. This contest, you might have ideas that are completely contrary to the ideas of another application. People aren't going to be voting just for who they want to see. They're going to be voting for what they want to see. You need a compelling character, but you're also gonna need a compelling world.

This is a whole new dimension to applications, and it's going to be a challenge. 800 words can run out awful quick if you're not careful. But I don't want you guys to shy away from this. You people can be so creative and I really want to let that loose in this competition. That doesn't mean that your application has to be crazy or insane. Sometimes there's no substitute for just a simple story. But don't be afraid to take risks, and don't be afraid to imprint YOUR vision of what a world like this can look like into your application.

What's Next?

- I promised you guys a species guideline, and don't worry, you're going to get it soon. It's taking a bit longer to make than I had expected, both because of the rough time I've been having with the vaccine and because it's quite a bit more complex than me just saying, you can write as this animal and this animal and that animal but you can't write as this animal or that animal. You're gonna get it this weekend.

- I also promised a schedule, but I want to check in with my judges and see if what I have is something that aligns with their schedules or if we have to tinker. Hopefully this will get hammered out quickly, but one thing I can say for sure: we've still got plenty of time before the applications start. I've got an opportunity at work I'd be crazy to ignore, and that means I won't be able to start the application process until at least somewhere around the 20th of August. So don't stress if you don't think of an idea for the application in the next few days. You have time. As soon as I get in touch with my judges, we'll see a schedule soon after.

- The prologues are underway. I am hoping to get them done in the next couple of weeks in my free time off of work. While you ultimately may not necessarily need them to write your application, they will be helpful in figuring out what is going on in the world in greater detail and you will be able to use that to enhance your application potentially.

- I'm making a map! Artisticness not guaranteed: I'm good at web design, I am significantly less good at graphic design. This is just to give you some settings that maybe you can flesh out in more detail in your application or later in the contest.

[Vin]

The time is finally upon us! Applications are now open! You can submit your application through the following Google Form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwOy8pCpb8LgdfkogdAhEJxr7HLKxilzkofNCcJg6XsKnJ7g/viewform?usp=sf_link

The application period will last for one month (until September 15th). Each week, I will release select info about the applications I have received, such as names, species, and, most importantly, the category spread. Remember that applications are ANONYMOUS. Do not reveal your identity to anyone. People may try to guess who you are, but try to keep it a secret. Chances are they'll be wrong, anyway.

I know some of you are waiting for the prologues— I'm working at them, and they will be done in the next day or so, but don't worry either way. If you start workshopping your characters now, the final product is doubtful to force you to rewrite or rethink your application...although I can't promise it won't entice you to do so.

Remember, you have a whole month to write and edit and submit your application, so don't feel pressured to submit right away. Have fun, and let's make something awesome, y'all.

[Vin]

Another important announcement for the people who use just the forum: the application deadline has been extended to September 22nd rather than the 15th.

That's the 22nd of September, in 10 days.

[Vin]

So a quick addendum to the rules here. Nobody has done this, so don't worry, I'm not specifically addressing any one person, but it was brought to my attention that under the current framework this technically isn't against the rules and I want to take a clear stance on it so that we are all on the same page.

If you are submitting two applications, your applications must feature unique characters. You cannot feature a character from your first application in your second application or vice versa. Your job is to showcase your character in 800 words, not showcase your character in 800 words plus a little more on the side.

I don't mind a little bit of idea bleed. Maybe you've come up with cultural quirks or an accent or tradition that you really like that shape your applications. It's fine if you want to explore these in different ways in different applications, but be careful. If you're using similar ideas in both your apps, they should have a reason to be in both apps and they should be explored in different ways. We will mark you down if you try to use the exact same world-building in two different apps, because again, this defeats the purpose of having an 800 word app.