Now, I had this weird thought regarding Kerth voting: vote for the best, or for what you like more?

It's not the same thing! Something may be objectively good, but you don't particularly like it for some reason. On the other hand, something else may be just average, but more to your taste.

What would you vote for?

Thanks for your time.
AnnaBtG.

I'm not convinced that it is possible to say that one story is objectively better than another, at least once you come down to Kerth-nominated stories (though even nominating itself is a very subjective process). How can anyone possibly tell whether one story is 'better' than another? On what criteria? And would even two people be able to agree on what criteria should be used to determine the quality of a story, let alone how different stories should be graded according to these criteria?

(Sorry, it's the academic in me coming out here )

For me, it really is all about which stories appealed to me most in terms of the category heading. It's not about which revelation is technically better done (how could I really tell?) but which had the greatest effect on me.

So I don't get hung up on technical brilliance, or even spelling and grammar (I have nominated stories with lots of grammatical errors for Kerths, because even with the errors the story touched me in some way); I look at whether I liked - or even loved - the story more than any other in its category. That's subjective, but so is any other human judgement!


Wendy

Wendy said it, Anna. That's just it

Pelican

I have to agree with Wendy on this one. To me, the one with the most impact is better. I don't judge on technical merit, so it wouldn't even be an issue. (Tho, as I'm finding out in other fandoms, being able to read the story and not be hampered by grammatical issues is a big plus. But that's not an issue here )

I vote on the stories that have the biggest emotional/thought-provoking impact, and the stories with staying power. By this, I mean a story that stays in my head long after I've read it. I can look at the title, and remember most of the plot, details, and the emotional response I got the first time I read... or, second, or third...

Which is why voting is so hard for me. Everyone writes such good stories!

As this is my first Kerth voting attempt, I would vote on which story I like best. I can tell some stories are very technically superior and could potentially make their way to a publishing house, but if I don't like the plot or other parts of the story, I won't vote for it.

So bottom line is that all of my votes will be based on how much I enjoy reading it. Will I read it a second time, regardless of any inherent flaws in it?

Well, I thought this whole thing would be pretty easy. Just read all of the nominated stories in a category and decide which one I liked best. And by saying "liked best," I guess I look at a combination of story and how well the writer was able to pull me in and wrap me up in the world they'd created. Sure, I can deal with some grammar/spelling issues that might count against a story in some kind of a technical scoring way, as long as I don't get distracted from the story.

However, I sat down to read the super shorts, and after I was done, I was whimpering. There was no way I could pick my favorite!!! So now I have no idea what to do.

In the end, though, I guess if a story sticks with you enough then that's the one you vote for. If you don't like stories about Kent children, no matter how well the story was written, I imagine you wouldn't consider it a favorite. This is, after all, a "contest" not a "sporting event" where scores can be kept. Writing is such a subjective art. I think one can only vote subjectively.

Lynn

Not to take the opposing view since I agree that you should vote for the story you enjoyed the most.

But that is not to say that the technical merits of the writing and the storytelling aren't a factor in that process.

I would think that if you liked the lyrical quality of the writing, the vivid imagery, or the clever use of dialog. They would add to that enjoyment of the story. It's not only about compelling A plots, or a thrilling B plot. It's also how those things are presented which encompass the whole.

So, basically, the totality of the story is what is going to give you your reaction to it. And you will have to judge on how you felt at the end of the story.

Bottom line, is your gut reaction.

Tank (who thinks that the vast majority of the writers of L&C fanfiction are a lot better than amatuers have any right to be)

Well, I think you should choose the story which you think is the best of its class in each category. The criteria that you use in order to decide what 'best' actually means is entirely up to you <g>.

What I don't think you should do is choose your favourite stories and then try to vote for them, regardless of which category they appear in. But no-one asked that question, so I never said that.

Yvonne

Read each story in each category, and then say: Which involved me the most, touched me the most, made me smile? But having said that, it's not easy.

What Tank and Yvonne said, too.

Now to do some rereading.

c.

Thanks for your thoughts!

AnnaBtG. (who is not really surprised to see that a couple of FoLCs do believe that something's wrong inside her head )