Signal to Stop. At the end of 25 minutes, give a 5-minute warning. At the end of 30 minutes, give a stop signal and ask contestants to put their pencils down. Prior to the contest the director should discuss thoroughly with judges the criteria for evaluating the stories. Criteria for Judging.
Interest depends primarily upon substance.
It depends next upon clarity and upon including specific details and examples which individualize the story as an outgrowth of the writer's character and experience. A well-organized story will present ideas and arguments in a logical and coherent manner. Grammatical correctness of style includes avoiding errors in sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, spelling and word usage. The judges should discuss the stories contending for a rank and may alter their decisions as a result of the discussion. Judges are to reach a consensus on the rankings.