Example rubric, borrowed from "Changes Reviews"...
(The blurbs below each category, I'm just making up myself, based on things the reviewer wrote about my story.)
Title:
Author:
Reviewer:
Design
__ / 5 points
Overall presentation of story on a website - is it easy to read? Are the font/background styles and colors tasteful or distracting and hard to read? If there are graphics, do they add to the story, or are they too big or unappealing for whatever reason? Is the story easy to navigate?
Intro
__ / 5 points
Does the summary make the story sound appealing? Does it pique your curiosity? How about the first sentence? Do you want to keep reading after the initial sentence or paragraph? Is the intro bogged down by character lists, unnecessary descriptions of characters, or the like?
Title
__ / 5 points
Is the title interesting? Is it original? Does it fit with the story (after reading it)?
First impression
__ / 10 points
After checking out the story and reading the first chapter, what is your first impression? Is it something you want to keep reading, or one you're already groaning about having to review? What elements of the story gave you this impression?
Characters
__ / 15 points
The main characters... are they believable? Do they express emotion realistically? Are they multi-dimensional and not just full of cliches and stereotypes? Do they have flaws and quirks? How about the supporting characters? They may not be the main focus, but they're still important. Are they believable too? How about villains? Do they have motives? Emotions?
Plot
__ / 15
Is the storyline original? Or does it take an unoriginal idea in a new direction? Does it have enough action/drive to keep moving, or does it fall flat in the middle? IS there an actual storyline, with building action, conflict, and resolution, or does it just seem like a random sequence of events?
Development
__ / 15
Goes along with the development of the plot. Is the story too short to properly develop the plot, or is it too wordy and drawn out? Are all conflicts developed and then resolved in a way that is appropriate to the story? Does the story "flow"?
Emotion
__ / 5
Does the story invoke the right kind of emotion in the reader? Do you laugh when it's supposed to be funny, cry (or at least feel sad) when it's supposed to be sad, gasp when it's supposed to be shocking, etc? Is it written in a way that can get an emotional reaction out of a reader?
Grammar/Spelling
__ / 10
Self-explanatory.
Originality
__ / 5
How original is the story? Even if the basic idea is not original, does it add originality by taking the idea in a new direction, adding twists? Do the characters lend originality to the story, or are they just as cliched as the plot?
The After Effect
__ / 5
Is this a story that stays in your head after reading, beyond just thinking about it for the sake of reviewing? Is it thought-provoking? Does it have moments you think about days later? Or is it just simply forgettable?
Code
__ /5
There was a code for the site you had to put on the story's page to get the points here.
Overall
__ / 100 (the points add up to this)
Overall comments here.
