Story Circle

by, for, and about women

Historical Fiction

by

Sarton Women's Book Awards: Rubrics: Historical Fiction

Sarton Women's Book Award logo

  1. Characters
    0-3 Points

    • Characters not well developed, without complexity, stereotyped
    • Characters' actions not well motivated, not very believable
    • Characters' speech and/or dialogue stilted, awkward, not very interesting
    4-7 Points

    • Female main characters who learn through experience
    • Some characters fairly well developed; fair complexity, minimal stereotyping
    • Characters' actions fairly well motivated, generally believable
    • Characters' speech and/or dialogue fairly natural, interesting
    8-10 Points

    • Female main characters who learn and grow through experience
    • Most characters richly developed; true to historical period, striking complexity; no stereotyping
    • Characters' actions well motivated and believable
    • Characters' speech and/or dialogue natural, engaging
  2. Story/Plot
    0-3 Points

    • Beginning slow, doesn't pull the reader in; unsatisfactory conclusion
    • Storyline poorly developed or confusing (unmotivated jumps in time, unclear sequence of events)
    • Story unfolds slowly, inadequately, or with too many distracting side-stories, making it difficult for the reader to stay engaged
    4-7 Points

    • Beginning interesting; conclusion fairly satisfying
    • Storyline fairly easy to follow, even if complex (flashbacks, etc)
    • Story is developed in a way that moderately engages and holds the reader's attention most of the way through the book
    8-15 Points

    • Beginning fully engages the reader; conclusion very satisfying
    • Storyline clear, even if complex or otherwise challenging
    • Story is developed in a clear, compelling way that fully engages the reader's attention from beginning to end ("I couldn't put it down!")
    • Story is relevant to historical period
    • Story makes a deep emotional impact on the reader and/or opens the reader's mind to new ideas
    • Story has strong, universal significance beyond its events and characters
  3. Gratuitous violence and sexuality In some stories, violence and sexually explicit materials are necessary elements; in others they are used gratuitously and distract from the story. If you feel that this book contains distractingly gratuitous, offensive material, subtract points according to the following scales. (To subtract, enter a negative number: ex. -3.) If this is not an issue in this work, skip this and go on to #4.
    • 0-3: some gratuitous, offensive violence / explicit material
    • 4-7: much gratuitous, offensive violence / explicit material
    • 8-10: too much gratuitous, offensive violence / explicit material
  4. Voice/Point of View
    0-3 Points

    • Narrative voice lacking, confusing, distances readers from the story
    • Point of view confusing, shifting, uncontrolled
    4-7 Points

    • Narrative voice fairly clear but unremarkable
    • Point of view shifts somewhat confusing
    8-10 Points

    • Narrative voice distinctive, engaging, fresh
    • Point of view clear, consistent.
    • If shifting POV, shifts clear, intentional, easy to follow
  5. Physical Settings, Sense of Place
    0-3 Points

    • Physical settings are generally unimportant, uninteresting
    • Settings described inaccurately, insufficiently, or in clichés
    • Story establishes little sense of place
    4-7 Points

    • Physical settings are fairly important and interesting
    • Settings described with some clichés , with fair accuracy
    • Story establishes an adequate sense of place
    8-10 Points

    • Physical settings are distinctively characteristic of period
    • Settings are fully and vividly described, accurately and without clichés
    • Story establishes a strong, compelling sense of place
  6. Historical Settings, Sense of Time, Era
    0-3 Points

    • Historical period is generally without detail, unimportant, uninteresting
    • Historical period is described inaccurately, insufficiently; author has done little research
    • Historical setting creates establish little sense of time or of the era
    4-7 Points

    • Historical period is fairly detailed, important, and interesting
    • Historical period is described with fair accuracy; author has done some research
    • Historical setting establishes an adequate sense of time and the era
    8-10 Points

    • Historical period is richly, vividly, described
    • Use of historical settings accurately described; author has done substantial research
    • Historical setting establishes a strong, compelling sense of time and the era
  7. Language, Imagery*, Style
    *Words that evoke sensory experience and emotional response

    0-3 Points

    • Word choices often seem wrong, inappropriate, or anachronistic
    • Profanity (if any) is not well motivated or is inappropriate to the character using it
    • Imagery is clichéd and/or confused
    • Writing style is bland, undistinguished
    4-7 Points

    • Word choices generally seem right, appropriate
    • Profanity (if any) is fairly well motivated and generally appropriate to the character using it
    • Imagery is sometimes clichéd but generally effective
    • Writing style is occasionally engaging, interesting
    8-10 Points

    • Word choices are appropriate to the historical period and often striking
    • Profanity (if any) is well motivated and appropriate to the character using it
    • Imagery is vivid, fresh, striking
    • Writing style is frequently engaging, compelling
  8. Language Conventions, Structure
    0-3 Points

    • Distracting errors in grammar, spelling, and/or punctuation
    • Sentence, paragraph, and/or chapter structure overly simple or overly complex
    4-7 Points

    • Some distracting errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation
    • Sentence, paragraph, and/or chapter structure generally acceptable
    8-10 points

    • Almost no errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation
    • Sentence, paragraph, and/or chapter structure artful and appropriate to the period
  9. Presentation
    0-3 Points

    • Unattractive cover art and book design
    • Interior layout design features (if any) distracting, unattractive, inadequate, unhelpful (Do not subtract points for widows and orphans.)*
    • Font and typesetting difficult to read or distracting
    4-7 Points

    • Adequate cover art and book design
    • Interior layout design features (if any) fairly adequate, usually helpful
    • Font and typesetting adequate
    8-10 Points

    • Attractive, appropriate, compelling cover art and design
    • Interior layout design features (if any) striking, unusually helpful
    • Font and typesetting clear, well-chosen

    If you are evaluating an eBook, consider the presentation that appears in your eReader. Subtract 1-5 points if the format presented reading problems, did not flow as expected, or interfered with your experience of the story.

    *In typesetting, widows and orphans are lines at the beginning or end of a paragraph, which are left dangling at the top or bottom of a column, separated from the rest of the paragraph.

  10. Bonus Points (1-4)
    • Does this novel stand out in a way you have not been able to acknowledge using the standards above? Is there something exceptional or original that was not accommodated in our categories? If so, please tell us about it in one or two sentences and add 1-4 bonus points. (Please use this option sparingly. We invited you to judge because we trust you, and we know this is subjective.)