It can feel a little weird to “grade” someone’s writing, but numbers can be helpful. They’re a quick way for a writer to get a sense of a post’s relative strengths and weaknesses. For instance, the score might tell them the plot scored higher than the characters in this section. The score also helps a writer see how their work trends over time. 

The Story Score isn’t a way to dunk on someone else. It’s a way to help them know if their work is ready to go out into the world. You’re helping a fellow writer make sure they don’t have food in their teeth before they go on that really important date.

Here’s a general idea of how to use the rubric: 

1-2: Reads like a first draft.
3: It’s good, but not memorable.
5: Reads like it’s already on shelves, and you think about it after you read it. (Choosing between a 4 or 5 may be more a sense of taste, and that’s okay. That still means that the writer will know their work is close to being ready to send out.)
 

Here’s how that might look in the actual rubric.

The author’s VOICE is confident and compelling. I’m sucked into the story.

• 1: There’s no recognizable voice, and it reads like a school report.
• 5: Strong, compelling voice that convinces you that this story is going places.

The CHARACTERS feel distinct, complex, and relatable. I care about what happens to them. 

• 1: You have no sense of who the characters are. You wouldn’t know them in a crowd.
• 5: You’re going to remember the characters . You wish you could hang out with them- or at least watch them from a distance.

I sense that the PLOT is headed somewhere intriguing, and I’m curious as to what happens next. 

• 1: You have no sense of what’s going on or where the story is headed.
• 5: You need to read the next installment. You will haunt the writer until they post the next pages.

 Well-crafted DIALOGUE/NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION adds personality to the story. I’m intrigued by how the characters talk, think, and interact.

• 1: Anyone could be thinking or saying what you read. It’s not distinct, and it doesn’t add to the story. 
• 5: The dialogue/ inner thoughts are unique and compelling. You want to reread a few lines, because they were just that good.

  DESCRIPTIONS are vivid and detailed. Whether the world is real or imaginary, it feels like I’m really there.  

• 1: There’s little to no description or that the description doesn’t give you a sense of place. 
• 5: The description is immersive: you feel like you’re there.