Thematic Focus
Consistency of central theme without unjustified digressions
The five levels
Each anchor describes what separates one level from the next — not a general description of quality. This is the text the evaluator itself reads.
-
Level 1 Below Standard
Multiple topics with no connection, complete scatter
Example Text starts with event, jumps to philosophy, then nature description with no connection
-
Level 2 Approaching
Main topic exists with many digressions
Example Main thread exists but gets lost in side paragraphs
-
Level 3 At Standard
Clear topic with limited justified digressions
Example Main thread runs straight with acceptable deviations
-
Level 4 Above Standard
Cohesive topic, digressions serve the theme
Example Every apparent deviation returns to and enriches the topic
-
Level 5 Exemplary
Complete focus, every line deepens the central theme
Example Text makes reader feel organic unity — as if one entity, not adjacent words
Where does your own work sit on these levels?
Submit one work to be read against this criterion alone: your position across the five levels, why you are not higher and why not lower, three literal quotes from your own work, and one exercise with its success check. Your first card is free.
Price: 7 SAR · Included in Pro & Artist Plus · First one free — Pricing details
Read my work by this criterionOther criteria in the same art
Ability to show emotions through actions and details rather than direct statement
The five levels →Constructing the scene like a building: setup, tension, climax, resolution
The five levels →Short sentence's ability to carry deep multi-layered meaning
The five levels →Conscious movement between times, using flashback and other techniques
The five levels →Consciously speeding and slowing text according to scene demands
The five levels →Character's convincing growth or transformation across the text
The five levels →Creating and managing anticipation and emotional investment in character's fate
The five levels →Using the five senses to bring the scene vividly to the reader
The five levels →