A question for Mizahar Veterans and Graders

[Zephari]

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I have been on mizahar for several months now, sadly I was forced away from it due to life stuff for the last month and a half, but now I am back and enjoying it just as much as I was before. I am wondering if the existing graders have any tips on what I should do you better train myself in the ways of mizahar, so that I can improve my roleplay, and eventually become a grader myself.

Part of why i love this place so much is I love reading what other people write. Its truly inspirational that there are so many talented writers in one place, and its great fun to read the adventures of everyone's characters. I figure since its what I spend probably half of my time on mizahar doing, I may as well try to become a grader right? But I know full well that i am still a noob, and I am fine with that, but I want it to change. Any tips or help are welcome, and keep on writing.

[Ball]

Well, keep writing, remain active for the time frame required, read the lore, keep interested. When ready (you complete the requirements and such) you apply to the HD as a grader...

[Sayana]

I totally agree with what Ball said. In addition, learn the Grading Guide inside and out, and also the Lore page. When you get grades, check to see if it matches up with what you might expect. And if graders award skills that seem out of the blue, then maybe read into your posts to see what made them think of that skill. If you ever get to the point that you'd like to be a grader but you'd like someone to be able to ask questions to, or double check lore, or whatever then I'd happily help out.

[Keene Ward]

Hey there, Zephari!

I think, first and foremost, your appreciation and interest in other people's writing is really the best thing you can take into the grading role. That's huge! Wanting to help out is great, but if you're not really big into reading other people's work and combing through with an analytical eye to catch those little golden nuggets of skill points and lores, you're going to be in for a really rough time, and that's a bummer for you and the people you're grading for. So, essentially, seeing that you already have the drive and interest to devote your time to what other people have written is huge!

I won't repeat what the other two have said, so instead I'll just add in a few things that I think are pretty key to grading.

Questions! Always ask questions! They don't have to be external questions, necessarily. There are plenty of threads that are relatively straightforward, but I find I'm constantly asking myself: "Now... What applies here? What have they learned? What haven't they learned? Which skills were used and which skills weren't and where do I draw the line?" If you grade a thread and realize you've never once questioned your grade, you probably missed something. Then, of course, always feel free to use the other graders and STs as guides to supplement your own confusion. I know I do!

Set aside time for grading. Try to grade without too many distractions. When it's crazy loud or you're trying to grade, post, and chat all at the same time, it can get kind of overwhelming and frustrating. When you feel the urge to read, embrace it and own it!

As for working your way into grading, the guides are great. There was a ton of work put into them, and you should definitely know them. I would also suggest picking already graded threads and grading them yourself, then comparing them with what you've done. It can be a good way to get a feel for your own grading style, as we're all a little bit different, and it's pretty unlikely one thread would get the same grade from all of us! (Though hopefully they would be similar)

Again, if you have any questions or worries at all, I'm also open to PMs. I'm glad to hear your interested, and I'm looking forward to you joining in the ranks!