WRITING RUBRIC
Points
10
9
8
7
6
5
Dramatic
Quality
Very dramatic—
good conflict,
and the story
never strays
from it without
reason.
The story has a
good conflict
and does a
decent job of
communicating
it.
The story has
some conflict,
but it lacks
drama/suspense.
The story
doesn’t stick to
the conflict.
Little conflict in
the story. Lacks
drama.
No Conflict.
Dialogue
Conveys
personality, is
interesting/
creative, and is
appropriate to
character
personality.
Minimal smalltalk.
The characters
are interesting
with distinct
personalities
that are
effectively
communicated.
Usually is
interesting and
conveys
personality.
Perhaps a bit
too much small
talk or lacking
drama. Slightly
robotic.
Interesting
characters.
Personalities
are mostly
distinct and
effectively
communicated.
The story has a
conflict, but it’s
not always
communicated
effectively—
sometimes
strays from the
conflict.
Sometimes
reveals
character and is
interesting but
also robotic or
lacking in
drama. Too
much small talk.
Dialogue is often
robotic and
lacking drama.
Lot of small talk
or conversation
that has nothing
to do with the
plot. Doesn’t
reveal character.
Characters seem
to have little
personality or
seem to be
stereotypes.
Robotic
dialogue that
lacks drama.
Conversation
seems to have
no relevance to
the story’s
conflict.
No dialogue.
No sense of
characterization.
Excellent
sentences and
paragraphs—
good variation.
Sentences flow
from one to the
next. Good
word choice and
excellent
descriptions.
Few mistakes
(in spelling,
grammar,
punctuation,
capitalization,
etc.), and all are
minor.
Good writing.
Sentences and
paragraphs
vary. Decent
word choice and
descriptions.
Fairly good
writing. Needs
more variation,
and descriptions
could be more
vivid.
Writing has
many
weaknesses.
Lacks variation
and descriptions
are ineffective
(tells rather than
shows, for
example).
Characters
seem to be
without
personality—
robotic. Or,
they are
complete
stereotypes.
Writing needs a
lot of work.
Little or no
variation.
Descriptions are
completely
ineffective.
Several minor
mistakes.
Many minor
mistakes and
some obvious
mistakes.
Many obvious
mistakes.
Sentences are
full of mistakes
in grammar,
spelling,
punctuation,
and
capitalization.
No effort to
write well.
Characterization
Writing/Style
Grammar
Characters lack
some
personality or
distinctiveness.
Perhaps some
characters are
stereotypes.
No effort to
write well.