Question-Writing FAQ - from Kendall

Note: This FAQ is directed mostly towards Tulane College Bowl members, but others may still find it useful.

What is Quiz Bowl?
   Quiz Bowl is a Tulane club that meets on Mondays and Fridays at 5 PM, of which you are a member; it is a tournament-holding league of several of these types of clubs; its a fun and competitive social setting that tests your trivia prowess; at the very least, it is a vague menacing body that sends you inappropriate emails periodically.
 
What is Quiz Bowl not?
    Quiz Bowl is not your mother. It is not a JV sports team.  It is not a 3 credit pass or fail course.  It is not an adequate substitution for a healthy, balanced breakfast.  It is not a get out of jail free card.
 
Why does Quiz Bowl need questions from me?
    In order to enter certain tournaments either for free or at a reduced rate, you need to submit a packet of college or High School level questions.  Instead of getting together with a bottle of rum and a computer and just damn well writing the things, we've decided to keep a bank of questions that can be tapped at any time to form a complete packet.  They need to come from you, because it should be obvious that about 50 heads are better than one (even Sully).  So, write some damn questions.
 
Well, How do I write them then?
    It depends.  Wording is always up to you, but the format is either a toss up, or a bonus. 
 
Ok.  And?
    Oh.  Rules for tossups are as follows:
    They are worth 10 points, sometimes with a 5 point "power" bonus (early in the question, for people who buzz hella fast).  We don't write powered tossups.
    They are rather lengthy (about 3-5 typed lines), written as a series of clues relating to the answer.  You start hard, and get less oblique or obscure in your clues or writing until you generally close telling the number of points (often abbreviated "FTP") and asking for the answer, or telling what you're looking for.  This is only a difference between "who is the author of..." or "name the author of..." formulations.  Also, you can just list distinctive things about the answer at any point in the question, which works well with authors, TV shows and liquors.  Again, that crap's up to you.
 
Can I see an example?
Sure.
This term, invented during World War II, is similar to the American concept of Manifest Destiny that explained the Indian Removals and purchase of Alaska from Russia in the middle of the 19th century. Adolf Hitler used this term to justify the invasions of Austria and Czechoslovakia that prompted the start of World War II. Hitler meant, through use of the word, that Germans did not have enough room in  their country and therefore needed to expand beyond their own borders and annex more land. FTP, give the German word that means "living space".
Answer: Lebensraum
    Another.

Pam, Peter, George, Janet, Jack, Colin and Barbara, and unofficially Scamper the dog. The aforementioned people were members of an adventure society created by this author. Often the troublemaker in the stories was Jack's annoying sister Susie, who attempted to deceive the society by leading them astray, but in fact they always managed to find a case out of it. FTP, name this female English mystery author of The Secret Seven series.
Answer: Enid Blyton

 

 

What about the bonuses?
    Those are worth usually 30 points total, and are most often segmented, but dealing with a central theme.  The most common divisions are thus:
    1)Ten Point Each-- One theme, 3 parts, each of which are worth 10. You can also split it up more or less, i.e.. 6 for 5, 2 for 15, but as a rule, no more than 6 and no single, 30 point boni.
    2)5PE, with extra 5-- this is a five part bonus, each for 5 points, and then an added 5 for getting them all.
    3)30-20-10-- Usually a name-the-author, name-the-artwork, name-the-band type question, you give one (very) hard clue, which is worth 30 points, then if they need a second one, you give them more information, but it is worth ten points less.  It's a nice device for very hard questions.  Some jackasses make 30-20-10-1's, which ends in the most obvious clue for only 1 point.  As I've said, they're jackasses.  Don't do it.  Or if you really can't resist, do it only for Trash questions.
    4)5-10-15--Not quite opposite of 30-20-10's, but close.  It's a three parter, beginning with an easy question, and getting progressively harder.  This is nice for science questions and historical stuff.  Mind you, this has three separate answers (one for each clue), while the 30-20-10 has one answer.
    5)5-10/10-5-- Again, a three parter, where one answer is worth 10 points, and then additional info regarding that answer makes it worth 5. 
    These aren't the only formats, but they are the most common I've seen, and perhaps the easiest to write.  Stylewise, boni don't have to be as cohesive as tossups, but should have a sentence or two telling what the theme is and what you're looking for as answers.  Try to put them in a nice format too, so I don't waste time changing bullets and shit.  Parts should be lettered, like so:
a)
and answers should be underlined.  Try to be uniform.
 
Examples, please.
Certainly.
Name these other biology-related scientists FTP each.
a) This 20th century American evolutionary biologist is among the architects of the modern synthesis of evolutionary biology; his major claim fame is the statement that geographic separation is the driving force behind the emergence of new species.
Answer: Ernst Mayr
b) This 20th century American biologist is one of three men who won the 1962 Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of the DNA molecule to be a double helix; this man has gone on to be director of the Human Genome Project at the National Institutes of Health for 4 years.
Answer: James Dewey Watson
c) This 20th century American geneticist won the 1969 Nobel Prize in medicine for finding out the replication mechanism of viruses and their genetic structure; he is more famous for conducting the "blender experiment" which proved that genes are made up of DNA.
Answer: Alfred Day Hershey

And again...

Given the teams involved, give the rivalry game's nickname for five points each. Five-point bonus for all correct.
a) Washington and Washington State
Answer: Apple Cup
b) Mississippi and Mississippi State
Answer: Egg Bowl
c) Purdue and Indiana
Answer: Old Oaken Bucket
d) Pittsburgh and West Virginia
Answer: Backyard Brawl
e) Alabama and Auburn
Answer: Iron Bowl

One more...

Identify these mythological/actual group of people (30-20-10).
(30) They are said to have inhabited originally the island of Aegina and to have emigrated with Peleus into Thessaly, but modern scholars also suppose that a colony of them may have emigrated from Thessaly into Aegina.  One theory states that they take their name from a mythical son of Zeus who was the father of Actor
(20) Another theory states that their name is from the ants in Aegina, into which they are supposed to have been changed in the time of Aeacus.
(10) They are best known as the trusty followers of Achilles
Answer: Myrmidons

Great.  Thanks a lot.  Now, what if I have more questions?
    Talk to anyone on the exec board.
 
What are the rules for turning these mofos out (or in, as it may be)?
    Regular, meeting- and tournament-going members MUST submit one tossup or bonus to whomever it is that's doing the question bank. No questions, no tournaments for you. However, if you do miss some, you may make it up by sending them in one week late; also, if you send more than you need to, don't worry about it.  If you don't usually come, but wanna help out anyhow, you're a good person and you send it any time to the same place. 
 
So, why the hell should I show up for practice if you guys will just beat me and make me turn in more questions?
    Cause you can't compete if you don't show up, smartass.  You just can't, so it's always in your best interest to come to meetings.  But, no pressure either.  Do what you want.
 
Can I be an anonymous informant? I have this deep-throat/ conspiracy fetish, and....
    No! I need to know who you are.  Names, not just email addresses, too.  This is due to the fact that I will need to keep track of who turns in for eligibility, and, more importantly, some packets need to be blind to the other teams, even our own.  Which means, I need to make sure y'all don't see the wrong questions and get unfair advantages.  So, just sign your name or something, ok?
 
Anything else I should know?
    I won't edit your questions without you knowing.  That's rude.  But I will fact check (limitedly), and I will ask you to fix some stuff if you need to.  Please, though, be right the first time.  Spelling is under my discretion, but wording is not, so write it as coherently and properly as possible.  If there are questions of the respectability of the content (such as the circumcision question), we will discuss as a group.  Try to be within the realm of decency, yet fun on trash.
 
Fine.  You done?
    Yeah, that's it.
 
Wait.  One more question: How do you know so damn much about question writing?
    Cause I've written some.  And I've heard a lot.  And I've heard some really shitty ones.  And I'm the banker.  And I'm nerd, which is also important.  So there.
 
Thanks.  Catch ya on the flip side.
    Fo sheezy.

Or for a ridiculously more thorough version from the University of Michigan, click here.