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Topic: Interesting Information

Posted by: Mariamir

Subject: Interesting Information
Date: Nov 23 12

I was just wondering what people's thoughts were on this.

1: Length of II: I know that you need some, and more is better than less, but what length do you personally shoot for or like in general? It of course varies in quizzes, but do you try and make all your questions' II somewhat uniform in length in a quiz?

2: Do you add an extra line in between paragraphs in the II? I used to not, out of habit, but it seems more orderly when there is a line.

So, thoughts?



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9 replies. On page 1 of 1 pages. 1
looney_tunes

I always add a line between paragraphs in the extra information if there is more than one paragraph. It is easier to read.

I don't have any fixed idea of the length of the II for a quiz. I tend to feel that if it's worth asking a question, it's worth a short paragraph to explain why that was interesting, but that is not a hard and fast rule. If I am writing on a topic where I hope that I will be giving players information they might not otherwise have (such as for the Bus Ride) I tend to write more, because there is so much interesting stuff to pass on. And if I am writing about a book, play, movie, etc., I try to choose my questions so that the extra information can provide a clear picture of what happens in the book, play, movie, etc. This can require some significant writing to cover a summary of the major and character developments. Some quizzes, however, especially when I am writing them in response to a challenge, do not seem to me to have as much inherent interest, and get only a handful of sentences.

Reply #1. Nov 23 12, 4:06 AM

Matthew_07

I add an extra line between paragraphs for better readability. :)

Reply #2. Nov 23 12, 5:19 AM

SisterSeagull

Well, I always add a line and separate into paragraphs - at least in 'edit' mode. More often than not, once I submiit the quiz to the editors, the system removes my line space and everything ends up as one large paragraph.

Reply #3. Nov 23 12, 7:48 AM

CmdrK

I try not to be too verbose with the II but it depends on the question - will a couple of sentences explain it well, is there a lot behind the story that would add to the explanation, am I writing enough to make the editor happy, do I hate the question but need it to make 10.

You should always double space between paragraphs.

Reply #4. Nov 23 12, 7:51 AM

Gil_Galad The length of II depends on the subject, usually. Personally I try to include the most important or peculiar info that complements the specific Q&A, regardless of whether the II ends up being 2-3 sentences or 2 paragraphs. It's easier to write a lot when I know the subject well though.

As for the blank line between paragraphs, I add it too, although I picked it up in the chats rather than in quizzes. It makes the II easier to read and better-looking.

Reply #5. Nov 23 12, 8:49 AM

alexis722

I've had the opposite experience than Sister Seagull, and find that the editor usually skips a line for me. It is more readable, so I do it now on my own. As for length of answers, if I know the subject fairly well I tend to write more info, but if it's less familiar I tend to be more taciturn so I don't make any glaring mis-statements. Sometimes I do ramble on, but I figure that people will only read what is of interest to them anyway.

Reply #6. Nov 23 12, 11:58 AM

JanIQ

I usually insert one or more blank lines in my text program. After the editors have put the quiz, these lines frequently have disappeared - or sometimes they have moved to an incorrect place.
Maybe the editors don't like blank lines?

Reply #7. Nov 23 12, 11:59 AM

guitargoddess

One blank line between paragraphs is preferred for readability, hitting enter a few times for no good reason at the end of your question or info is not and an editor will usually remove these extra spaces if they're noticed.

Reply #8. Nov 23 12, 3:08 PM

looney_tunes

A single return does not produce a space, just a sentence on the next line, which usually doesn't look good on the playing screen. When I see that in a quiz I am editing, I decide whether it will be more sensibly condensed to be continuous, because the new paragraph wasn't really needed, or more sensibly separated with an extra return.

There is another issue with returns that causes issues for some new authors, who hit enter when they come to what looks like the end of the line in the editing screen, the way we used to have to do in the days of typewriters. The result can be very strange, since the editing screen and the play screen have different line lengths!

Don't forget that you should always select the option 'Quiz Preview: See how quiz question and answer screens will look' before you submit your quiz. Not only can you see whether there are any spacing issues that you might want to adjust, reading through the quiz in that screen often makes typos that you missed in the editing screen leap to your eye, so you can fix them before submission.

Reply #9. Nov 23 12, 6:11 PM

9 replies. On page 1 of 1 page(s). 1

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