Subject: EDQ #1: Interesting Information
Posted by: LadyCaitriona
Date: Mar 09 13
Sorry all! I guess I was supposed to post this yesterday and I didn't realize a date had been announced. Better late than never. :)
Welcome to the first installment of Editors Discussing Quizzes! For our first topic we've decided to delve into the art of crafting your interesting information sections. The goal of these blogs is not to discuss bare minimums and site rules at length--these are available elsewhere on the site--but as a venue for the editors to share the suggestions that we often give to individual authors when they encounter common stumbling blocks. We also invite authors to share their experiences in overcoming some of these obstacles and, of course, we would also welcome your questions and discussions about issues that you've encountered that perhaps we haven't touched upon.
My name is LadyC and I have been writing quizzes on FunTrivia since 2001 and editing almost as long (though with some long breaks when life got too busy for me to pull my weight). I've edited in General, TV, Literature, Movies, and Humanities and currently edit in the latter two categories. Editors from these and other categories will be posting their thoughts as well, because one of the things you'll notice is that there is no universally perfect way of writing an information section, and what works well in one category may not work well in another category, though there are some tips that can be applied more generally. Like:
Tip #1 - The points in your information section should be about things that you find interesting about your question's topic. If you don't think it's interesting, chances are players won't either. For some topics this is going to require an investment of your time to do some research, especially if you're working on a topic that is new to you.
For a long while now we've had Quiz Creation Guidelines in place that specify the minimum length for the information section, but authors often ask what is the ideal length for the information section? That's a tougher one, and a subjective topic on which members (players, authors and editors alike) all have their own opinions. This is going to vary somewhat between categories, but typically I have found that information sections between three (longer) and six (shorter) sentences are generally well-received: they are not so short that curious players feel that there could have been more information given, but not so long that the very size of the paragraph turns people off (on the Internet this is sometimes called "tl;dr" or "too long; didn't read"), so that's a good size to shoot for if you want to go beyond meeting only the minimum requirements. Does that mean that you can't write more than six sentences? Absolutely not! A longer paragraph that's well-written, informative, creative and entertaining will draw readers along, provided that the information is tied together meaningfully (as opposed to, say, six additional random facts thrown haphazardly into an awkwardly-worded paragraph). You might also wonder, will players rate my quiz more poorly if I write too much or too little? They might, as the quiz rating system is completely subjective for each player. Player A might rate your quiz as Excellent because your information sections were so informative, while Player B might rate the same quiz as Poor because your information sections were too long. As I mentioned before, three to six sentences is a good middle ground, but as an author you should write what makes you happy, especially if, like me, you are not overly concerned about how your quiz is rated.
As an editor who has worked in Movies, TV and Literature, I've often found it to be a good approach to picture your audience (the players) as people who have seen the film (etc.), but several years ago and have by now probably forgotten some of the finer plot points. Something that is obvious to you, as the quiz's author, may not necessarily be obvious to the players who take your quiz, and a little bit of background will help to put your question and information in context. Another good question to ask yourself is why? Why did I choose to ask this particular question? Chances are you have a great start to an information section if you explore what it is you liked, or that interested you, enough to include this question in your quiz. For these media categories, this may include a situation that helped further the plot, or actions that served particularly well to develop a character's personality.
For some topics it might be very difficult to find relevant information for each question in your quiz. While some categories might have more strict guidelines about this, in general you are free to give tangential information that is tied meaningfully to your question's topic. For example, one of my questions in a quiz mentioned an interaction the main character had with a fortune-teller, and in my info, after explaining the context of the question, I spoke a little bit about fortune-telling in general. Other times, when authors have found that there weren't many interesting things to say about each individual question, they have written what amounts to one long paragraph about the topic in general and then served it to the player in ten "bite-sized" pieces. If you can think of more quality information to give at a general level than addressing each question individually, then this might be a good route for you to consider for your quiz's info sections.
There is certainly a lot more that can be said about writing information sections, but I think this enough from me at this time. I'd like to open up the floor, so to speak, to my fellow editors to add their thoughts on the topic.
Happy quiz-writing!
Posted by: LadyCaitriona
Date: Mar 09 13
Sorry all! I guess I was supposed to post this yesterday and I didn't realize a date had been announced. Better late than never. :)
Welcome to the first installment of Editors Discussing Quizzes! For our first topic we've decided to delve into the art of crafting your interesting information sections. The goal of these blogs is not to discuss bare minimums and site rules at length--these are available elsewhere on the site--but as a venue for the editors to share the suggestions that we often give to individual authors when they encounter common stumbling blocks. We also invite authors to share their experiences in overcoming some of these obstacles and, of course, we would also welcome your questions and discussions about issues that you've encountered that perhaps we haven't touched upon.
My name is LadyC and I have been writing quizzes on FunTrivia since 2001 and editing almost as long (though with some long breaks when life got too busy for me to pull my weight). I've edited in General, TV, Literature, Movies, and Humanities and currently edit in the latter two categories. Editors from these and other categories will be posting their thoughts as well, because one of the things you'll notice is that there is no universally perfect way of writing an information section, and what works well in one category may not work well in another category, though there are some tips that can be applied more generally. Like:
Tip #1 - The points in your information section should be about things that you find interesting about your question's topic. If you don't think it's interesting, chances are players won't either. For some topics this is going to require an investment of your time to do some research, especially if you're working on a topic that is new to you.
For a long while now we've had Quiz Creation Guidelines in place that specify the minimum length for the information section, but authors often ask what is the ideal length for the information section? That's a tougher one, and a subjective topic on which members (players, authors and editors alike) all have their own opinions. This is going to vary somewhat between categories, but typically I have found that information sections between three (longer) and six (shorter) sentences are generally well-received: they are not so short that curious players feel that there could have been more information given, but not so long that the very size of the paragraph turns people off (on the Internet this is sometimes called "tl;dr" or "too long; didn't read"), so that's a good size to shoot for if you want to go beyond meeting only the minimum requirements. Does that mean that you can't write more than six sentences? Absolutely not! A longer paragraph that's well-written, informative, creative and entertaining will draw readers along, provided that the information is tied together meaningfully (as opposed to, say, six additional random facts thrown haphazardly into an awkwardly-worded paragraph). You might also wonder, will players rate my quiz more poorly if I write too much or too little? They might, as the quiz rating system is completely subjective for each player. Player A might rate your quiz as Excellent because your information sections were so informative, while Player B might rate the same quiz as Poor because your information sections were too long. As I mentioned before, three to six sentences is a good middle ground, but as an author you should write what makes you happy, especially if, like me, you are not overly concerned about how your quiz is rated.
As an editor who has worked in Movies, TV and Literature, I've often found it to be a good approach to picture your audience (the players) as people who have seen the film (etc.), but several years ago and have by now probably forgotten some of the finer plot points. Something that is obvious to you, as the quiz's author, may not necessarily be obvious to the players who take your quiz, and a little bit of background will help to put your question and information in context. Another good question to ask yourself is why? Why did I choose to ask this particular question? Chances are you have a great start to an information section if you explore what it is you liked, or that interested you, enough to include this question in your quiz. For these media categories, this may include a situation that helped further the plot, or actions that served particularly well to develop a character's personality.
For some topics it might be very difficult to find relevant information for each question in your quiz. While some categories might have more strict guidelines about this, in general you are free to give tangential information that is tied meaningfully to your question's topic. For example, one of my questions in a quiz mentioned an interaction the main character had with a fortune-teller, and in my info, after explaining the context of the question, I spoke a little bit about fortune-telling in general. Other times, when authors have found that there weren't many interesting things to say about each individual question, they have written what amounts to one long paragraph about the topic in general and then served it to the player in ten "bite-sized" pieces. If you can think of more quality information to give at a general level than addressing each question individually, then this might be a good route for you to consider for your quiz's info sections.
There is certainly a lot more that can be said about writing information sections, but I think this enough from me at this time. I'd like to open up the floor, so to speak, to my fellow editors to add their thoughts on the topic.
Happy quiz-writing!
55 replies. On page 2 of 3 pages. 1 2 3
Tizzabelle
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I enjoy it when an author puts a bit of personality into a quiz and that can bring a quiz to life. It can be much more interesting if a player can share some real life experiences rather than just reading something which reminds them of a text book. Let's say you're writing a Geography quiz on Sydney, Australia. You've been to Sydney and loved the place. As you write the Interesting Information for a question, you merely write "I loved visiting Sydney in 1988. It's a beautiful place." While that may be true, it is an opinion. You can embellish that information with recollections of your visit that are factual. For instance "I loved walking around the main ferry terminal of Sydney, called Circular Quay, at the northern end of the CBD. Ferries come and go most of the day, transporting workers and tourists to the city, the zoo, Manly, the eastern suburbs, and as far afield as Parramatta, an hour away by ferry." By writing about Circular Quay, you've adding some factual information about Sydney while giving the players a feel of the city. You've brought Sydney to life in the player's mind with facts. Let's say you're writing an Animals quiz about German shepherds. It's my favourite dog breed and I know a favourite with many people. I wouldn't write as Interesting Information "German shepherds are the best breed of dog." Why? It's purely opinion and in the eyes of many, I would be completely wrong. It would depend on many factors such as a player's personal history with dogs, personal preferences, and on the use to which the dog is required. For example, a person living in an apartment might want a very small dog which requires much less exercise and mental stimulation. A nursing home with elderly residents might want a slightly bigger dog but one that is more placid, say a King Charles cavalier spaniel. This doesn't mean you can't express your opinion on German shepherds in your quiz though. After giving some factual information about the breed in general, you could add something from your experiences with the breed such as "While known for their bravery in general, I once owned a German shepherd which cowered at the sight of a mouse!" This guideline for adding Interesting Information applies to every category on Funtrivia. It's all well and good to say "Winston Churchill was the best PM of the UK evah!" but while many may agree, a long queue of people will form ready to disagree with you. You think Jodie Foster's performance in "The Silence of the Lambs" was brilliant? Put that into the Interesting Information by saying "I think Jodie Foster's performance was brilliant and so did the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She won the Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Clarice M. Starling in the movie." You think Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice) was a modern woman for her day? Illustrate that thought with examples from the book. You loved the restaurant 'date' scene with Joey and Rachel on "Friends"? So did I! Tell the player who can't recall it what happened why you enjoyed it and found it so memorable. Opinions are fantastic. We wouldn't be people without them, we'd be robots. Here on Funtrivia though, for the purposes of Interesting Information, we like the facts, and just the facts... with a little sprinkling of personality! Reply #21. Mar 10 13, 4:37 PM |
Lpez
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Wow, all of these suggestions are wonderful. Thank you all for taking the time to write them! Reply #22. Mar 10 13, 5:00 PM |
salami_swami 
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I've always thought we were to shun opinions completely, and I do my best to avoid them. But after reading through this, I see it is encouraged, if done correctly. I really appreciate this thread. I have so many ideas flowing that would add flair to my existing quizzes. Now I need to redirect that juice to work towards the quizzes I actually need to write. ;) Reply #23. Mar 10 13, 10:49 PM |
LadyCaitriona
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That's exactly right, salami_swami. Personal opinions and anectdotes, if included, should complement the factual information in your question. To reply to what some other editors have said regarding questions that have poor information available being poor questions to ask: generally this is true, but there are unconventional topics where this just doesn't apply. When I made my original statement (providing information on the general topic level) I was thinking in terms of quizzes on the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, for example, or in addition to explaining correct answers in word games. Certainly for most topics, especially in Movies, TV and the like, a dearth of information is a good indicator of an uninteresting question. Reply #24. Mar 11 13, 5:46 AM |
| salami_swami
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Haha, one can only say so much about "it" in a drop-a-letter quiz without sounding terribly boring! ;) Reply #25. Mar 11 13, 8:34 AM |
spanishliz
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I'm Spanishliz, and I've been editing in Movies since 2002, Geography for a number of years and Brain Teasers for a few months now. Along the way I have also edited in General and Sports. I'd like to address interesting info sections for Brain Teasers, a fairly recent requirement and thus one that even seasoned authors might find problematic. Many Brain Teaser questions benefit from an explanation of how to achieve the answer in the info section. How does that cryptic clue work? Where in the sentence is the hidden word hiding? Not only will players be less likely to send a correction note if the answer is clearly explained, they'll have a bit of info for the next time they play a quiz of that nature. Quizzes like Drop a Letter, Fractured Words and some others tend to be self-explanatory, so the info here can be an interesting factoid about the answer. Something more than a bland definition of a word is what I try to encourage, and if you can add a bit of humour, even better. Even if you have explained the answer, an interesting fact is also welcome. Reply #26. Mar 11 13, 10:10 AM |
agony
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LadyCaitriona brings up a good point - what to do when the subject of the quiz is such that it's not the fault of your question, but there really ISN'T much to say? My first thought is that this kind of quiz is not a good choice for a new author, as it requires some skill, and some experience in writing quizzes. Very often new authors will try an "Anatomy of a Song" type quiz - a quiz based on just one song - and it usually doesn't work out that well. For a quiz on a variety of songs, there are a variety of places to look for interesting info. What was the video like? Who wrote the song? How did it do on the charts? Has it been covered by other artists? Has it won any awards? Has it been used in any soundtracks? Is there something interesting about it musically? An author ferreting around trying to answer those questions is going to come up with something interesting to say about the song. But, few songs have ten interesting facts, enough to fill out a whole quiz. The author will have to use some imagination and ingenuity. Question selection again becomes important. There's not much to say about the lyric "I will always love you" but for "Busted flat in Baton Rouge", well, you can always talk about Baton Rouge. Reply #27. Mar 11 13, 7:36 PM |
kyleisalive
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We'll see about that... http://www.funtrivia.com/quizchallenges.cfm Reply #28. Mar 11 13, 7:48 PM |
rossian
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There are some really useful ideas in this thread, which I shall re-read and try to make use of once I have time to return to writing. Thanks, editors, for taking time to do this - some of the suggestions have made me want to revisit some of my early quizzes. If only I could. Reply #29. Mar 12 13, 2:16 AM |
Gamemaster1967
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TV Editor for 10 years- The other TV editors have made some posts already, and the four us are pretty close to how we edit. I just wanted to add that in addition to the three TV rules we enforce for info sections, there is one guideline I do not push too hard on. In a quiz, I personally do NOT require the II sections follow up the question and its answer, as long as it stays in line with the quiz's topic. I allow IIs to contain factual info about the TV show or its stars in general. Reply #30. Mar 12 13, 5:14 PM |
| Gamemaster1967
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On single questions, though, I may not be as lenient on what I stated above. Reply #31. Mar 12 13, 5:18 PM |
pollucci19
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First of all, my sincere thanks to the editors and other contributors here. Even though I’ve gotten over a hundred quizzes on line my writing continues to evolve and I am constantly looking to see how our editors/other writers think and go about the process so that I can apply that to my own work. If I may, I’d like to indulge myself by putting forward some of my thoughts from a writer’s perspective. When I first started writing I saw the II as an “add-on”, something that had to be done. In many respects my attitude was “we don’t need no stinkin’ II, the question is the hero here”. It wasn’t long before it dawned on me that the question/answer and II were all part of a whole experience. That each is equally important, though sometimes the question was the star attraction and on other occasions it was the II. The II adds dimension to your question. Think of the question on its own as 2D and the II makes it 3D. It is in the II that you, as the writer, get the opportunity to inform, educate, provoke thought, opinion, laughter and a range of other emotions and processes. When putting together the II I have never sat down to re-create the wheel. In compiling it’s usually a case of using the Joe Friday line … “just the facts mam”. In saying that I look to present these facts from a new perspective, try to find some hidden gem that hasn’t been put forward before and try to instil my personality into it. I was interested to note that the editors are not averse to me installing my opinion or life experience into here though I daresay I will do so on a limited basis and then, only if it will add value to the II. One of the earlier comments here was that if the II is not interesting to you there’s a good chance it won’t be interesting to others is very valid. To add to this, if you do not find the subject matter very interesting it will be difficult for you to install enthusiasm into your writing and this will reflect back to the reader. In times like this, rather than just churn the quiz out, I tend to sleep on it or step away from it and ponder on it for a time before working on it again. I try to avoid creating my II in some sort of formula. There is nothing as dull as reading through a music quiz where the II to each question comes across as … “This Song” was released in 19xx and appeared on “This Album”. The song was written by this bloke and/or that bloke and got as high as number xx on Billboard’s Hot 100”. That’s cold, dispassionate, lacking in enthusiasm and it certainly won’t engage me as the reader. One of the mistakes I made early in the piece was to repeat the answer as the first line of the II. I struggled with eradicating this as it represented the start of my creative process and by consciously trying not to write it took me away or outside of the writing process. I chose not to change this when writing. I allowed myself to get lost in the writing, spew it all out on the page and, once it was done, step back from the writing and become the editor of my own work. It’s at this point that I could take it out of the equation. I hope that this is useful to you all. Reply #32. Mar 12 13, 11:46 PM |
guitargoddess
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Just a further little comment on the putting your opinion in the info. Things like "This is one of my favourite movies and I found this scene particularly hilarious" is a-ok but if your inserted opinions are inflammatory or disparaging, you may find them being removed in the editing process (or the quiz sent back to you to remove them). Reply #33. Mar 13 13, 7:04 AM |
JanIQ
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I try and have fun writing quizzes on two or more totally different subjects (for instance history told in operas), and giving some info from both points of view. Let's use one of my questions as an example: I have asked something about Verdi's opera "The Sicilian Vespers" and tell something about Verdi's career as well as the historic incident known as the Sicilian Vespers. Reply #34. Mar 13 13, 11:53 AM |
| LadyCaitriona
|
It's pretty amazing the gems you can come up with while researching a topic you know little about. For one of my questions in a quiz I was researching a city in Austria, and I came across a bit of local folklore about a man who had allegedly tickled several people to death. Reply #35. Mar 14 13, 10:54 AM |
| pollucci19
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hee hee hee Reply #36. Mar 15 13, 4:46 PM |
ertrum
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I agree with Pollucci19 that information sections that are an endless stream of nothing but song, album, artist, chart position are dull. And there are lots of different ways of getting the same information across. But, when I'm editing a music quiz about lots of different songs, the "What's in my Ipod" sort of quiz, I like to have the writer include all of those duller facts - song title, artist, and album - as part of the information. I'm thinking of the player who comes across the lyric in the question and remembers the song a little and wants to track it down. Of course, if the quiz is an anatomy of a song quiz, or about a single artist's album, that information isn't needed. Reply #37. Apr 24 13, 8:52 PM |
Cuish
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Depending on the subject and if the question requires it, my preference for interesting information is two or three paragraphs, four at the most. If it’s something like, for example, American government (since that’s what I’m largely familiar with) I like to see at least one paragraph that explains the background info to the question and one conclusive paragraph where the author sums up his or her points and satisfactorily answer the question at hand. That way, if a player doesn’t feel like reading through the first couple of paragraphs, they can read the final one that answers the question. Of course, as I said, not every subject would require two or three paragraphs but I like my I.I. to be nicely informative. Just my two cents. Reply #38. Apr 26 13, 3:28 PM |
MyGirl2000
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Good comments. Interesting info should be interesting! Reply #39. Jun 13 13, 2:45 AM |
Kristie123-
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okay ladyc thank you Reply #40. Jan 28 14, 11:41 AM |
55 replies. On page 2 of 3 pages. 1 2 3
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