...to quote the great Mott The Hoople

(Question One : who was lead singer with MTH, was it
Eric Clapton
Ian Hunter
Ronnie Lane
Rolf Harris)

((Answers on a postcard please...))

No, but seriously, I have been researching a quiz and have come up with (I believe) about 25 valid questions.
They are all, if you like, individual links on a big chain.
Would it be better to try for one big 20-question quiz, or divide it into two 10-question quizzes?

(((PS: Can I claim copyright on that MTH question??)))

Two 10-q quizzes would almost certainly be better. The only time I've ever gone the 20-q route was when I was doing an "Around Quizzland" quiz. For funtrivia.com, shorter is better.

I've found that 25 question quizzes aren't rated as highly as when the same quiz is broken up into two quizzes.

I have a series of quizzes in the kids category, which I have named Part One, Part Two, and Part Three, - no doubt Part Four will be written soon.

So to answer your question, yes - if a subject is capable of generating dozens or even hundreds of questions, then spilt it into multiple 10 question quizzes

As an editor, I tend to veer quiz authors away from 20 or 25 question quizzes. The reason for this, especially if the quiz author is still new and inexperienced, it makes editing extremely difficult.

Also, as LadyMacb29 stated, quizzes longer than 15 questions tend to be rated poorly by quiz players.

However, there are some very nice well-written 20 and 25 question quizzes online here, but those are from experienced quiz authors. After having written several 10 question quizzes, some authors moved onto more complicated quizzes (which demanded a 20 or 25 question quiz template).

I feel that if a quiz author wants to create a 20 or 25 question quiz, that he or she should contact one of the editors in the category in which you would like to create your quiz and confer with them to see if your lengthy quiz would work for that specific category/subcategory.

It never hurts to consult with an editor first. In fact it in some cases it is best to do so, as the editor or editors can usually give you a better idea as to what the exact issue is/may be with the length of your quiz.

On a very childish basis, two ten question quizzes rather than one twenty question quiz is one quiz more towards your Quiz Author badge!

I agree with that too. Even one or two of the editors I've clashed with in the past, when I play their quizzes or crosswords I'm reminded of just why they're editors. So even if I think I disagree, I listen. Because they DO know what they're talking about.

I think a twenty five question quiz is like an enormous novel. If you compare it to "Harry Potter", then, if those novels had been lumped into one or two instead of having them spaced out over the years, they might not have had the same impact.
I think the only 25 question quizzes I enjoy are Inquizition's work in word play. And even then, the intensity is such that I'd almost rather do it in two tens or two fifteens!
I have a 25 question quiz on the Beatles which I did early on at FT. As it's alphabetical, there was a reason for the 25 questions.
I think another of mine was my one hundreth quiz and I had 25 questions with four clues each.
I think they're both way too long!


Bruyere, funtrivia ed.

That's my mind made up...a 50-question quiz it is.

Only joking...I'll break it up.

As for "purely childish reasons", I'm reminded that a mate of mine used to say "man entered this world as a child and often leaves as a child. If in between times he acts like a child, that's only to be expected.."


No doubt some super-duper person will find that this is a pithy remark attributed to a very famous person.

If one does, I won't be offended if he or she uses it in a quiz before I have a chance to.

I frankly don't understand this "campaign" against quiz formats other than the 10-question standard (I'm referring also to the thread "Creating Quizzes").
Your strict refusal and your negative comments strike me as a bit unfair towards all the authors who invested much time and energy in creating high-quality 20-question or 25-question quizzes.

Most Funtrivia members spend hours and hours DAILY playing Knockout, Global, Monster, Hourlies, Regional, Obscure, Private tournaments etc.  Can it really be that the effort required to answer more than 10 questions in a row is so overwhelming for them that they need a break of some weeks in the middle? Sorry, but I hardly believe it.

Personally, I like the 20-question format very much, and I'm sure many other players do, too. Such "special" quizzes can only add to the prestige and to the great variety of "Funtrivia", and should not be discouraged as they are now, in my opinion.

It goes without saying that they absolutely require an appropriate topic and an experienced author.

When I only have little time, I enjoy a good sandwich or a one-dish meal, but when I have the opportunity and I am in the right mood, I love a full-course candlelight dinner. In such an occasion, I'd certainly hate to have to wait a couple of weeks to get the dessert and the cheese :-) 
Quizzes are the same, I believe.
If players take a quiz when they have enough leisure time, and like the subject, they won't be bored or scared by a more extensive quiz. Quite the opposite!
If they are not familiar with the topic, they will be intelligent enough to understand that a 20- or 25-question quiz will include more than the basics, and will refrain from playing it.
If, finally, they only take a quiz to accumulate points and know little or nothing of the topic, the result will be the same if they play a longer quiz in a row, or part I one day and part II a few weeks later.

I don't think the 20-question format has ever been a disadvantage for my quizzes. All of them have gotten good ratings and very flattering compliments from players as well as from editors. One of them was even ranked no. 1 for several months.
Judging from your statements, though, it seems now that I've been wrong to think that people enjoyed them. LOL

Stu, I still remember the enthusiastic compliment you kindly sent me on one of my 20-question quizzes. Now, after reading your posts, I dare not think what might have happened if I had chosen the 10-question format: would you have proposed? :-)

On a more serious note, I truly wish that you, and other competent authors, would consider writing more exhaustive quizzes once in a while, and spare me the disagreeable "quizzus interruptus" feeling I sometimes have when I play a good quiz.

Ciao :-)
Mirella

I'm in agreement with JTJ. She's been an editor a good majority of the time I've been a member (7 yrs in February), and she's right that authors will create a lengthy quiz, and asked to reduce the number of questions. The editing staff has a very low turnover rate, and know the logistics of quizmaking pretty well, hence the reason they are in the position they are in.

Some quizzes, I'm sure, do work well in a 20q format, and Stu gave a great example, by doing one question in each of the 20 categories. Inquizition is a great example of who can make a good quality 20/25q quiz, and out of all the authors for all of the quizzes, I can't come up with too many others outside the editing staff...past or present.

Finishing a well written 25 Q feels like an accomplishment - finishing a poorly written one feels like slogging through knee deep sludge "When will this be over....".

I agree with Agony, there have been several quizzes that I just quit rather than finish trudging through one more question.
In general, I'd much rather play 10 or 15 question quizzes--I'd rather spend my limited time discovering several new and interesting topics than delving so deeply into one. If I want to know more, I'll take more quizzes on the same subject.
There are, of course, always exceptions. Some people can make,well, sludge interesting.

Please don't give him those sort of ideas - I log in a period of time from now and there it is "Sludge in 19th History and Literature"!

That's a good one Jonno - or how about ...

"Sludgery and Drudgery in 17th Century Europe" hehehehe

You people really want this to happen, don't you?

Aw, go ahead Stu, I think you've been challenged!

He doesn't need encouragement Beth - I'll bet he is writing it this very minute........

All 17 volumes! heheheh (in nice 10 question quizzes of course)

Mate, the last time I was challenged, the world got a quiz on ghosts making phone calls. Sludge is nothing after that.

Nice one Stu! roflmao

Wow! Look what I started!!!

I've nothing more to say, I'm just posting this to get of the very unlucky Nelson Score (That's 111 for those of you who don't speak cricket)

That gives me an idea for a quiz: "the life and career of Brian Lara ...in 400 questions"