How to Improve as a Question Writer?

Dormant threads from the high school sections are preserved here.
Locked
jesposito
Lulu
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2017 9:38 pm

How to Improve as a Question Writer?

Post by jesposito »

Hi friends, I'm an aspiring question writer and my questions are probably terrible. However, not being in a especially active Quiz Bowl community, I don't really have anyone to give me advice on my questions. Can anyone point me in the right direction to get some good feedback on my questions, and possibly other resources to help me improve? Thanks!
Joe Esposito
Aurora, Ohio, 2019
Ohio State University, 2023
User avatar
UlyssesInvictus
Yuna
Posts: 845
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2011 7:38 pm

Re: How to Improve as a Question Writer?

Post by UlyssesInvictus »

A happy welcome to the forums!

- Write lots of questions, and read lots of good ones.
- I'm sure people on the forums would love to give advice, if you're OK with them seeing your questions! (We even used to have a thread for this at some point, but it might have died.)
- The links here can help! (especially Jerry V.'s guide): https://www.quizdb.org/resources#question-writing
Raynor Kuang
quizdb.org
Harvard 2017, TJHSST 2013
I wrote GRAPHIC and FILM
jesposito
Lulu
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2017 9:38 pm

Re: How to Improve as a Question Writer?

Post by jesposito »

UlyssesInvictus wrote: - I'm sure people on the forums would love to give advice, if you're OK with them seeing your questions! (We even used to have a thread for this at some point, but it might have died.)
I would definitely be willing to give my questions to others to read! I saw that thread you're talking about, but I it said it was discontinued, so I didn't know if people were still interested in doing this. Thanks for the other advice as well, I'll be sure to read up! (Btw, I love quizdb.org, so good)
Joe Esposito
Aurora, Ohio, 2019
Ohio State University, 2023
User avatar
UlyssesInvictus
Yuna
Posts: 845
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2011 7:38 pm

Re: How to Improve as a Question Writer?

Post by UlyssesInvictus »

Well, I'd be personally happy to send you back a paragraph or two if you want to DM me a question or two.

Also feel free to be the change you want to see in the world by reviving that thread or starting a new one.
Raynor Kuang
quizdb.org
Harvard 2017, TJHSST 2013
I wrote GRAPHIC and FILM
User avatar
Skepticism and Animal Feed
Auron
Posts: 3238
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:47 pm
Location: Arlington, VA

Re: How to Improve as a Question Writer?

Post by Skepticism and Animal Feed »

People are always going to be able to find something about your questions to criticize. You'll know you're a good writer when the criticism becomes a bunch of subjective nit-picking about specific clues (e.g., "you mentioned the Battle of the Gates of Trajan before the Battle of Pliska, but in the AP Bulgarian History class I took in high school we focused much more on Gates of Trajan so I think that's more famous") instead of more fundamental stuff like "the pronouns you use are unclear" or "your clues are not uniquely identifying".
Bruce
Harvard '10 / UChicago '07 / Roycemore School '04
ACF Member emeritus
My guide to using Wikipedia as a question source
jesposito
Lulu
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2017 9:38 pm

Re: How to Improve as a Question Writer?

Post by jesposito »

UlyssesInvictus wrote:Well, I'd be personally happy to send you back a paragraph or two if you want to DM me a question or two.

Also feel free to be the change you want to see in the world by reviving that thread or starting a new one.
I do wish I could revive that thread, but I not sure if there's anyone would who use it. After all, that's probably why the first one stopped. And I dmed you some questions, thanks for helping out!
Skepticism and Animal Feed wrote:People are always going to be able to find something about your questions to criticize. You'll know you're a good writer when the criticism becomes a bunch of subjective nit-picking about specific clues (e.g., "you mentioned the Battle of the Gates of Trajan before the Battle of Pliska, but in the AP Bulgarian History class I took in high school we focused much more on Gates of Trajan so I think that's more famous") instead of more fundamental stuff like "the pronouns you use are unclear" or "your clues are not uniquely identifying".
Lol, being able to write competently about Bulgarian history, that's the dream. In all seriousness though, thanks for the advice, I do hope I can get to that level!
Joe Esposito
Aurora, Ohio, 2019
Ohio State University, 2023
User avatar
Irreligion in Bangladesh
Auron
Posts: 2123
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 1:18 am
Location: Winnebago, IL

Re: How to Improve as a Question Writer?

Post by Irreligion in Bangladesh »

I'll second Jerry's guide. I've also got some essays of varying use here, with more beginner essays on the way "soon."
Brad Fischer
Head Editor, IHSA State Series
IHSSBCA Chair

Winnebago HS ('06)
Northern Illinois University ('10)
Assistant Coach, IMSA (2010-12)
Coach, Keith Country Day School (2012-16)
alexdz
Rikku
Posts: 458
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:29 pm
Location: Conshohocken, PA

Re: How to Improve as a Question Writer?

Post by alexdz »

Additionally, don't be afraid to offer your question writing service to an organization or company. As an example, I run a company that works on middle school and elementary sets called SAGES, but I'm not the only one by far! To be fair, not everyone will be looking for new writers and not everyone will be able to use the kinds of questions you are looking to write. They'll also vary in how much feedback they're able to give you. But, at least it gives you an outlet to hone your skills and write with some focus and purpose in mind.
Alex Dzurick
====
Owner/Editor, SAGES Quizbowl Questions
Middle school teacher, Rohan Woods School
====
South Callaway '08 -- Mizzou '12 -- Illinois '17
SCMS coach '12-'13 -- EFIP coach '20-'21 -- RWS coach '22-present
User avatar
arthurnottheking
Kimahri
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 3:25 am

Topic

Post by arthurnottheking »

Re: How to improve as a question writer?

I found one more guide by Paul Lujan and Seth Teitler: Writing Good Quizbowl Questions: A Quick Primer: https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~quizbowl/qb-writing.html. And So You Want to Write a Question Set?: A Guide on the Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence official page. The first source is quite old, so I'm not sure I can completely reply upon it.
Arthur
University of New Orleans
Locked