Question Writing and Editing
Question Writing
- Write the question using only the paperbacks we purchase, so the page numbers are correct.
- Make sure the quotes are verbatim and the page numbers are correct.
- If you incorporate a quote into your question, please use quotation marks.
- Write questions in the proper format (as shown below). Question editors may return questions to question writers for corrections not in the proper format.
- Questions must be written so that the answer is always the title and author.
- Keep questions vague enough to not be too easy (no obvious nouns/names), but specific enough that they only apply to one book.
- Use concrete material from books. Don’t make assumptions from hints in the book.
- The teams are clever—don’t hold back when writing questions!
- Submit your questions through the form on the website.
Question Samples:
- Eating a whole orange by yourself was considered a luxury in which book? (The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, p. 104)
- This is a quote from which book: “Twice now you have refused to leave me behind, but now you must.” (Icefall by Matthew Kirby, p. 298)
- Name the book in which a character is described as looking like a “beggar evangelist.” (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, p. 337)
*Underlines indicate helpful phrases to ensure that the answer is always the title and author. Writers do not need to use underlines.
Question Editing
- Delete or rewrite inaccurate or overly specific/vague questions. (We still use the non-Regional Qs as practice questions, so rewrite/delete all questions that need it, not just the Regional ones.)
- Could this question apply to any other books? If so, make it more specific.
- Are there obvious clues in the question? If so, make it more vague.
- Is this question concrete, or is it an assumption based on hints in the book?
- Make sure the quotes and page numbers are correct.
- Fact check. Fix if possible, or delete if there’s no way of fixing it.
- Read the question aloud. Will the wording give an MC difficulty at the regional battle?
- Make sure the questions are clearly written and concise.
- Identify duplicate questions dealing with similar facts and save the best one; delete the rest.
- Type an “R” into the “Regional” column of the Excel document to note which questions should be used in the Regional Battle. These should be the tougher questions.
Timeline
- Questions must be submitted to the online form by May 1.
- The questions will be sent to question editors, who will email edited questions, separated into Practice/Local and Regional Questions, to Linda Deubert by June 8.
- Practice/Local Questions will be distributed to participating libraries by July 1.
Updated 2/2015