Subject: The Quiz and Crossword Contracts
Posted by: WesleyCrusher
Date: May 01 19
Sometimes a throwaway joke can inspire an idea. When explaining to a newer author how to best deal with challenge requirements in the edit process I mentioned, jokingly, that they had only become an issue since we had tasks like "Write a Fill the Blank quiz in a subcategory of Sci/Tech that you have exactly one quiz ranked worse than 50,000 in, featuring the name of a deceased actor from Bhutan in the title, using all 26 letters in the alphabet in each question and writing the info in limerick form". Then, about 20 minutes later, I was struck by the realization that, if this task were posted in the Lounge, someone would probably actually do it, sooner or later.
And that means we can make a game out of it, right?
So let's get creative - both in setting tasks and in solving them. Here are the current ten tasks:
Contract #356 - 17 points: Using an Author's Challenge title as inspiration, construct a fully symmetric crossword of any size. At least 80% of all answers must relate to the title somehow. No two-letter words, airport or country codes please. (by Leith90)
Contract #358 - 15 points: Give us a "scrapbook" of a trip you've been on by writing a quiz, with photographs, under World's Roadside Attractions subcategory. (by Stephgm67)
Contract #359 - 14 points: Pick a number, any number. Include this number in a crossword title, with the same amount of characters (e.g. "U2" or "Seven Up", but not "Deep Six" or "3D"). Make as many answers as feasible this same length. It does NOT have to be about the number. (by Salami_Swami)
Contract #361 - 12 points: Write a quiz on any extinct animal or animals. It should fit in either Endangered and Extinct, Paleontology, or Dinosaurs. (by Etymonlego)
Contract #366 - 7 points: Write a quiz of "Yelp reviews" of famous historical events, buildings, or inventions as if you were there but writing it as a modern-day influencer. (by Stephgm67)
Contract #367 - 6 points: Create a Whodunnit style quiz to go into any category except General. (by Pollucci19)
Contract #368 - 5 points: Choose a Hot Topic from the selections. In that selection grouping, pick from Geography, History, World, Sports, or Sci/Tech. Make it be a Photo, a Match, or a Photo Match format. (by Stephgm67)
Contract #370 - 3 points: Write a quiz about a memorable season/series/tournament from the perspective of your favorite sports team. (by Etymonlego)
Contract #371 - 2 points: Write a quiz in a category from the "Old Is New" list. It cannot be Movies or Music and it must use photos either as a Photo, Photo Match, or Label Quiz. (by Stephgm67)
Contract #372 - 1 point: Write a quiz in any of your three most popular categories (per your Author Profile). The title should include at least one word (it can be a name, interjection, title, etc.) that returns no results in the site's search. (by Etymonlego)
Once you have picked a task and written, please submit it with the entire contract stipulation (including the number) in the note to the editor.
Wait for the quiz to go online, then report it here to claim the contract. If it's good, you'll receive the task's point value for the leaderboard AND you get to set up a new contract, entirely of your choosing. Come up with an evilly convoluted challenge, set up an easy one in the hopes of it being snatched quickly or just use the opportunity to make someone write a quiz about THAT ONE topic you always wanted to play but never got the chance as all nineteen online entries about it are yours... anything goes as long as it is possible. ("Write a match quiz in which every answer is a pangram" would not work - answers that long would not be accepted in the format). You must provide a new contract stipulation in the same post as your claim or the claim is invalid.
Every time a new contract goes up, all others increase in value by one point. Thus, there will always be ten options and after the starting phase in which scores are a bit on the low side, there will be always be a task (the oldest one) worth at least 10, and possibly considerably more if no one has taken it for a while. Thus, the longer a contract sits there (and thus the harder it presumably is to fill), the more lucrative it will become. And at some point, even writing that Sci/Tech quiz named after a dead Bhutanese actor will sound like a really enticing proposition...
You can finish any unfinished quizzes/crosswords to fill a contract, no need to make a new template, as long as the template was never submitted by the time the contract went up. You can't claim your own contracts of course, although authors whose contracts go all too high in value are encouraged to prove that it CAN be done.
There is no reserving in this game - you need to be the first to claim a contract, by actually fulfilling it with a quiz that meets the requirement. There's also no double-dipping - if you submit a quiz, you fill one and only one contract with it (if it qualifies for more than one, you must indicate which one you want - it'll probably be the higher score).
Yes this counts for Pangalactic and while it is probably not the best idea to advertise what you are working on (someone else might feel encouraged to steal it from under your nose), bluffing and other tactics are perfectly legit in this game. The only thing we don't want to see is collusion - so don't post a contract specifically tailored to your best buddy.
As some authors may wish to request clarifications for a contract by personal message (to not immediately alert anyone to the fact they're working on), we ask that anyone who answers such a clarification request post the answer to the thread as well while preserving anonymity, so that everyone is on the same page regarding a specific task.
Also, importantly, please remember the editors are under no obligation to check your entry for compliance with the task. You will find that most are willing to send it back for fixes if they find an obvious, easily fixed, mismatch, but there are no guarantees. If your entry only almost qualifies and goes online, well, you have a good quiz online and a second opportunity to work on the contract, possibly even for a higher score.
And now have fun!
LEADERBOARD
bernie73 - 761 points
1nn1 - 471 points
RedHook13 - 257 points
leith90 - 256 points
Kankurette - 205 points
psnz - 185 points
reedy - 167 points
ramonesrule - 140 points
LadyNym - 130 points
Etymonlego - 103 points
zorba_scank - 78 points
Kyleisalive - 77 points
windrush - 68 points
Stephgm67 - 62 points
Pollucci19 - 57 points
Ilona_Ritter - 51 points
rossian - 48 points
Lpez - 43 points
AcrylicInk - 38 points
fifiona81 - 35 points
Gracious1 - 34 points
VegemiteKid - 34 points
spanishliz - 33 points
WesleyCrusher - 26 points
CmdrK - 25 points
Saleo - 23 point
moonraker2 - 22 points
Rowena8482 - 21 points
Apathy100 - 20 points
BigTriviaDawg - 20 points
VBookWorm - 16 points
Salami_Swami - 10 points
Sam388 - 9 points
Angikar - 4 points
Godwit - 4 points
Lottie1001 - 3 points
Ceetee - 1 point
COMPLETED CONTRACTS
(For earlier contracts, please click here.)
Contract #351 - 9 points: Write a quiz called "The History Of" ...any physical object, as specific or broad as you like. It can't be a food and the quiz can't go in the General category. - Bernie73
Contract #352 - 20 points: Write a ten question quiz where each of the questions addresses a different category (e.g. Animal, Hobbies, History) as it all correlates to your favorite holiday. - Etymonlego
Contract #353 - 2 points: Write a quiz (any format) or crossword of 10 or more questions, where the questions are written as either letters, telegrams, or text messages. - Stephgm67
Contract #354 - 13 points: Create a medium or large fully symmetrical crossword. At least 17 words (medium grid) or 20 words (large grid) must contain consecutive double letters (ie: ‘EE’ ‘BB’ etc). Each pairing can only be used once. No two-letter words, Roman numerals or IAT codes please. - Pollucci19
Contract #355 - 15 points: Use your favorite sports team as an inspiration for the quiz. Just make sure it's not in the Sports category! - Etymonlego
Contract #357 - 7 points: Use dice or pieces of paper or a random # generator. Randomly get 3 #'s between 1 and 20. Then write a quiz in that area. (For example if I got 5-4-10...it would be 5th category=For Children. 4th subcategory=Harry Potter 10th subcategory under that is Harry Potter & Mythology). If your "roll" is greater than there are options, then take the closest number. So if you roll 12 but there's only 11 subcategories, take 11. - Reedy
Contract #360 - 3 points: Write a matching or photo-matching quiz with more than 10 questions. - Lottie1001
Contract #362 - 7 points: Write a Collection type quiz in either the Entertainment or Celebrities category. - Reedy
Contract #363 - 5 points: Create a quiz where every question is a pangram. - Stephgm67
Contract #364 - 1 point: Adopt a quiz and alter it from a regular quiz to a photo quiz. - LadyNym
Contract #365 - 1 point: Write a quiz whose title is the title of your favourite novel or short story. The quiz should not be about the book or story itself, nor about any adaptation of it. - Stephgm67
Contract #369 - 2 points: Write a quiz in whichever category you have the least number of quizzes written. Use one of the newest formats (order, label, classify, fun fill-it, collection, or mystery), and choose an Author's Challenge title. - Stephgm67
Posted by: WesleyCrusher
Date: May 01 19
Sometimes a throwaway joke can inspire an idea. When explaining to a newer author how to best deal with challenge requirements in the edit process I mentioned, jokingly, that they had only become an issue since we had tasks like "Write a Fill the Blank quiz in a subcategory of Sci/Tech that you have exactly one quiz ranked worse than 50,000 in, featuring the name of a deceased actor from Bhutan in the title, using all 26 letters in the alphabet in each question and writing the info in limerick form". Then, about 20 minutes later, I was struck by the realization that, if this task were posted in the Lounge, someone would probably actually do it, sooner or later.
And that means we can make a game out of it, right?
So let's get creative - both in setting tasks and in solving them. Here are the current ten tasks:
Contract #356 - 17 points: Using an Author's Challenge title as inspiration, construct a fully symmetric crossword of any size. At least 80% of all answers must relate to the title somehow. No two-letter words, airport or country codes please. (by Leith90)
Contract #358 - 15 points: Give us a "scrapbook" of a trip you've been on by writing a quiz, with photographs, under World's Roadside Attractions subcategory. (by Stephgm67)
Contract #359 - 14 points: Pick a number, any number. Include this number in a crossword title, with the same amount of characters (e.g. "U2" or "Seven Up", but not "Deep Six" or "3D"). Make as many answers as feasible this same length. It does NOT have to be about the number. (by Salami_Swami)
Contract #361 - 12 points: Write a quiz on any extinct animal or animals. It should fit in either Endangered and Extinct, Paleontology, or Dinosaurs. (by Etymonlego)
Contract #366 - 7 points: Write a quiz of "Yelp reviews" of famous historical events, buildings, or inventions as if you were there but writing it as a modern-day influencer. (by Stephgm67)
Contract #367 - 6 points: Create a Whodunnit style quiz to go into any category except General. (by Pollucci19)
Contract #368 - 5 points: Choose a Hot Topic from the selections. In that selection grouping, pick from Geography, History, World, Sports, or Sci/Tech. Make it be a Photo, a Match, or a Photo Match format. (by Stephgm67)
Contract #370 - 3 points: Write a quiz about a memorable season/series/tournament from the perspective of your favorite sports team. (by Etymonlego)
Contract #371 - 2 points: Write a quiz in a category from the "Old Is New" list. It cannot be Movies or Music and it must use photos either as a Photo, Photo Match, or Label Quiz. (by Stephgm67)
Contract #372 - 1 point: Write a quiz in any of your three most popular categories (per your Author Profile). The title should include at least one word (it can be a name, interjection, title, etc.) that returns no results in the site's search. (by Etymonlego)
Once you have picked a task and written, please submit it with the entire contract stipulation (including the number) in the note to the editor.
Wait for the quiz to go online, then report it here to claim the contract. If it's good, you'll receive the task's point value for the leaderboard AND you get to set up a new contract, entirely of your choosing. Come up with an evilly convoluted challenge, set up an easy one in the hopes of it being snatched quickly or just use the opportunity to make someone write a quiz about THAT ONE topic you always wanted to play but never got the chance as all nineteen online entries about it are yours... anything goes as long as it is possible. ("Write a match quiz in which every answer is a pangram" would not work - answers that long would not be accepted in the format). You must provide a new contract stipulation in the same post as your claim or the claim is invalid.
Every time a new contract goes up, all others increase in value by one point. Thus, there will always be ten options and after the starting phase in which scores are a bit on the low side, there will be always be a task (the oldest one) worth at least 10, and possibly considerably more if no one has taken it for a while. Thus, the longer a contract sits there (and thus the harder it presumably is to fill), the more lucrative it will become. And at some point, even writing that Sci/Tech quiz named after a dead Bhutanese actor will sound like a really enticing proposition...
You can finish any unfinished quizzes/crosswords to fill a contract, no need to make a new template, as long as the template was never submitted by the time the contract went up. You can't claim your own contracts of course, although authors whose contracts go all too high in value are encouraged to prove that it CAN be done.
There is no reserving in this game - you need to be the first to claim a contract, by actually fulfilling it with a quiz that meets the requirement. There's also no double-dipping - if you submit a quiz, you fill one and only one contract with it (if it qualifies for more than one, you must indicate which one you want - it'll probably be the higher score).
Yes this counts for Pangalactic and while it is probably not the best idea to advertise what you are working on (someone else might feel encouraged to steal it from under your nose), bluffing and other tactics are perfectly legit in this game. The only thing we don't want to see is collusion - so don't post a contract specifically tailored to your best buddy.
As some authors may wish to request clarifications for a contract by personal message (to not immediately alert anyone to the fact they're working on), we ask that anyone who answers such a clarification request post the answer to the thread as well while preserving anonymity, so that everyone is on the same page regarding a specific task.
Also, importantly, please remember the editors are under no obligation to check your entry for compliance with the task. You will find that most are willing to send it back for fixes if they find an obvious, easily fixed, mismatch, but there are no guarantees. If your entry only almost qualifies and goes online, well, you have a good quiz online and a second opportunity to work on the contract, possibly even for a higher score.
And now have fun!
LEADERBOARD
bernie73 - 761 points
1nn1 - 471 points
RedHook13 - 257 points
leith90 - 256 points
Kankurette - 205 points
psnz - 185 points
reedy - 167 points
ramonesrule - 140 points
LadyNym - 130 points
Etymonlego - 103 points
zorba_scank - 78 points
Kyleisalive - 77 points
windrush - 68 points
Stephgm67 - 62 points
Pollucci19 - 57 points
Ilona_Ritter - 51 points
rossian - 48 points
Lpez - 43 points
AcrylicInk - 38 points
fifiona81 - 35 points
Gracious1 - 34 points
VegemiteKid - 34 points
spanishliz - 33 points
WesleyCrusher - 26 points
CmdrK - 25 points
Saleo - 23 point
moonraker2 - 22 points
Rowena8482 - 21 points
Apathy100 - 20 points
BigTriviaDawg - 20 points
VBookWorm - 16 points
Salami_Swami - 10 points
Sam388 - 9 points
Angikar - 4 points
Godwit - 4 points
Lottie1001 - 3 points
Ceetee - 1 point
COMPLETED CONTRACTS
(For earlier contracts, please click here.)
Contract #351 - 9 points: Write a quiz called "The History Of" ...any physical object, as specific or broad as you like. It can't be a food and the quiz can't go in the General category. - Bernie73
Contract #352 - 20 points: Write a ten question quiz where each of the questions addresses a different category (e.g. Animal, Hobbies, History) as it all correlates to your favorite holiday. - Etymonlego
Contract #353 - 2 points: Write a quiz (any format) or crossword of 10 or more questions, where the questions are written as either letters, telegrams, or text messages. - Stephgm67
Contract #354 - 13 points: Create a medium or large fully symmetrical crossword. At least 17 words (medium grid) or 20 words (large grid) must contain consecutive double letters (ie: ‘EE’ ‘BB’ etc). Each pairing can only be used once. No two-letter words, Roman numerals or IAT codes please. - Pollucci19
Contract #355 - 15 points: Use your favorite sports team as an inspiration for the quiz. Just make sure it's not in the Sports category! - Etymonlego
Contract #357 - 7 points: Use dice or pieces of paper or a random # generator. Randomly get 3 #'s between 1 and 20. Then write a quiz in that area. (For example if I got 5-4-10...it would be 5th category=For Children. 4th subcategory=Harry Potter 10th subcategory under that is Harry Potter & Mythology). If your "roll" is greater than there are options, then take the closest number. So if you roll 12 but there's only 11 subcategories, take 11. - Reedy
Contract #360 - 3 points: Write a matching or photo-matching quiz with more than 10 questions. - Lottie1001
Contract #362 - 7 points: Write a Collection type quiz in either the Entertainment or Celebrities category. - Reedy
Contract #363 - 5 points: Create a quiz where every question is a pangram. - Stephgm67
Contract #364 - 1 point: Adopt a quiz and alter it from a regular quiz to a photo quiz. - LadyNym
Contract #365 - 1 point: Write a quiz whose title is the title of your favourite novel or short story. The quiz should not be about the book or story itself, nor about any adaptation of it. - Stephgm67
Contract #369 - 2 points: Write a quiz in whichever category you have the least number of quizzes written. Use one of the newest formats (order, label, classify, fun fill-it, collection, or mystery), and choose an Author's Challenge title. - Stephgm67
915 replies. On page 1 of 46 pages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46
WesleyCrusher
|
In case anyone immediately wants to snag #10 in the two and a half hours left today, today's topic is Ohio (Geography). http://www.funtrivia.com/ql.cfm?cat=3941 Reply #1. May 01 19, 3:32 AM |
angikar
|
I still didn't figure out all the rules, but let's start working rightaway! Reply #2. May 01 19, 3:32 AM |
zorba_scank 
|
So I was right to call out the Evil Twin on the dead Bhutanese actor. ;) Reply #3. May 01 19, 4:30 AM |
| WesleyCrusher
|
More like calling out to all evil twins of the world :) Reply #4. May 01 19, 4:51 AM |
leith90
|
Can we double-dip? Reply #5. May 01 19, 6:04 AM |
| WesleyCrusher
|
You can double, triple or sept-and-half-tuple with other challenges, but not two contracts at a time (since that would deplete the list - you'd remove 2 and add only one). You decide at claim time which one you want if your entry qualifies on more than one - typically you'll want the higher valued one, unless of course you have a second one waiting for the higher :) Having a second claim option might be handy especially if you've just been spending the better part of a month to craft a 73-point masterpiece only to have it claimed by someone else an hour before you. You can at least then grab a few consolation points. Reply #6. May 01 19, 6:34 AM |
| angikar
|
Re Wes: I hope the challenge will go onn and on n. Plus, the Book Club can help if you want to tackle no. 7 here Reply #7. May 01 19, 8:09 AM |
| WesleyCrusher
|
It's meant as a permanent addition, running for as long as people complete and post contracts. It'll take a while before someone can get a 50-pointer :) Reply #8. May 01 19, 8:50 AM |
moonraker2
|
I've submitted a crossword in line with Contract #3, so will now await publication and see whether or not it's 'gazumped!' ;) Reply #9. May 01 19, 1:40 PM |
kyleisalive
|
When Wes contacted me about this challenge last week, I knew it would be refreshing to see. Really excited to dive in. Reply #10. May 01 19, 1:47 PM |
tiffanyram
|
I think it’s a great idea! I’m also glad it includes crosswords. I have only made a few, but there are some people on my team who love creating them and are great at it. It’s good to see them have more opportunities to participate in the Lounge! Speaking of crosswords, if we complete a contract for a quiz, does it have to be replaced with another one for a quiz? Or could we make it a crossword? Reply #11. May 01 19, 2:12 PM |
| WesleyCrusher
|
You are free to contract for a quiz, a crossword or even create an "either/or" task. It could even be something like "create a quiz list featuring five [criteria] quizzes you have written of which at least two must be new". As long as we can verify the online status and content from a link, it will work. (Sorry, single question fans) Also, the submission must be verifiable at the moment it goes online. "Write a Sci/Tech ranking among the top 5000" does not work as it would involve the wait for a ranking. "Write a 'name this dish' style food quiz that goes online with an editor's choice award" would theoretically be legit - but it might take a few decades to complete :) Reply #12. May 01 19, 3:10 PM |
| kyleisalive
|
Besides, some of us have already done that. ;) Reply #13. May 01 19, 3:48 PM |
| leith90
|
I had a choice between going for the 3 or the 4, so I've gone for the 4. Reply #14. May 01 19, 3:51 PM |
gracious1
|
I will try Contract #1. I have some old pix that are suitable. Reply #15. May 01 19, 9:04 PM |
| leith90
|
1 point: Write a quiz in the same subcategory as the last listed duel of the day and have it submitted no later than 6am that day Do you mean the following day? Or 6 hours after it changes at midnight? Reply #16. May 02 19, 12:29 AM |
pollucci19
|
I thought hte whole point was not to advertise what you're doing... so that someone doesn't gazump your effort Reply #17. May 02 19, 1:42 AM |
| WesleyCrusher
|
You need to have it on the same day, within the first six hours. It's a speed-writing challenge. (Yes, this favors certain time zones.) Reply #18. May 02 19, 1:46 AM |
| leith90
|
I claim contract 4! http://www.funtrivia.com/crossword/play.cfm?gid=6382 Reply #19. May 02 19, 1:57 AM |
| WesleyCrusher
|
Psst, there is something missing in your claim post :) Reply #20. May 02 19, 3:09 AM |
915 replies. On page 1 of 46 pages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46
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