Question writing: the rules that separate good from forgettable

1. One fact per question

"Which actor won an Oscar in 2019 for a film directed by Bong Joon-ho?" is two questions. "Which film won Best Picture in 2019?" is one. Pick a single fact and ask about it cleanly.

2. Avoid the words "famous" and "well-known"

Anyone writing "the famous X" is signalling they don't trust the question. Either it's recognisable or it isn't — let the question stand on its own.

3. Test your dates

If your question depends on a year, double-check it on two sources. "In which year did X happen" questions are a pub quiz minefield because Wikipedia and IMDB sometimes disagree.

4. Difficulty curve per round

Within a 10-question round, mix easy → medium → hard. Don't put all five hard questions at the start; you'll lose the room. End on something solvable so teams feel good.

5. Read every question aloud before quiz night

Some questions read fine but sound terrible. "In which Asian country is the city of Mumbai" reads OK but reads better as "What country is Mumbai in?". Read aloud, edit ruthlessly.