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Call for Submissions...

I'm worried that headline is a little misleading.  Budding trivia question writers will find more inside.

We're not really out of submissions.  We have the fine Decathalon coming up which should be great fun.  I, however, have a wonderful idea for a contest to follow it but I thought, rather than plumbing the depths of my mind (which can be fun) yet again, I should open it up.

What I'm looking for...

  • A large quantity of trivia questions (126 in all) that span a wide variety of topics (music, movies, geography, history, art, television, literature, language, sports, mathematics, science and many more).
  • These questions should be tricky and well-researched.  I would deisre each question to take an hour or two to solve (questions involving a flash of brilliance or lateral thinking are great, but need not be the norm).
  • These questions should have an answer that is a natural number from 25 through 100 (with a preference for numbers between 50 and 75).
  • I would like as many people as possible to contribute to this puzzle construction (the more the merrier and the less that any one person will have an advantage for the final answer).  I would probably take no more than 5 from any one person, and I will accept just one.

To submit:

Please send your proposed questions and answers to me at (jumbledpile -at- yahoo.com) or  use the "E-mail Me" link on the side.  I don't know how much preliminary editing I'll do.  I may ask your to obscure your answer further, if I feel it doesn't have enough steps or (less likely) simplify it because it has too many.  Please include your name as you would like it printed as an author.  The deadline for submission is February 26, 2005. 

I alone shall have the final say about what is in the contest and what is not and shall write the rules.   As the editor, I also retain any copyrights.  I hate that legal garbage, but welcome to the internets. 

I look forward to working with as many of you as possible!  I hope that a fun time will be had by all. Any questions can be e-mailled or posted here.

Thanks for your thoughts and have fun,

JM

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Comments

Hi JM. I have one that I whipped up and can send to you. Would you like me to include the answer with my submission, or would you rather test-solve it and have me send the answer (and explanation) separately?

Posted by: Stephen | Jan 6, 2005 1:43:56 AM

Stephen,

Is this a full-fledged puzzle or just one question? This is a call for question submissions for a March puzzle that I am putting together. If you have a full-blown contest, you should sen us an e-mail and resevre a spot in the queue (probably in May, when it'll be sunny as opposed to now.)

Posted by: JmSR | Jan 6, 2005 7:03:23 AM

Just one question, like you asked for.

Posted by: Stephen | Jan 6, 2005 11:43:15 AM

Then send it along with the answer. The Decathalon is starting soon (maybe by the end of next week) and I need to devote myself to that.

Posted by: JmSR | Jan 6, 2005 1:13:03 PM

OK, I got one sent in. You say just one each and you need 126 questions? Are there enough participants here to cover that? Sounds like a fun idea, and should make a contest where it's impossible to get a feel for the author's tactics, as there will be dozens of them!

Posted by: Bob Lodge | Jan 8, 2005 4:56:53 PM

Aaah.... JM is not so clear.

"I would probably take no more than 5 from any one person, and I will accept just one."

Said another way: If you submit more than 5 entries, I'll probably just pick the best ones. But feel free to send in only 1 if you want.

And looking at 126 questions, I might even raise the bar to as many as ten.

Posted by: JmSR | Jan 9, 2005 4:44:54 PM

Thanks for those questions that I've recived so far, but I do want to encourage eveyone to submit more.

Also, you should know that I'll accept simple questions as well. Interesting, deceptive and elegant need not be complicated.

Thanks to those who have submitted. Keep 'em coming!

Posted by: JmSR | Jan 12, 2005 7:49:01 AM

There has been some confusion as to what I'm looking for. First, every question I have received has been great, so if you've submitted you know what I'm look for!

Let me give you a good and bad example of a question for this puzzle.

Good: The combined age of the performers in a group that recorded the most popular cover of the first top 40 hit of The Isley Brothers when a song whose three-word title is an anagram of a word meaning "disparage" after you remove the only roman numeral in the group's name from it hit number one in the US.
[Note this an unusable question because the number is too big.]

Bad: How many President's were there before George W. Bush?

The latter is too factual and does have enough of a sneakiness to it, but the first is fine. And I promise, you won't have a significant leg up on anyone by submitting.

Posted by: JmSR | Jan 14, 2005 3:15:13 PM

I've been a bit busy lately, but I will come up with three or four to submit.

Posted by: Andrew | Jan 15, 2005 9:02:39 PM

Hey folks, just a reminder that I'm still looking for submissions while evryone busies themselves with this awesome contest.

In the can: 13
Still needed: 113

Remember they can be quick and quirky or difficult and devious but I'm looking questions from you!

Posted by: JmSR | Feb 2, 2005 9:20:18 PM

JmSR, how are you doing on the submissions? Do you need more? What is the count at this point? If you haven't met your quota as yet, I'll make an attempt at a 'quick and quirky'-type problem.

Posted by: Toni | Feb 16, 2005 7:23:41 PM

Actually, the submission count is right around 20, out of the number I was looking for. Again, though, I would ask for quick and almost easy questions. There's lots of room for little stuff you know in this one.

JM

Posted by: JmSR | Feb 17, 2005 6:54:40 AM

JM

I have been a bit tangled with the Decathlon, but I will come up with a few over the next week.

Posted by: Michael | Feb 17, 2005 8:12:05 AM

Thanks, Jm, I'll see what I can work out.

Posted by: Toni | Feb 17, 2005 9:01:19 AM

Just so everyone knows, I still never more than 100 questions. The deadline will be March 15. Please send in your favorite one line questions on up to whatever. I can fill in the rest that are needed, but if you'd like your name in print, feel free to send along a poser. All questions submitted so far have been accepted. Dust off your favorite brainteaser and send it in.

Posted by: JmSR | Feb 25, 2005 6:39:04 AM

I've been planning on helping you out, but the Decathlon has been too consuming. I'll try next week.

Posted by: Paula | Feb 25, 2005 8:29:50 AM

Well, the submission keep trickling in. Thanks to everyone who has submitted. I would like at least 8 more, but can take as many as 104.

Posted by: JmSR | Mar 1, 2005 8:02:06 AM

Now that you have named this contest, I think I see how it is going to be constructed (and why you want the numbers as such). Can't wait.

Posted by: Michael | Mar 1, 2005 1:25:30 PM

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