User:The C of E/dykg

To have your work featured on WP:Did you know is an achievement, that you have created an article or taken it from the doldrums of obscurity and improved it to a high standard and had it showcased on the main page is something worth writing home about. The art of DYK hook writing is always difficult to judge how to word things however should you play it right and draw in those 5,000 views, you can have your work preserved for posterity on WP:DYKSTATS. This essay is intended to help guide people on a few tips on how to write a good hook that can be preserved for history.

Run it in the right time zone
With DYKs now running for 12 hours at a time there is more of a chance of getting 5,000+ views. However one thing to consider is requesting that it run in an appropriate time zone so more from the intended target audience are likely to see it. For example, Lord's honours boards specifically mentioned Australians and it ran (back when DYKs only ran for 8 hours) during night hours of GMT but in the day in Australia and also caught Indian times which also brought interest into this cricket hook, which in turn got it over 25,000 views. Therefore if you have a hook specifically aimed at Australians or Americans, make sure to ask the promoter to place it in a queue with an appropriate time zone so that you have more of a chance of making DYK stats

Be generic
Yes, sometimes the "boring" hooks, can be the ones that draw the most interest. A case in point of this is "The Track was dusty" ran. Some may consider that dull and not worthy of DYK status, however it managed to get over the 5,000 view mark (again back in the 8 hour days).

Be topical
Baron Carrickfergus and Tiffany Trump.

Swear!
That's Fugging right! Whether it be the Shit Brook or the Sheep shaggers, if you swear in a hook you are more likely to get some Top Totty in to read it. If you have any concerns, Fucking Hell remember WP:Wikipedia is not censored so there isn't a problem with dropping a few f bombs on the Wan King Path because Fuck It, We'll Do It Live.

DO mention the war!
Basil Fawlty may have once said "Don't mention the war", however if you want to get your hook onto DYKSTATS it is (if appropriate) a good idea TO mention the war at any opportunity. Siam Cup, a rugby trophy hidden from the Nazis, got over the limit with the likely reason being because it mentioned the war. Likewise Two World Wars and One World Cup (doo-dah) speaks for itself. Even hooks with similar names like the Night of Long Knives and Heilen Hitler have made it over because they mentioned the war. So don't be afraid to state references to the war, just don't celebrate your DYKSTATS achievement by doing the funny walk.

Don't use your favourite sports team as a draw
As much as you may love your favourite sports team, the rest of the world might not be as interested. For example Good Old Arsenal, referencing the world famous Arsenal F.C. though may be interesting to Arsenal fans does not necessarily command the same interest with the rest of the world. Though teams mentioned in hooks around world renowned events such as the 2014 FA Cup Final still can get to DYKSTATS, don't rely on the teams alone being able to get you those 5,000 views.