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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. After Tabitha King's intervention in King's addictions, he makes some changes in his life. What change does he make in his writing life?

2. What is the first object described in the image in the second chapter?

3. Where does King get a job to help pay for college?

4. How does King state he feels about writing for money?

5. King's early addiction soon added another one. What is it?

Short Essay Questions

1. What facts or ideas show the beginnings of King's career as a master of horror?

2. As a child, King had many chronic ear and throat infections. How might these illnesses lead King to writing?

3. After Tabitha King's intervention in her husband's addictions, King insisted on moving his desk. How was this symbolically important to him?

4. What are some of the aspects of writing that King is not going to emphasize in the chapter, What Writing Is?

5. In a short paper, summarize the main points of King's life as an author.

6. King was a heavy drinker and addicted to cocaine. He believed that these two elements contributed to his creativity. In terms of the chapter, C.V., do you think his belief was justified? Why or why not?

7. One of King's babysitters was particularly cruel. How might she have affected his later writings?

8. What are some of the things King remembers from his childhood? How might they have affected his writing?

9. In what way is the book, On Writing, to be different from King's usual work?

10. How would you summarize the different jobs King had during his early career? How might these jobs have influenced his work?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What conclusions can you draw from King's statements about a writer having his own space in which to work? What alternatives are there for those people who want to write but find it impossible to obtain a space in their living quarters?

Essay Topic 2

What was the single most important factor in King's early success in his writing career? Back up your statements with illustrations from the book, On Writing.

Essay Topic 3

King believed that characters must be multi-dimensional rather than cardboard figures. Has King been successful in creating multi-dimensional characters? Citing examples from the book, On Writing, how would you evaluate the characters in King's different novels?

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