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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Anne's opinion, who writes bad first drafts?
(a) The birds.
(b) All good writers.
(c) Reporters.
(d) She does.

2. Who are the two authors that Anne says have written well about plot?
(a) John Gardner and Faulkner.
(b) Flannery O'Conner and Faulkner.
(c) Rosemary Wells and Doreen Cornin.
(d) E. M. Forester and John Gardner.

3. What is Anne's response when her students ask her for the best writing advice?
(a) She picks up a piece of paper and pantomimes writing on it.
(b) She quotes a Buddhist disciple.
(c) She tells them to meditate.
(d) She twirls a flower in the air.

4. What does Anne say good writing is about?
(a) Dialect.
(b) Telling the truth.
(c) Spelling everything correctly.
(d) Outlines, plots, and themes.

5. When a student is having difficulty writing, what does Anne ask them about?
(a) The current time and temperature.
(b) About the wire thingy on champagne bottles.
(c) How messy they were as a child.
(d) Their school lunches.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Alice Adams' ABDCE formula stand for, in writing a short story?

2. When will you know your characters, according to Anne?

3. After a half hour of writing, how much material was generated from the school lunch assignment?

4. What does the one-inch picture frame remind her of?

5. What is on Anne's desk that reminds her of short assignments?

Short Essay Questions

1. In college, Anne found a community in which she might fit in. Why did she felt a sense of community in college?

2. Another of Anne's stories stems from the movie Stripes. The line is "Hey, lighten up Francis." How is this story helpful to her students?

3. In Part 1, Section 12, Plot Treatment, Anne had been working on a book for over two years that still was not acceptable to her editor. How does she describe the plot treatment she wrote, which was accepted by her editor, and gained her the last of her advance?

4. Alice Adams suggests the ABDCE formula for writing a short story. How can formulas be a great way to get us started?

5. What was Natalie Goldberg's response when asked for the best possible writing advice she had to offer? How true is this advice?

6. How does the one-inch picture frame on Anne's desk put her in the mind to write a short assignment?

7. At some point you may need to design a set for your characters that you know nothing about. What avenues does Anne suggest taking to gain the knowledge you need?

8. According to Anne, how does knowledge of a character develop?

9. According to Anne, how are we able to see the underlying essence of a person?

10. What does Anne suggest doing with the feeling of paranoia?

(see the answer keys)

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