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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. What does the author hope to give writers who read the book?
(a) A set of tools.
(b) A specific set of instructions.
(c) A popular method.
(d) A secret formula.

2. What should the writer's own experiences have in order to be used as fictional inspiration?
(a) Theoretical, spiritual, or experiential connection with a character.
(b) Emotional, spiritual, or experiential connection with a character.
(c) Emotional, theoretical, or spiritual connection with a character.
(d) Emotional, theoretical, or experiential connection with a character.

3. Besides context, what else can a name provide for a character?
(a) Preferences.
(b) Intentions.
(c) Background.
(d) Beliefs.

4. In a story where character is the primary focus, how many characters need to be fully developed?
(a) None of them.
(b) Very few of them.
(c) At least half of them.
(d) Not all of them.

5. According to the author, what is an engaging narrative never about?
(a) Ordinary people doing ordinary things for extraordinary reasons.
(b) Ordinary people doing extraordinary things for extraordinary reasons.
(c) Extraordinary people doing ordinary things for extraordinary reasons.
(d) Ordinary people doing ordinary things for ordinary reasons.

Short Answer Questions

1. What kind of characterization is needed in a narrative that features the characters as the primary focus?

2. What does having more complex characters lead to?

3. What is milieu?

4. What happens to sources of inspiration once they are incorporated into characters?

5. Why should sources of inspiration be altered?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the author mean when he writes about "raising the emotional stakes"?

2. What is a helpful tip about keeping track of character names that the author provides at the end of Chapter 4?

3. What is the contract that a writer makes with a reader, and when is it introduced?

4. What are some places that a writer can look to find the inspiration for characters?

5. What techniques does the author describe in Chapter 3 about characters from unrelated ideas?

6. How does character factor into a narrative and why is it often a complex process?

7. What is milieu and which types of stories feature it as the main narrative?

8. What is writing based on "issue", and how can it be a source for characters?

9. What are some characteristics that make characters more appealing in general?

10. What techniques can a writer use to raise the emotional stakes?

(see the answer keys)

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