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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. Besides emotional, what type of attention from the reader is the goal of Chapter 7?

2. In the subtitle of "Characters and Viewpoint", what are the three objectives that the author promises to deliver?

3. What kind of narrative should a storyteller use?

4. What do the two questions the author poses at the end of Chapter 2 add to a novel?

5. What kinds of situations can make a character more interesting?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does a writer create a strong initial impression for a character?

2. What is the role of a major character?

3. What is the difference between "walk-ons" and minor characters?

4. How well do readers want to know the fictional characters they are reading about, and what is the purpose of fiction in general?

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

6. What are some of the ways a reader can know a character that is well written?

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

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

9. What are the main functions of major and minor characters, and how can a writer achieve them?

10. How and why should a writer vary the names used in their stories?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the different techniques used to make a character more appealing and the ones used to generate a negative response. Also, explain how the events are affected by characters, the initial impressions, and how they are developed throughout a narrative. Be sure to include examples that display the overall purposes for a positive or negative character.

Essay Topic 2

Although the sources of inspiration are unlimited, analyze the following three places that a writer can find ideas for new characters.

1) Describe all of the people, places, and events in a person's life that can provide ideas for characters.

2) Explain how writers can find new characters within themselves and how those characters can be applied to fiction.

3) Describe the process for finding new characters in the story itself as well as the past experiences of existing characters.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the different voices people use and how they can change depending on the situation. Then, explain how those voices are incorporated into fiction, and which steps a writer takes in deciding the voice and tense of the narrator for their story.

(see the answer keys)

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