View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. When an idea is the primary focus, what is the role of the characters?

2. What kind of jeopardy can a character be placed in to evoke an emotional response from the reader?

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

4. Which one of the following is not an example the author uses as a way to add emotional intensity to a character?

5. What can cause a reader to become more engaged with a character?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the role of a major character?

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

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

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

5. What is the significance of a character's last name and why is that an important decision for a writer to make?

6. In what way can the story itself provide a writer with additional characters?

7. What are the two aspects of creative writing and what is the difference between them?

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

9. How can a negative character become more intriguing?

10. What is an event-focused narrative and how much characterization is necessary for it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Compare and contrast the hierarchy of the three types of characters in fiction. Use the book to provide and describe examples of walk-ons, minor characters, and major characters, the main functions of each, and any similarities between them.

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)

This section contains 982 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample