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. What does the writer use with words to achieve his/her main goals?

2. What do the most engaging characters reveal about themselves?

3. In order to avoid being boring, what does a character have to be?

4. How does Chapter 1 end?

5. How is the event described?

Short Essay Questions

1. As explained in the Introduction, on what are the author's suggestions based?

2. How can writers find characters within themselves?

3. What is the role of a major character?

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

5. What technique does the author recommend when first introducing a character?

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

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

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

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

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

Explain the reasons why a character must be believable and how a writer can create them in a way that makes them more believable. Use the book as a reference to provide examples of how major characters and minor characters are developed in fiction.

Essay Topic 2

Creating names for characters can give the reader clues about those characters' intentions and traits. Describe the selection process for names, what a writer should consider when naming their characters, how and why the names should vary, and what a name can represent. Also, explain the use of a list of characters and their traits along with how it can help writers maintain consistency in their work.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the presentation perspective with the representation perspective. Include a detailed definition of each one and their applications in fiction. Also, provide relevant examples of how a perspective can change a story and its characters.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 872 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample