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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. What publishing house did Gardner send Grendel to first?

2. In Chapter 3, Gardner writes, "One hears the complaint that conferences lead to a kind of writer ____."

3. Letters to publishing houses should ideally be addressed to whom?

4. Gardner writes in Chapter 2 that in a bad workshop, the teacher takes the place of the student's what?

5. What is the name of the writer's conference where Gardner has frequently worked with writing assistants?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe some of the qualities of bad writing workshops in Chapter 2.

2. Where does the author's manuscript go after he reviews the copywriter's corrections?

3. What does Gardner say of editors in Chapter 3? What can one do to appeal to an editor?

4. What should the successful teacher do for his writing students, according to Gardner?

5. What does Gardner remark about the loyalty of an editor?

6. What does Gardner say in the beginning of Chapter 2 regarding author education and state funding?

7. What does Gardner say of finding support for the author in Chapter 3?

8. What autobiographical experiences does Gardner relate regarding editors in Chapter 3?

9. What does Gardner write about rejection letters in Chapter 3?

10. What are some of the qualities that should make an aspiring writer leave a program?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the roles of plot, setting, and character in a novel. Which is the most important to Gardner? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the benefits of earning a graduate degree from a writer's workshop. In what ways can this be beneficial for the author?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss what Gardner refers to as "special intelligence" in the writer. How does Gardner's definition of intelligence differ from the dictionary definition?

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