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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Part IV: Chapter 20 The Sound of Your Voice.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does Zissner advise his clients to worry about the marketplace last?
(a) Because nobody knows what is going to sell.
(b) Because the marketplace always needs books and will take anything.
(c) Because the marketplace never changes.
(d) Writing a good piece for the marketplace is easy when they know what sells.

2. What is a strange but effective way of proofreading to check for errors?
(a) Reading a story upside down.
(b) Reading through a window.
(c) Reading under a blacklight.
(d) Reading a piece backwards.

3. What is the best way to learn to write with humor?
(a) Hang out with funny people.
(b) Practice saying funny things aloud to friends and family.
(c) Go to comedy shows.
(d) Read other humorous writing and emulate those styles.

4. What is a major job of a nonfiction writer?
(a) Conducting interviews with people who know about the writing project subject.
(b) Majoring in the subject they will write about.
(c) Learning as much as possible about a subject before taking on a project.
(d) Taking on a project with a clean slate. Just like a jury in a legal battle.

5. Which is the simplest sentence?
(a) Simplicity is the opposite of clutter.
(b) Simplicity.
(c) Simplicity is the direct opposite of clutter.
(d) Simplicity is opporite clutter.

Short Answer Questions

1. Does the author believe good writing is the result of an inherent talent?

2. Who is the author talking to at the beginning of the book?

3. Do criticism writers need to take a stance on a show?

4. How many people are in the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel?

5. What is Zissner's point of view on the debate between literature and journalism?

(see the answer key)

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