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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does King believe is necessary to create strong characters?
(a) They should be clearly defined by their actions.
(b) They should be clearly defined but interesting.
(c) The reader should have no problem identifying the good characters from the bad ones.
(d) They should be multidimensional.

2. What are King's feelings on grammar study?
(a) Lengthy grammar study is unnecessary.
(b) Grammar should be learned intuitively.
(c) Grammar should be studied only through high school.
(d) Grammar should be studied at length.

3. What advice does King give on paragraphs?
(a) King wants writers to see their paragraphs as a graphic picture on a page.
(b) King feels paragraphs should have a standard length of 8 to 10 lines.
(c) To pay attention to the length and number of paragraphs.
(d) King believes paragraphs should not vary in length.

4. On certain occasions, King believes that grammar rules _________ .
(a) Can be explained casually to the reader.
(b) Should be discussed between characters.
(c) May be played with.
(d) Can be ignored.

5. King claims __________ is the second most important tool in a writer's toolbox.
(a) A good plot.
(b) Theme.
(c) Grammar.
(d) Beauty of expression.

6. How does King use theme in his novels?
(a) To help him stay on course.
(b) To guide the plot along.
(c) To illustrate otherwise obscure points.
(d) To create a moral in his work.

7. Which genre does King feel Misery will belong to when he begins to write the story?
(a) A short story.
(b) A screenplay.
(c) A novel.
(d) A novella.

8. Another belief of King is that writers have a special need. What is this need?
(a) An office equipped with a computer and internet access.
(b) A telephone.
(c) A modern computer with Skype and YouTube accounts.
(d) A specific space in which to write.

9. What action does King believe a writer should take with respect to grammar?
(a) To thoroughly read a well-known grammar text.
(b) To research the writer's specific doubts on the Internet.
(c) To ask teachers about things which confuse the writer.
(d) To ignore grammar and let editors correct any obvious mistakes.

10. How does King feel about writers improving their work?
(a) He believes writers improve their work through experience.
(b) He is sure only good writers can successfully improve their writing.
(c) He believes bad writers can become good writers.
(d) He feels a good writer can become an excellent writer, but a bad writer will always be bad.

11. What activity might cause King to work on days he normally doesn't work?
(a) Being in the middle of a new novel.
(b) Having a deadline to meet.
(c) Being sick on days previous to the holiday.
(d) Having a writer's block and not producing his usual amount of words previously.

12. How does King paint the main character from The Dead Zone?
(a) He is evil but loving.
(b) He is too perfect.
(c) As a nice, normal boy who is flawed.
(d) He has his flaws and is thoroughly evil.

13. What book does King recommend for grammar study?
(a) Prentice-Hall Handbook of Grammar.
(b) Betty Azar's Understanding and Using English Grammar.
(c) Strunk and White's Elements of Style.
(d) Any good high school grammar text.

14. In the chapter, Toolbox, what advice does King give the reader?
(a) Writers should carefully prepare their tools before beginning to write.
(b) Writers need to have outlets other than writing.
(c) Writers should always be prepared.
(d) Writers need their own toolbox to be successful.

15. There is an old adage in writing: write what you know. How does King feel about this?
(a) He suggests writers research questions they are interested in and then write about them.
(b) He believes that writers should follow this advice, but not in a literal way.
(c) He hopes that writers will experiment and not be limited by this statement.
(d) He urges writers to ignore this advice and write what they think is important and of value.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is unusual about the character Annie Wilkes?

2. How does King define vocabulary?

3. Why does King feel that plotting out a novel is not wise?

4. What equipment does a writer need according to King?

5. What is King's first piece of advice to those reading the chapter, On Writing?

(see the answer keys)

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