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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 about writers who are too busy to read?
(a) They will be a successful writer.
(b) They are too busy to write.
(c) They will lose a good source of ideas.
(d) They are hobbyists, not passionate writers.

2. From whom does King's uncle inherit something?
(a) From his mother.
(b) From his brother.
(c) From his grandfather.
(d) From his father, King's grandfather.

3. According to King, what characteristic should a writer's space have?
(a) A simple place with little or no distractions.
(b) A calming venue with only a telephone and a computer.
(c) A quiet place with a radio and a computer.
(d) An office space with files, computer, printer, and a telephone.

4. How many words a day does King try to produce?
(a) 1500 words.
(b) 3000 words.
(c) 2000 words.
(d) 5000 words.

5. 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) They should be multidimensional.
(d) The reader should have no problem identifying the good characters from the bad ones.

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

7. From King's statements, what element should be used to illustrate a character?
(a) Their thoughts.
(b) Their typical, everyday dress.
(c) Their mannerisms.
(d) Their speech.

8. According to King, what is the best technique to use with description?
(a) Describes scenes completely.
(b) Use as little as possible.
(c) Try to describe fully without omitting key details.
(d) Describe people completely, but scenes sparingly.

9. What does King's uncle inherit?
(a) A silver watch.
(b) A car.
(c) The house.
(d) A large toolbox.

10. What does King's uncle use from the toolbox?
(a) Only a screwdriver.
(b) A screwdriver and a hammer.
(c) A hammer and some nails.
(d) Several tools.

11. What does King's uncle take with him when he works?
(a) Only a couple of his favorite tools.
(b) Usually his screwdriver, a hammer, a few nails and screws.
(c) His entire toolbox.
(d) The specific tools needed for the job.

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

13. At what point does King try to add symbolism to his work?
(a) In the first draft.
(b) In the second draft.
(c) When it seems to be important to do so.
(d) While editing the novel.

14. Why does King take this position on adverbs?
(a) He believes that by using adverbs, a writer won't stretch his imagination.
(b) He feels adverbs do the thinking for the reader.
(c) He feels adverbs are a crutch for the writer.
(d) He wants to limit the words in his books.

15. King also suggests limiting speaker attributes. What are speaker attributes?
(a) This is when a speaker 'attributes' words to another person, i.e. 'Goethe stated...'.
(b) Description of the physical appearance of a speaker.
(c) The use of words such as 'he said' or 'she proclaimed'.
(d) The physical and psychological profile of a speaker.

Short Answer Questions

1. What advice does King give on paragraphs?

2. How does King use theme in his novels?

3. In the chapter, Toolbox, what advice does King give the reader?

4. How does King use this advice from his uncle?

5. Why does King's uncle carry the whole toolbox with him?

(see the answer keys)

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