View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. There is another element in the making of a good writer according to King's statements. What is it?
(a) To write frequently.
(b) To write a lot.
(c) To have definite writing goals.
(d) To write when the muse strikes.

2. Why does King feel that plotting out a novel is not wise?
(a) He likes for his story to develop, and then he tries to mold the plot when necessary.
(b) He feels that the story creates the plot.
(c) He believes it would be dishonest to the characters.
(d) He wants his characters to be free to act.

3. What does King say about adverbs?
(a) To use colorful adverbs to make the writing more vivid.
(b) To include them when characters are being emotional.
(c) To use them to intensify meaning.
(d) To limit their use.

4. What does King help his uncle fix as a child?
(a) The kitchen sink.
(b) The driveway.
(c) A leaky faucet in the bathroom.
(d) A window screen.

5. When does King hold himself to the minimum number of words per day?
(a) During a period of writer's block.
(b) While writing the first draft of all his novels.
(c) While he is revising his work.
(d) When working under a deadline.

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

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

8. Why does King emphasize the importance of reading?
(a) He wants writers to appreciate different styles of writing.
(b) He thinks that writers need to see what other writers are writing about.
(c) He feels that writers need to widen their horizons.
(d) He believes a writer learns his craft from reading.

9. Why is it important to King that a writer not be distracted while working?
(a) He believes that distractions make achieving a high number of words impossible.
(b) He thinks writers achieve their best work in solitude.
(c) He feels that distractions cause a writer to lose the desire to work.
(d) He suggests that writers need solitude to clarify their thoughts.

10. King claims he works on all of the following days except one. Which day does King not work?
(a) His birthday.
(b) Easter.
(c) New Year's Day.
(d) Thanksgiving Day.

11. How does King feel about figures of speech?
(a) He thinks they should be used extensively.
(b) He thinks that writers should use other ways of transmitting their thoughts.
(c) He says they should be avoided.
(d) He says a writer should avoid similes and metaphors that are cliché and make little sense.

12. Does King feel that a writer should blindly follow all the rules in the book he recommends?
(a) Yes. They are excellent rules.
(b) Yes, but the writer should remember and use the exceptions, too.
(c) No. He feels some of the rules are 'a little over the top'.
(d) Yes, because these rules are the ultimate authority.

13. In conclusion, what is the chapter, Toolbox, about?
(a) King's effort to present the mechanics of writing to his readers.
(b) King's beliefs about how to become an excellent writer.
(c) King's feelings about the writing world.
(d) King's analogy on the art of writing.

14. King gives the example of John Grisham as a writer. What does he say about Grisham?
(a) Grisham ignores the adage write what you know.
(b) Grisham is a lawyer who wrote about his profession, though the situations in his novels were not realistic.
(c) Grisham is a highly skilled writer who wrote about realistic legal situations.
(d) Grisham became an excellent writer after researching courtroom drama.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. How does King feel about writers improving their work?

2. How does King define vocabulary?

3. What activity might cause King to work on days he normally doesn't work?

4. What action does King believe a writer should take with respect to grammar?

5. Where does King get the idea for the novel Misery?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 862 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample