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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. On one of their expeditions, King and his brother meet an unexpected enemy. What is this enemy?

2. What kind of stories does King particularly enjoy?

3. What is one of King's last jobs before becoming a full-time writer?

4. What happened when Carrie sells to a paperback publisher?

5. When does King begin to write stories?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the things King remembers from his childhood? How might they have affected his writing?

2. Why does King write? Explain in your own words based on the chapters, C.V., and What Writing Is.

3. What facts or ideas show the beginnings of King's career as a master of horror?

4. What conclusions can you draw from King's comparison of writing as a career versus writing as a passion? Explain in your own words.

5. Why does King want his readers to put his book down if they are unable to accept that writing is magic?

6. What inferences can you make from King's statement that writing is magic? Explain in your own words.

7. King believed that writing is telepathy. What is telepathy in the context of this statement?

8. In what way is the book, On Writing, to be different from King's usual work?

9. As a child, King had many chronic ear and throat infections. How might these illnesses lead King to writing?

10. King was a heavy drinker and addicted to cocaine. He believed that these two elements contributed to his creativity. In terms of the chapter, C.V., do you think his belief was justified? Why or why not?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

King believes that certain preparations are unnecessary and even harmful to aspiring writers. He mentions creative writing courses and writers' retreats. What does he have to say about these two options for writers? Explain using your own words.

Essay Topic 2

King claims that in order to be a good writer, you must read. Why does King believe reading to be important to a writer? What does he say about writers who don't read? Cite reasons from the text to support your argument.

Essay Topic 3

Do you think a writer can learn to 'see' and write about what he sees from images such as the one King presented of a rabbit in a cage on a table? How can writing exercises like this one lead to better writing? Explain your answer.

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This section contains 996 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample