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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 3.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the life of a Danish aristocrat mentioned in Chapter 2, what did he do for most of the day?
(a) Ate.
(b) Napped.
(c) Hunted.
(d) Swam.

2. What is needed in the world more than another excellent manuscript, as far as Dillard is concerned?
(a) Bees.
(b) Honey.
(c) Shoes.
(d) Pollen.

3. What does Dillard compare writing to in the first paragraph of the book?
(a) A path to pick through.
(b) A dead end.
(c) An ordeal to be probed.
(d) Laying out a line of words.

4. Who once said that '..his firewood warmed him twice because he labored to cut his own'?
(a) Joyce.
(b) Thoreau.
(c) Whitman.
(d) James.

5. When a writer is stuck while writing a book, what does Dillard think he should do?
(a) Nothing but think about it.
(b) Read books that are similar.
(c) Do crosswords to stimulate the brain.
(d) Write, no matter what.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did Dillard learn about herself while talking with the sheriff in Chapter 3?

2. How did Washington writer, Charlie Butts, write fiction in order to gain momentum?

3. What question does Dillard say a writer must ask when considering random scenes that come to mind?

4. Why did Dillard refer to a Zulu warrior and an Aztec maiden in Chapter 3?

5. What does Dillard say that she believes a writer should aim for when writing?

(see the answer key)

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