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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When a student is having difficulty writing, what does Anne ask them about?
(a) How messy they were as a child.
(b) The current time and temperature.
(c) About the wire thingy on champagne bottles.
(d) Their school lunches.

2. What is Anne's response when her students ask her for the best writing advice?
(a) She quotes a Buddhist disciple.
(b) She picks up a piece of paper and pantomimes writing on it.
(c) She twirls a flower in the air.
(d) She tells them to meditate.

3. Where does the image of putting an octopus to bed come from?
(a) The octopus' mother.
(b) Recovery.
(c) The nursing home.
(d) Pammy's memorial garden.

4. According to Anne, what is one thing that can make a book very tiring to read?
(a) Dialogue written in dialect.
(b) Dr. Suess.
(c) Dialogue written without any dialect.
(d) Serif font.

5. What advice did Anne's father give her brother when he was overwhelmed at writing a report on birds?
(a) "Take pictures of the birds in Bolinas."
(b) "Woody Woodpecker is a great bird to write about."
(c) "Only write about California birds this time."
(d) "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird."

Short Answer Questions

1. Instead of writing towards a plot, what does Anne suggest?

2. How does Anne define perfectionism?

3. What does Anne say good writing is about?

4. How did Anne feel after the basketball game?

5. What does Anne say can reveal a character better than pages of description?

Short Essay Questions

1. At some point you may need to design a set for your characters that you know nothing about. What avenues does Anne suggest taking to gain the knowledge you need?

2. How does Anne compare writing a first draft to watching a Polaroid develop?

3. How does Anne state dialogue affects a reader?

4. How did Anne's article on the Special Olympics start off? How did it turn out?

5. Alice Adams suggests the ABDCE formula for writing a short story. How can formulas be a great way to get us started?

6. Plot is the main part of your story. How does the plot best grow organically, according to Anne?

7. How do you know when you are done, according to Anne?

8. In college, Anne found a community in which she might fit in. Why did she felt a sense of community in college?

9. When Anne was writing food reviews, how did allowing herself to write bad first drafts help her?

10. How does Anne suggest writing about school lunches be beneficial for a writer?

(see the answer keys)

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