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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. How does the author describe writing based on an issue?
(a) A tricky source of characters.
(b) An ambiguous source of characters.
(c) A distracting source of characters.
(d) A misleading source of characters.

2. What will help a writer to maintain consistency?
(a) Not having more than four supporting characters.
(b) Keeping a list of character traits and facts.
(c) Not having more than three central characters.
(d) Keeping a list of character names.

3. What does the author hope to give writers who read the book?
(a) A specific set of instructions.
(b) A set of tools.
(c) A secret formula.
(d) A popular method.

4. What happens to sources of inspiration once they are incorporated into characters?
(a) They are exaggerated or completely changed.
(b) They are added to or completely changed.
(c) They are added to or exaggerated.
(d) They are added to, exaggerated, or completely changed.

5. As what is the idea of hierarchy defined?
(a) A guideline to the role a character plays in the plot.
(b) A guideline to how many characters to include in a narrative.
(c) A guideline to the amount of narrative each character receives.
(d) A guideline to which characters to introduce first in a narrative.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why should sources of inspiration be altered?

2. What type of reputation can a character have?

3. With what does the author intend to help writers?

4. Which one of the following is not an example of how to vary the names of characters to distinguish them for the reader?

5. What is part of the reader's experience of the milieu?

Short Essay Questions

1. How and why should a writer vary the names used in their stories?

2. As explained in the Introduction, on what are the author's suggestions based?

3. How does a writer create a strong initial impression for a character?

4. What kind of act is writing and how does it compare to other mediums?

5. What are some of the ways a reader can know a character that is well written?

6. What is a helpful tip about keeping track of character names that the author provides at the end of Chapter 4?

7. In what way can the story itself provide a writer with additional characters?

8. What is an event-focused narrative and how much characterization is necessary for it?

9. How can writers find characters within themselves?

10. What are some characteristics that make characters more appealing in general?

(see the answer keys)

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