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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. What types of details are necessary to make a character believable?

2. What should the writer avoid when defining the voice of a narrator?

3. What type of motives should be included when writing a character that is more believable?

4. Besides an individually defined character, what does the narrator of a first person story need?

5. Why do some readers interpret a change in a character that was not written to change?

Short Essay Questions

1. How can a presentation perspective and a representation perspective be successfully applied?

2. How do "showing" and "telling" affect the story?

3. What is the value of justification and how does a writer decide the amount to include in a story?

4. What choice must a writer make when using a first person narrative, and what should influence the decision?

5. What are some of the limitations and advantages of the first person narrative?

6. How does the topic of transformations lead the author to an important reason that fiction exists?

7. In what ways can a character change him/herself?

8. What is the author's theory of how people experience transformations in life?

9. What can contribute to a powerful sense of attitude for a character?

10. What are the most common tenses used in narration and how does the author describe the risks involved with using different ones?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Exaggeration is one of the techniques discussed for adding interest to characters and events.

1) Describe what exaggeration is, when it is used, and how it is applied.

2) List some examples of the types of stories that exaggeration can be used in along with why it is effective in them.

3) Explain about the precautions that the author gives when using exaggeration in a story and why it needs to be logical or justified.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the hero in fiction as it is described in the book. Explain the definition of a hero, what traits contribute to a heroic character, which situations can cause characters to reveal their heroic side, and how an ordinary person doing extraordinary things can add to the drama of a story. Include examples of literature to illustrate the way a hero can be created and developed effectively.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the different voices people use and how they can change depending on the situation. Then, explain how those voices are incorporated into fiction, and which steps a writer takes in deciding the voice and tense of the narrator for their story.

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