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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Zissner think of gimmicky writing?
(a) It never works.
(b) It is what gets writers through the door.
(c) It is the secret to selling a book.
(d) It is worth a try to sell a book or article.

2. Why should interview questions be written before the interview?
(a) To focus the interview around a certain theme.
(b) To avoid having to do it at the interview.
(c) To avoid drawing a blank in the middle of an interview.
(d) To keep the person being interviewed on track.

3. Has the period of political euphemisms improved since the Vietnam War?
(a) No, it has gotten worse.
(b) Yes, politicians hire better speech writers.
(c) No, it is the same.
(d) Yes, politicians know how to unclutter their writing now.

4. What is the main thing readers think when starting an article?
(a) They want to know how soon they will find the answer to the original thesis question of an article.
(b) They want to know whether it is worth it to read the article.
(c) They want to know whether the writer is credible or not.
(d) They want to know how long it will take them to read the article.

5. When can ornamental writing be used as an exception?
(a) When the author needs to abide by editors remarks.
(b) To follow solid writing.
(c) When the wrting needs extra fluff.
(d) When writing evaluations and resumes.

6. Chapter 3 is about __________.
(a) Simplicity.
(b) Reducing clutter.
(c) Increasing the simplicity of writing.
(d) Clutter.

7. Why does Zissner advise his clients to worry about the marketplace last?
(a) Because nobody knows what is going to sell.
(b) Because the marketplace always needs books and will take anything.
(c) Writing a good piece for the marketplace is easy when they know what sells.
(d) Because the marketplace never changes.

8. What period in U.S. history does Zissner point out as a time filled with euphemisms?
(a) The Korean War.
(b) The Vietnam War.
(c) World War II.
(d) Spanish Civil War.

9. What is the main attitude that writers have today?
(a) To write modern literature and be the next best author.
(b) To write literature, the way it was defined before WWII.
(c) To be published in the New Yorker.
(d) To write well, regardless of whether it is fiction or nonfiction.

10. What happens when a product of writing is never read?
(a) It gets categorized under the bad books section.
(b) It becomes worthless and a waste of good time.
(c) It gets burned.
(d) The author's reputation is harmed.

11. Who are two authors that Zissner admires for solid writing and ornamentation?
(a) Virginia Woolfe and Sylvia Plath.
(b) Sylvia Plath and Jane Austen.
(c) Normal Mailer and Virginia Wolfe.
(d) Norman Mailer and Tom Wolfe.

12. What is a natural inclination for writers when they start a piece?
(a) They don't give enough background information.
(b) They assume the readers know what they are writing about.
(c) Writers assume readers know nothing about what they are writing about.
(d) They ramble through an unnecessary introduction.

13. What is the biggest mistake a writer can make when creating sentences?
(a) Not creating sentences that readers want to read.
(b) Not reading their sentences aloud.
(c) Packing in too much information into one sentence.
(d) Overediting sentences.

14. What is unity in writing?
(a) Unity is when the characters in a story are united and never disagree with one another.
(b) Unity is when characters are unipolar and one dimensional.
(c) Unity is where the writer maintains consistency throughout an entire piece.
(d) Unity is when the writer sticks to one plot.

15. What is an example of a hit book that was rejected several times?
(a) Pride and Prejudice.
(b) Eleven on Top.
(c) Jurassic Park.
(d) Harry Potter.

Short Answer Questions

1. What happens when the reader loses interest in the writing?

2. What is Zinsser's preferred method for interviewing?

3. How many people are in the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel?

4. What is the purpose of colons?

5. What is an example of a time when bad writing HAS to be read?

(see the answer keys)

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