The Writing Life Test | Mid-Book Test - Hard

This set of Lesson Plans consists of approximately 133 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials.

The Writing Life Test | Mid-Book Test - Hard

This set of Lesson Plans consists of approximately 133 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials.
Buy The Writing Life Lesson Plans
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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. Oftentimes, what part of Dillard's work must be edited out?

2. What does Dillard describe as 'a net for catching days' in Chapter 2?

3. What does Dillard claim as being a good life?

4. Who is the main character in a story told by Ernest Thompson Seton?

5. Who did Dillard see standing at the chess table in the Roanoke library one night?

Short Essay Questions

1. What analogy does Dillard use to explain how a book leads its writer on?

2. How does Dillard describe the line of words as being one's own heart?

3. Why does Dillard say that she made a pen drawing of the scenes outside her library window?

4. In Chapter 1, what does Dillard say she thinks of as the usual reasons for an author getting stuck in a book?

5. How does Dillard describe the way in which a writer might start the process of writing a book?

6. When Dillard glanced in the daylight at one of the stacks of books she regularly touched to feel her way at night, what surprised her?

7. What is the most appealing schedule that Dillard says she knows?

8. What decision did Dillard make to finally shut herself off from all distractions at the library carrel?

9. Why does Dillard believe that putting together a book is interesting and exhilarating?

10. Why is 'the path' of the line of writing, as described in Chapter 1 by Dillard, not to be considered the actual work?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 6, Dillard explains the haunting aspects of the island on Haro Strait. What haunted Dillard about the island? What is it about these aspects of the island that can be related to the writing life in general?

Essay Topic 2

Dillard taped up her pen drawing of the scene outside her window to the venetian blinds. Explain how this helped her concentrate on her work.

What was missing in the drawing of the scene that was really outside the window? Why wasn't it enough for her to just close the blinds?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 4, Dillard's Smith-Corona typewriter erupted in smoke and flames during an earthquake. What does the Beckett quote at the beginning of the chapter tell us about Dillard's personality or character? What could the fired-up typewriter be a metaphor for? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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