Creative Writing Quizzes

In order to capture the essence of creation and creativity, there first must be:

inspiration

Effective dialogue prompts readers to become ___________ in the characters and the outcome of their story.

invested

______________ is a technique first used in psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud.

Free association

Stories have been passed down through generations and cultures, scribbled on cave walls, and generally spread throughout the world since the beginning of time.

True

The one essential thing that a writer must do on a daily basis is __________.

write

____________ is the method of generating ideas through harnessing the brain's energy into a "storm."

Brainstorming

When inventing physical locations, it is not necessary to rely on reality at all.

False

When you write a poem, you do not get to decide the number of feet you will use nor can you disregard the notion altogether.

False

Alliteration is derived from the Latin word meaning "letters of the alphabet."

True

An engaging story feeds on conflict.

True

An integral setting is critical to the storyline.

True

Comedy sketches are often the result of previous improvisation and seek to amuse the audience.

True

Conflict can pop up just about anywhere.

True

In literature, your voice is your personality, or your unique thoughts and ways of expressing them that makes your writing sound just like you.

True

In persuasive nonfiction writing, you can gather facts through research and inquiry.

True

Most ancient poems in the European tradition seem to be intended to chant or recite along with music, not in place of it.

True

Most dynamic characters will also be central ones.

True

One of the most exciting parts of a story, the climax, occurs when the conflict reaches its absolute highest or lowest point.

True

Setting is more than just a place.

True

Style, or the way in which something is written, is like the wrapping paper for your message.

True

The one thing a writer must absolutely, positively do is write.

True

The themes that people wrote about in the past are very similar to those written about today.

True

Vary the length of the lines in dialogue so the appearance of the dialogue does not become repetitive to the eye and ear.

True

When it comes to fictional conversations, less is more.

True

While writing creative nonfiction, you must pay attention to the facts and how they are presented.

True

Writers rely greatly on the power of observation and must pay close attention to the detail around them in order to incorporate it effectively into their prose.

True

Your goal, as a writer, will be to find the jewel in the exchange between characters and then distill it down to its very essence.

True

A hero who lacks the traditional characteristics of a protagonist is the:

anti-hero

The mood of the environment is called the____________.

atmosphere

A type of setting is __________to the storyline.

integral

In persuasive writing, the ___________ should state a clear opinion.

introduction

Some people believe poetry first began in ___________.

song

The easiest way to tell if a word is __________ or not is to put it in a sentence and then read it aloud.

stressed

Long ago, the primary writing tool of storytellers was:

their voice

Your ____________ will dictate your audience.

theme

Before you even begin to conceptualize a setting for your story, you will need to consider the notion of _________.

time

Think about where your characters will ______ before sitting down to write.

go

A minor theme is a(n) __________ that appears briefly in a work and gives way to another minor theme.

idea

Choose your __________ wisely, as they are your main tool as a writer.

words

______________ are short scenes or vignettes that are often the result of previous improvisation and seek to amuse the audience.

Comedy sketches

Creative non-fiction is the composition of non-factual prose texts.

False

Even though your story has several character types, they are all of equal value.

False

Expository text appeals to the reader's emotions.

False

Freewriting has a specific set of rules and guidelines to follow during the process.

False

Having all the characters sound the same is never an issue for amateur writers.

False

In a story without conflict, there is tons of action, a huge fight, ample passion, and various problems.

False

It is not possible for setting to become symbolic in contributing to the overall theme.

False

Lyric poetry is defined in Greek as "sweet-voiced."

False

Personal narratives and memoirs are, by definition, objective.

False

Poetry is not expansive and dismissive of the logical.

False

Sketch writing is generally considered much more complicated than larger works of fiction.

False

The most common examples of persuasive nonfiction would include pieces like character sketches of real people or scientific observations.

False

Time has very little impact on the story.

False

__________ poetry has a musical and sometimes emotional mood.

Lyric

__________________ is a genre of writing that uses literary style and techniques to create factually accurate narratives.

Narrative nonfiction

Writing with your ears essentially means what?

Reading your work aloud.

___________________ are created to describe dramatic or humorous scenes that will eventually be played out by actors.

Screenplays

________ includes all the choices a fictional writer makes from word choice to structure to timing.

Style

"Word choice goes way beyond simply choosing individual words." This statement best refers to:

Syntax

The oldest written story ever known to exist is:

The Epic of Gilgamesh

What is a protagonist?

The main character

According to the unit, which of the following is a good technique by which you can develop a plot?

Think about what your character needs.

Characters are said to be defined by their ________________.

actions

Two or more stressed syllables that have the same consonant sound or sound group are called:

alliteration

Having all the ________ sound the same is the pitfall of amateur writers.

characters

"I burned dinner but not the cake," is an example of a ______________ sentence.

complex

Writers should strive to have a certain level of tension and ________ in their writing.

conflict

The ___________ is the set of circumstances that surround the setting.

context

The final resolution of the intricacies of a plot is called the:

denouement

Direct characterization is when the author _______________

directly and explicitly tells the reader what the character is like.

The dry facts that fiction must provide the reader with in order to establish a foundation for what's to come can be referred to as _______________.

exposition

The purpose of _______________ text is to provide the truth through reliable sources and inform the reader with solid facts and details.

expository

Fiction and non-fiction stand in opposition to each other when it comes to one important thing: _________.

facts

Which of the following factors contribute to writer's block?

fear

When the pronoun "I" is used in narration, it is referred to as:

first person

A ____________ is an ingenious way to show rather than tell, but it also provides a great deal of valuable insight for the reader.

flashback

A narrative device where a scene from the past is pulled into the present is called a ______.

flashback

Understanding and using dialogue tags, varying line length, and adding context to conversations are all ways to ensure that your dialogue ________.

flows

A category of anything artistic, from music to literature, is called:

genre

In the world of ______________, there are two main players: fiction and nonfiction.

literature

The setting can be described as the:

location and time-scape of a story

A foil character is a:

major character whose personal qualities function in stark contrast to the hero.

A figure of speech that suggests something is literally something else is a:

metaphor

A great example of where subjective and objective styles exist side by side is in the ______________.

newspaper

Objective can be defined as:

not affected by personal opinions or views; impartial

Roman à clef is French for ___________________.

novel with a key

The all-seeing teller in the story is called the:

omniscient narrator

Sometimes, by juxtaposing a character, setting, theme, or idea _____________ to another for the purpose of comparison, contrast, or suspense, a writer can create mystery, joy, or relief without having to work very hard.

parallel

Sketch writing generally contains little to no _________.

plot

The relationship between location and character is very precise and will dictate your direction within the __________.

plot

Many people say that ____________ is felt rather than read.

poetry

Freewriting is typically conducted as a ______________ activity.

prewriting

The act of looking back is referred to as:

reflection

When writing, you are not __________ a real-life conversation—it will be different than normal conversations for the purpose of the story.

replicating

The _______________ of a story generally occurs during the denouement phase of your plot structuring.

resolution

Just like any good journalist, there must always be a _________ of the facts or details before permanently jotting them down.

review

Characters are inextricably linked to their physical ____________.

setting

To help you consider how you will introduce information about time without coming right out and saying it, remember the mantra: _____________.

show, don't tell

Excellent dialogue makes it a priority to _________, rather than to __________.

show, tell

The following sentence is an example of what type of sentence structure? The man stopped suddenly.

simple