Creative Writing Test - Non-fiction (U.S. Version)
Which
of the following is usually required when submitting non-fiction to a literary
agent or publishing editor?
a. The
entire work without a synopsis
b. An
outline, chapter synopsis, and the opening chapters
c. A
telephone call followed by the entire work
d. A
formal meeting in which you present the entire work
What
is "rhetoric"?
a. Expressive
writing as opposed to creative non-fiction
b. Simple
prose that doesn't draw attention to itself
c. Questions
and statements mingled together
d. Argumentative
or persuasive language
Which
of the following is the main font and size used in the U.S. by both print
publishers and the Hollywood film industry?
a. Times
New Roman 13
b. Courier
New 12
c. Garamond
12
d. Arial
12-14
e. All
of the above
How
is the copyright of a fiction or non-fiction work typically divided up?
a. Most
copyright licenses or contracts last for seventy years after the author's
death.
b. Randomly
or by lottery
c. By
lots of ten years either in the Western world or east of the international date
line
d. By
time and territory; i.e., in terms of regions of the world and the length of
time for which the copyright is licensed
Why
is it important to get the facts correct in non-fiction writing?
a. It
is less important than one might think; many non-fiction books are published
with factual errors.
b. It
is important because the credibility of the author and publisher are reflected
in the reliability of factual claims made in the book.
c. It
is less important than one might think; the work may contain a mixture of
verifiable facts and approximate facts or guesswork by the author.
d. It
is important because sales will be higher if there is more fictional content,
even in a non-fiction book.
Is
the following statement true or false?
Editors
will take a professional blog seriously as an example of someone's writing
skills, as long as the blog is regularly updated, clear, and relevant.
a. True
b. False
What
is a "heroic couplet"?
a. The
opening four lines of a poem
b. A
pair of rhymed lines in iambic pentameter
c. The
rhymed first and last lines of a poem
d. Poetry
in free verse with an epic or heroic subject matter
What
is "iambic pentameter"?
a. The
five beats at the end of a five-line stanza
b. A
traditional form of rising meter consisting of lines of five iambic feet (i.e.,
ten syllables total)
c. All
Shakespearean-style poetry
d. Christopher
Marlowe's "heroic line"
e. a
and d
What
is "elision"?
a. The
sliding of one consonant into another
b. The
repetition of certain vowels in a line of poetry
c. Stanzas
with exactly the same number of lines
d. The
omission of an unstressed vowel or syllable to maintain the poetry's meter
A
college business paper would typically be considered an example of
_______________ .
a. creative
non-fiction
b. fiction
c. creative
design
d. non-fiction
What
does it mean to "green-light" a project?
a. To
temporarily delay a production
b. To
give the go-ahead to start a production
c. That
the production has made over $1 million
d. That
the production is a safety-related play about traffic lights
Regarding
the inclusion of creative expression in non-fiction writing, which of the
following statements is most true?
a. Non-fiction
writing should always be factually verifiable, but that does not preclude
creative style or expression as long as the creative expression serves an
overall purpose of conveying facts, information, and learning.
b. Non-fiction
is required to be only 75% truthful; the remainder can be given over to
creative expression.
c. Non-fiction
should always aim to be as creative and imaginative as fiction, occasionally at
the cost of verifiable truth.
d. None
of the above
Which
of the following best defines "journal writing"?
a. A
written account of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly and
usually for private use
b. Writing
articles to submit to newspapers
c. Writing
a journal-like diary or memoir specifically for publication
d. All
of the above
The
Internet is a good source of famous works of literature and non-fiction, which
are often available free in fully downloadable or full-text online formats.
a. True
b. False
What
is an "indie" production company?
a. One
based in the state of Indiana
b. A
production company that is independent of major studio financing
c. A
production company that has a certain youth appeal, but that is still backed by
a major studio
d. A
theatrical production based on the Indiana Jones films
In
screenplay writing, the abbreviation "b.g." stands for ____________ .
a. background
b. big
gun
c. beautiful
generation
d. big
gap
e. None
of the above
What
is "personification"?
a. The
endowment of inanimate objects or concepts with living qualities
b. A
person who resembles or behaves like an animal
c. An
animal with human-like attributes or behavior
d. A
poem that resembles a person but does not actually include one
e. All
of the above
Which
of the following is NOT a type of personal journal writing?
a. Dream
book or log
b. Diary
or memoir
c. Electronic
journal
d. Spiritual
or personal growth journal
e. Short
story collection
f. Autobiography
or life writing
Which
of the following is the closest definition of the expression "high
concept" as it is applied in the field of screenplay writing?
a. A
simple premise that describes a proposed film in just a few sentences, often by
juxtaposing two known ideas
b. A
production with a large budget
c. A
very artistic, conceptual approach to filmmaking
d. A
complex idea that is turned into a relatively short film
What
is a "rhetorical question"?
a. A
question that doesn't require an answer
b. A
question that contains a riddle
c. A
question that demands to be answered as quickly as possible
d. A
question that contains an argument
e. A
question with two different answers
Among
writing professionals, which of the following are well-known programs for
creating and editing screenplays?
a. Movie
Magic Screenwriter and Final Draft
b. First
Draft and Second Draft
c. DreamWeaver
and Last Draft
d. No
Draft and Screenwriting Crew 101
e. None
of the above
What
does it mean if a screenplay is "optioned" by a television or film
production company?
a. The
screenplay has been bought and will be put into development; it may or may not
be made into a full production.
b. The
screenplay has been bought and will definitely be made into a film, and the
screenwriter will receive a royalty.
c. The
screenplay has been partially bought and will now pass through re-writes before
being returned to the screenwriter for a final polish.
d. The
screenplay will be resold to another film or television company.
How
is a biography different from a memoir?
a. Biographies
are more detailed than memoirs and require names and dates to be provided.
b. A
memoir is fiction, while a biography is non-fiction.
c. A
memoir is written by the author about him or herself, while a biography is
written by an author about someone else.
d. A
biography is meant for personal use, while a memoir is meant to be published.
e. There
is no real difference between the two.
In
screenplay terminology, the abbreviations "INT." and "EXT."
mean ____________ and ___________ respectively.
a. inner,
outer
b. interior
monologue, exterior speaker
c. interior
scene setting, exterior scene setting
d. intermission,
extra scene
e. All
of the above
A
manuscript that has been edited and proofread, that includes all images, and
that is about to be published is said to be in the __________________ stage.
a. page
proof
b. editorial
mark-up
c. typesetting
d. camera-ready
copy
Which
of the following is a good technique for presenting your creative writing
online?
a. Restricting
your work to either a blog or a website - having both is always confusing
b. Placing
sample opening chapters on a highly visual website that is interlinked with
blogs and discussion boards to draw attention to your work
c. Putting
the entire work online
d. Placing
your work online anonymously
What
is "objective truth" as opposed to "subjective truth"?
a. Subjective
truth is independently verifiable, whereas objective truth is dependent on a
limited point of view.
b. Objective
truth is independently verifiable whereas subjective truth is dependent on a
limited point of view.
c. They
are both the same.
d. Objective
truth is dependent on subjective truth.
e. Objective
truth involves two people, while subjective truth involves only one.
Which
of the following is the recommended length for a screenplay when submitting to
production companies?
a. 80-125
pages
b. 60-80
pages
c. 100-180
pages
d. Any
length, as it can always be abridged or expanded
Which
of the following considerations is most important when keeping a personal
journal?
a. That
you write regularly, regardless of how you choose to express your thoughts and
feelings
b. That
the grammar and punctuation be accurate
c. That
the sections be all the same length
d. That
you eventually submit it to a literary agent
What
is a "quatrain"?
a. A
four-line stanza or grouping of four lines of verse
b. A
two-line stanza written in free verse
c. The
last quarter of a poem, rounded to the nearest stanza
d. The
four parts of any work of art
e. b
and d
When
translated to the screen, a screenplay of 150 pages will generally run for how
long?
a. 2.5
hours
b. 1.5
hours
c. 2
hours
d. 3
hours
e. 1.75
hours
What
is "assonance"?
a. A
stanza in which the lines follow ABCD format
b. Stupid
behavior
c. The
repetition of vowel sounds
d. Three
or more consonants in a row
Creative
writing or blogging - especially when the format is interactive and allows
comments or provides discussion rooms for readers to express their own views -
is said to be a part of which of the following web generations?
a. Web
pages
b. WWW
for Dummies
c. The
Internet 1.1
d. Web
2.0
e. All
of the above
When
staging a play, what does the abbreviation "SPFX" stand for?
a. Special
Entrance
b. Special
Effects
c. Second
Prompter
d. Special
Affects
e. Extra
Speaker
What
is "metonymy"?
a. A
meteoric rise to success
b. Same
as "synonymous"
c. Rhyming
couplets
d. A
closely related word that is substituted for another word, object, or idea
e. Two
words with exactly the same meaning
What
is "bias"?
a. The
similarity between ideas
b. The
negative feeling between two ideas in a work of journalistic non-fiction
c. The
specific tone of a work, or specific voice of the writer
d. When
an author prejudices the reader in favor of one side of a subject by not
covering the topic fairly
In
theatre terminology, a "curtain call" is the moment when
______________ .
a. the
playwright is personally thanked onstage
b. the
audience stands and pulls down the curtains with great excitement
c. the
cast of the play take a bow on stage
d. the
audience leaves in disgust, calling out their disapproval
In
all types of writing, the term "the hook" refers to _____________.
a. a
potentially dangerous prop used on stage
b. the
antagonist
c. the
main character in a play or screenplay
d. a
line or passage that captures the audience's attention (originally a term
borrowed from songwriting)
What
is a "pun"?
a. A
bucket for audience tips
b. A
so-called "play on words," or the comic use of a single word with two
or more meanings
c. A
stage prompt
d. A
character foil
In
playwriting and theatre terminology, the term "ad lib" (from the
Latin ad libitum, meaning in accordance with desire) refers to
_________________.
a. dialogue
or action that the actors make up, often on the spur of the moment
b. the
moment when an actor stumbles on his or her words
c. what
the prompt or cue person in the front row delivers to actors who forget their
lines
d. impromptu
dancing in the middle of a play