oDesk Creative Writing Test Answer- Fiction (UK Version) 2015
·
1. Which of the following is not a commonly acknowledged genre in novel writing?
Answers:• Mystery
• Thriller
• Horror
• Crime
• Love
2. The term "onomatopoeia"
refers to the formation of words that imitate the sounds associated with the
objects or actions they refer to. Given that, which of the following character
names is onomatopoeic?
Answers:
• Mr. Tall, the
banker
• Mr.
Swish, the broom maker
• Mr. Hungry, the
baker
• Mr. Legs, the
sprinter
3. In fiction writing, a 'caricature'
is ______________.
Answers:
• a character
from the past
• a character who
is larger than life
• a
character whose behaviour or mannerisms are exaggerated for comic relief, as in
a visual cartoon
• a drawing of
the main character
4. A line break in a story is often
associated with what kind of change in the action or narrative?
Answers:
• A change in
tense
• A change in
tension
• A
change in time or space
• A breaking and
entering
• A break for
comedy / tragedy
5. Which of the following genres of
writing is the least likely to have a sub-plot?
Answers:
• A fairy tale
• A novella
• A short story
• A
novel in verse
• Flash fiction
6. The overuse of _________________
should be avoided in fiction writing because it can lead to weak, unrealistic,
and ineffective prose.
Answers:
• nouns and verbs
• chapters and
paragraphs
•
adjectives and adverbs
• beginnings and
endings
• All of the
above
7. What is the difference between a
closed plot and an open plot?
Answers:
• An open plot
involves marriage at the end, while a closed plot involves murder.
• An open plot is
one in which conflict is resolved at the end, while a closed plot is one in
which conflict is not resolved.
• A
closed plot is one in which conflict is resolved at the end, while an open plot
is one in which conflict is not resolved.
• There is no
difference between an open and closed plot.
8. In terms of novels, what is a
'proposal'?
Answers:
• A summary of an
existing novel
• A short
description of an author's past and future work
• A letter or
e-mail sent to the editor of a magazine requesting payment
• A
hypothetical description of a future work or work-in-progress that might
interest an editor
9. What is a biographical novel?
Answers:
• A half
fictional, half factual novel, the fiction and fact alternating between
chapters
• The factual
re-telling or re-imagining of a fictional character
•
Telling someone else's real story as non-fictional, from a third-person
perspective
• One that deals
with biology and its affect on the characters
• The fictional
re-telling or re-imagining of a real person
10. Publishers, editors and agents
commonly prefer typed manuscripts to be submitted in which of the following
formats?
Answers:
• Single-spaced
• One-and-a-half
spaced
•
Double-spaced
• Triple-spaced
• Any of The
above
11. Is the following sentence true or
false?
When an author agrees to give a
publisher worldwide audio rights, he or she gives the publisher the right to
record the author's written work for listeners anywhere in the world.
Answers:
• True
• False
12. In general, the plot of a novel or
short story is best described by which of the following?
Answers:
• The arc of the
story from the end to the beginning
• The mystery at
the heart of the tale, especially one involving a secret plan
• The plotting of
the characters
• The
significant points of story development that tell the story
• c and d
13. In creative writing, the term
'simile' refers to ______________.
Answers:
• a compound noun
• the comparison
of two nouns or two verbs using a metaphor
• a character who
smiles a lot
• a figure of
speech in which the author refers to something as the opposite of what it
actually is
• a
figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, usually
introduced by the words like or as
14. The back story of a piece of
fiction is ____________.
Answers:
• the story told
backwards
• the very end of
the story
• the publishing
blurb that appears on the back cover of the book
• the story of
the antagonist's motivation
• the
series of events or character insights that occurred before the story began,
often detailed by the author once the action has begun
• b, c and d
15. What is a copyright?
Answers:
• The rights an
author licenses to an editor to alter the original manuscript
• The photocopies
of an author's manuscript
• The authority
an author gives to a book agent to sell his or her work
• The
legal right granted to an author or publisher to exclusive publication, copy,
sale, or distribution of a creative work
• The legal
self-promotion an author engages in to sell his or her work
16. What do inverted commas mean when
used in fiction dialogue?
Answers:
• Skip to the
next page.
• They denote
words like 'said' or 'replied'.
• The dialogue
does not specifically identify who is talking.
• The
dialogue specifically signifies someone is talking.
17. In a fictional work, the section
that appears before the first chapter - and that is not the introduction, table
of contents or dedication - is most likely a/an _________ .
Answers:
• afterword
•
prologue
• marketing trick
• by-line
• a and b
18. A good novel or novella often has
__________ points of view.
Answers:
• one
or more
• five
• ten
• half a dozen
from different genders
19. In fiction writing,
'foreshadowing' is a term for __________________.
Answers:
• the shadows
that lurk in the back of a character's mind
• the
clues in the narrative that give an indication of or pre-empt the future plot
or story
• the tying up of
all loose ends at the end of the story
• the rebels in a
gothic horror story
• None of the
above
20. What is creative non-fiction?
Answers:
• Same as
non-fiction
• Fiction with
some fact
•
Non-fiction writing that uses creative techniques often associated with fiction
writing
• Half fact, half
fiction, in certain agreed ratios
• a and c
21. What is a mythological story, or
myth?
Answers:
• The story of a
real historical event or person
• A
story that is set in a faraway, fairy-tale land
• A story set in
the future from which we can better understand the present
• A story that
carries deeper meaning, often offering a symbolic interpretation of mankind,
nature, and the wider world in a universal context
22. A story is often said to have
three parts: a beginning, a middle and an end. What are these parts sometimes
called?
Answers:
• The premise,
the pause and the demise
• The run-up, the
walk-on and the run-off
• The leap, the
steady and the fall
• The
exposition, the middle section and the denouement
23. According to Ernest Hemingway's
"iceberg theory" for determining the power of a narrative and the
impression it makes on a reader, which of the following statements is most
true?
Answers:
• Most
of the story's effect should be below the surface and conveyed by relatively
fewer words on the page.
• More words
should be used on the page, with the effect on the reader being reduced.
• Stories should
be cold and always have selfish characters.
• All of the
above
24. Literary agents usually have
_________ clients or authors on their client list.
Answers:
• 1-5
• 1-10
• 1-100
• 1-200
• None
of the above: the number of clients can vary a great deal.
25. In fiction writing, a 'foil' is
______________.
Answers:
• the fundamental
and usually universal concept expressed through the story
• the protagonist
• the hurried
dialogue between two characters that expresses frustration or unhappiness
• the
antagonist
• a character who
calls attention, by contrast, to the good qualities or traits of the
protagonist or other characters
26. The term 'irony' refers to
________________.
Answers:
• the moment a
character becomes angry or extremely irate
• the
discrepancy or incongruity between what is meant and what is actually said,
which often results in a wry contrast
• the moment a
speaker means every word he or she says and wants to be taken literally
• a theme centred
on irons, fire irons, or tire irons
• b and c
• None of the
above
27. Fiction that is published online
is usually called _______________.
Answers:
• PC fiction
• long fiction
• flash
or flashy fiction
• digital fiction
• b and d
28. The term 'writer's block' refers
to ______________ .
Answers:
• the moments
when a writer gets 'stuck' and finds it difficult to continue writing a
particular work or story
• the division
between chapters in a book where white space is present on half a page
• a metallic
block writers use for inspiration and to generate new ideas
• an author's
finished book
29. ___________ is a method by which
an author enters into a contract with a publishing company, at the author's
expense, to have his or her manuscript printed in book form.
Answers:
• E-publishing
through the author's own website
• Professional
journaling
•
Self-publishing
• A query letter
• Third-party
printing
30. What is copy-editing?
Answers:
• Editing a text
by making notes on a separate sheet of paper and ensuring that there are three
spare copies of the manuscript
• Copying the
entire text in case it gets lost
•
Marking up a manuscript with symbols that communicate to a typesetter, editor
or author how to change the manuscript
• Copying and
editing the manuscript, and then repeating the process twice
• None of the above
31. A full-length work in which
characters appear in cartoon form, but that is usually written for an adult
audience, is called _______________.
Answers:
• pulp fiction
• an
autobiography
• a
graphic novel
• a comic strip
• c and d
32. In fiction writing, the term
'persona' refers to ________________.
Answers:
• a person in the
story who has morphed into multiple people
• the
moment at which a character takes the action very personally
• the entire cast
of characters
• the voice
adopted by the author to tell the story, which may or may not be like the real
author's voice
33. In terms of "show versus
tell", which of the following is preferable when structuring a story?
Answers:
• Having more
tell than show
•
Having more show than tell
• Having about
the same amount of show as tell
• Having twice as
much tell as show
34. In fiction writing, 'setting'
refers to ___________.
Answers:
• the tone in
which the author writes the story
• the
time, place, and circumstances of the story
• how the story
is typeset on the page
• the time at
which the story takes place, but not the specific place
35. If a novel is poorly plotted, what
is most likely wrong with it?
Answers:
• The overall
story is too long.
• The story is
too simple.
• The characters
are not believable and are hard to like.
• The
events, story and characters do not integrate well or are over-written,
exaggerated or unbelievable, and/or there are factual errors.
• It is plodding
and dull.
• a, b and d
36. A print run is _____________ .
Answers:
• the
printing of a book that occurs at one particular time and for a determined
number of copies
• the printed
copies of a book that are quickly distributed to the bookstores
• the reprinting
of titles that have sold out at the retail stores
• the author's
term for a particular kind of editing that assures good quality printing
37. The in-house departments at a
publishing company are commonly called Production, Marketing, Sales, Design,
Finance/Accounting and _________ .
Answers:
• Self-promotion
• Author/Writer
• Editorial
•
Micro-management
•
Distribution
38. The 'climax' of a story is
____________________ .
Answers:
• the very ending
• the very middle
• the
highest point in the story or conflict just before potential resolution
• a sequel to a
work
• All of the above
39. Which of the following is commonly
regarded as the most essential ingredient of a dramatic plot?
Answers:
•
Conflict
• Harmony
• Moral
characters doing bad things
• Immoral
characters doing good things
40. If editorial work is done
in-house, it would most likely be carried out by which of the following people?
Answers:
• A
freelancer
• The publisher
• The managing
director
• A desk editor
• An intern
41. What are page proofs?
Answers:
• The individual
pages of a book in the publishing process that are still in draft format and
that the author, editor, and typesetter mark up for possible changes
• The
proofreading marks that appear on the pages of an almost-finished book or
publication
• The watermarks
on the copyright, introduction, and contents pages
• The
final, proofread, camera-ready pages that are being sent to press
42. Is the following sentence true or
false?
When you agree to first UK serial
rights, you give a publisher the first right to publish your work in serial
form only in the UK; they would have to negotiate any other rights separately.
Answers:
• True
• False
43. A pseudonym is ______________ .
Answers:
• a ballpoint pen
• a specific
editorial deletion method
• a pen
name, or the name under which a writer is published
• a novel's release
date
• the term for
pulping old books
44. Which of the following statements
best illustrates the primary purpose of writing dialogue?
Answers:
• Dialogue shares
information by narrating the story.
• Dialogue is
less important than other aspects of story-telling such as setting, theme, and
characterization.
•
Dialogue propels the plot forward through a character's actions rather than
through his words.
• Dialogue
reflects the speaking voice of the character.
45. A book that sells in great numbers
and makes the top-selling lists of major newspapers is often called a
____________ .
Answers:
• major success
• big-time book
•
bestseller
• bank-breaker
• publisher's
lunch
• dime-store
novel
46. Publishing companies are often
called publishing ___________ .
Answers:
•
super-conglomerates
• corporations
•
houses
• cottages
• None of the
above
47. A flashback is
_____________________ .
Answers:
• a brighter,
more positive moment for a character or for the tone of the story as a whole
• a flashy
sequence during which the style of writing becomes disjointed, similar to
modernist writing
• a
section in which the narrative goes back in time, often within the mind of a
character, to events preceding the current action
• a section of
narrative immediately following a flash-forward
48. In fiction writing, the term
'allusion' refers to _______________.
Answers:
• the dark tone
of a narrative
• the alternating
movement between comedy and tragedy in a narrative
• an instance in
which a speaker's words are meant to mean the opposite of their literal
meaning, or when the speaker's words are undermined by the narrator
• an
indirect historical or cultural reference made by the writer or one of his
characters in a narrative
49. According to the old adage about
making every significant detail count, if a gun is placed on the wall in the
first part of a story, ________________________ .
Answers:
• it should fall
off sooner rather than later
• it should be
ignored
• it
should be fired by the end of the story
• it should
remain there
50. A 'typo' in a draft, proof or
published book is ___________ .
Answers:
• a spelling
mistake
• an intentional
error
• a mark that
draws the reader's attention such as underlining, italics or bold
• a
typing error
51. Which of the following best
describes a 'roman a clef' (novel with a key)?
Answers:
• A novel written
in French
• A novel with a
key attached to the front cover
• A novel with a
map or family tree in the front that relates to the action
• A
novel in which actual events and/or people are depicted as fictional events
and/or characters
52. What is the difference between a
publisher's 'front list' and its 'back list'?
Answers:
• The front list
is put in the window, and the back list stays in the office.
• The
front list contains the titles that have gone on sale in the current year,
while the back list are the titles that are older than frontlist title.
• The front list
is marketed, while the back list is not.
• The front list
is contains the names of genre writers, while the back list contains the names
of literary writers.
53. A plot synopsis is
____________________ .
Answers:
• a
summary of the main plot in relation to the characters and the main events
• an expansion of
the main plot in terms of what could be included for an even longer version
• a numbered list
of plot points with no reference to characters
• an alternative
version of the story for editing purposes
54. What is the difference between a
'plot' and a 'story'?
Answers:
• A
story is a series of events told in chronological order. A plot is a series of
events deliberately arranged so as to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and
emotional significance.
• A plot is a
series of events told in chronological order. A story is a series of events
deliberately arranged so as to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and emotional
significance.
• Both a and b
• A story is
linear; a plot is non-linear.
• There is no
difference; plot and story are the same thing.
55. A story that ends at the point at
which it began is said to be ___________ .
Answers:
• reversed
• self-induced
• non-linear
•
cyclical
56. In terms of time, a story without
temporal disjunctions, flashbacks or dream sequences that could confuse the
main action is said to be _______________ .
Answers:
• plain
• over-determined
• non-linear
• linear
• None of the
above
57. In fiction writing, the term 'in
medias res' refers to __________________.
Answers:
• the
middle of a story
• a person who
meddles in the action
• the technique
of beginning a story in the middle of the action
• the technique
of telling a story in reverse order of action
58. In terms of how a story is told,
"POV" means ________.
Answers:
• pick of vice
• particle of
vector
• piece of venom
• part of version
• point
of view
59. In his book Aspects of the Novel,
E. M. Forster famously described characters as 'flat' or 'round'. Which of the
following best describes flat characters as opposed to round characters?
Answers:
• Round
characters are one-dimensional, often with a single character trait, while flat
characters are more believable because they have a fuller personality with
multiple character traits.
• Flat characters
are physically flat, while round characters are physically round.
• Flat characters
are major characters, while round characters are minor characters.
• Flat
characters are one-dimensional, often with a single character trait, while
round characters are more believable because they have a fuller personality
with multiple character traits.
60. What is typesetting?
Answers:
• The first
print-run of a book
• The
laying out of a book in terms of how the book will actually look when printed
• The editorial
method in which proofs are passed between publisher and author
• The name for
the code that publishers and literary agents use when deciding whether to offer
an author a contract or not
61. In fiction writing, the term
'premise' refers to ________________ .
Answers:
• the climax near
the end of the story
• the
situation at the beginning of the story
• the broad
middle section of the story
• None of the
above
• All of the
above
62. Which of the following is the best
definition of a novella?
Answers:
• Half novel,
half short story
• A large
collection of short stories
• A
short novel
• All of the
above
63. Which of the following describes
language that refers to meanings other than the literal meaning?
Answers:
•
Symbolic or figurative
• Stream of
consciousness
• Symbiotic or
parasitic
• Open-ended
• None of the
above
64. In copyediting, red ink and blue
ink generally signify which kinds of changes?
Answers:
• Both are used
to show deletions, neither to show additions.
• Both are used
for any type of change.
• Both are used
to show additions, neither to show deletions.
• Blue
ink is used to show additions, and red ink is used to show deletions.
• a and b
65. What is 'vanity publishing'?
Answers:
• A publishing
method in which an author self-publishes his or her own book, perhaps because
it was not picked up by an established publishing house
• Online
publishing
• A
service in which an author pays someone to bind his or her book
• All of the
above
66. Using the names of real people
when creating characters is not a good idea legally because you run the risk of
______________ .
Answers:
• being
unoriginal
•
facing libel charges, being accused of defamation of character and being sued
• losing
self-esteem and not being able to finish the book
• losing friends
and alienating people
67. Why are short stories sometimes
more challenging than novels for writers to write?
Answers:
• Readers expect
more from short stories.
• The
characters and plot must be introduced and developed quickly rather than over a
period of time.
• Short stories
have more characters.
• All of the
above
• None of the
above
68. In terms of interacting with
another writer's characters, plagiarism is when ___________________ .
Answers:
• the characters
are identical
• one
writer steals characters or ideas from another writer without changing his or
her style of writing in representing those ideas or characters on the page
• one writer
steals another writer's belongings in real life
• one writer
borrows and sufficiently changes the characters created by another writer, so
that they no longer resemble their originals
69. The 'denouement' of a story is its
_____________.
Answers:
• middle part
• exposition
• conflict
• premise
•
resolution
70. The fiction writing technique of
showing a character expressing thoughts or feelings to him or herself is called
__________________ .
Answers:
• introspective
behaviour
• self-analysis
• an
interior monologue
• indirect free
speech
71. A 'stock character' is
_______________.
Answers:
• a character
with a great deal of personal charm
• a character who
operates the stocks in a village square
• a character
made out of wood
• a
general, rather than specific, character who is easily recognizable, such as
'the college frat boy' or 'the absent-minded professor'
72. If the narrator of a story refers
to him or herself as "I", which of the following perspectives is
being used?
Answers:
• Omniscient
• Ambivalent
•
First-person
• Third-person
• Second-person
73. The inner self-questioning or
drive that leads a character to do or accomplish something is called the
character's _____________.
Answers:
• spin
• insight
• maddening
impulse
•
motivation
74. Which of the following best
defines a collection of interconnected short stories?
Answers:
• A collection of
short novels that feature characters who appear in other novels
• A
collection of stories in which the same character appears in all of the stories
• A series of
short stories that share similar themes or characters within the same overall
work
• A collection of
stories in which each story shares the same subject matter
75. When submitting fiction -
especially a novel - to a literary agent, which of the following is usually
sent after the initial inquiry?
Answers:
• The first half
of the book
• The whole book
• The first
hundred pages and the last page
• The first three
chapters
• The first ten
chapters
76. In a linear narrative, how is the
story told in terms of time?
Answers:
• One event follows
another in chronological order.
• The narrative
skips around in time.
• The narrative
skips around in time, but always returns to its starting point.
• The story is
told backwards.
77. The term 'stream of consciousness'
refers to ______________.
Answers:
• the mind of the
author
• the author's
desire to keep writing and ward off writer's block
• a stream that
has a mind of its own
• a style of
writing in which the author records in a continuous manner - and often with
reduced punctuation and less attention to grammatical forms - the procession of
random thoughts that passes through his or her mind
78. The main relationship between the
protagonist and the antagonist of a story can best be described as one of
__________ .
Answers:
• jealousy
• necessity
• brotherhood
• conflict
• mutual support
