General Creative Writing - Fiction UK MCQs

1. In terms of 'show versus tell', which of the following is preferable when structuring a story?

2. A good novel or novella often has __________ points of view.

3. In fiction writing, 'foreshadowing' is a term for __________________.

4. What is creative non-fiction?

5. What is a mythological story, or myth?

6. Which of the following is not a commonly acknowledged genre in novel writing?

7. A story is often said to have three parts: a beginning, a middle and an end. What are these parts sometimes called?

8. According to Ernest Hemingway's

9. 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?

10. Literary agents usually have _________ clients or authors on their client list.

11. In fiction writing, a 'foil' is ______________.

12. The term 'irony' refers to ________________.

13. In fiction writing, a 'caricature' is ______________.

14. Fiction that is published online is usually called _______________.

15. The term 'writer's block' refers to ______________ .

16. ___________ 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.

17. What is copy-editing?

18. A full-length work in which characters appear in cartoon form, but that is usually written for an adult audience, is called _______________.

19. In fiction writing, the term 'persona' refers to ________________.

20. A line break in a story is often associated with what kind of change in the action or narrative?

21. In fiction writing, 'setting' refers to ___________.

22. Which of the following genres of writing is the least likely to have a sub-plot?

23. If a novel is poorly plotted, what is most likely wrong with it?

24. A print run is _____________ .

25. The in-house departments at a publishing company are commonly called Production, Marketing, Sales, Design, Finance/Accounting and _________ .

26. The 'climax' of a story is ____________________ .

27. Which of the following is commonly regarded as the most essential ingredient of a dramatic plot?

28. If editorial work is done in-house, it would most likely be carried out by which of the following people?

29. The overuse of _________________ should be avoided in fiction writing because it can lead to weak, unrealistic, and ineffective prose.

30. What are page proofs?

31. 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.

32. A pseudonym is ______________ .

33. Which of the following statements best illustrates the primary purpose of writing dialogue?

34. A book that sells in great numbers and makes the top-selling lists of major newspapers is often called a ____________ .

35. Publishing companies are often called publishing ___________ .

36. What is the difference between a closed plot and an open plot?

37. A flashback is _____________________ .

38. In fiction writing, the term 'allusion' refers to _______________.

39. 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, ________________________ .

40. In terms of novels, what is a 'proposal'?

41. A 'typo' in a draft, proof or published book is ___________ .

42. Which of the following best describes a 'roman a clef' (novel with a key)?

43. What is the difference between a publisher's 'front list' and its 'back list'?

44. A plot synopsis is ____________________ .

45. What is the difference between a 'plot' and a 'story'?

46. A story that ends at the point at which it began is said to be ___________

47. In terms of time, a story without temporal disjunctions, flashbacks or dream sequences that could confuse the main action is said to be _______________ .

48. In fiction writing, the term 'in medias res' refers to __________________.

49. In terms of how a story is told, 'POV' means ________.

50. What is a biographical novel?

51. 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?

52. What is typesetting?

53. In fiction writing, the term 'premise' refers to ________________ .

54. Publishers, editors and agents commonly prefer typed manuscripts to be submitted in which of the following formats?

55. Which of the following is the best definition of a novella?

56. 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.

57. Which of the following describes language that refers to meanings other than the literal meaning?

58. In copyediting, red ink and blue ink generally signify which kinds of changes?

59. In general, the plot of a novel or short story is best described by which of the following?

60. In creative writing, the term 'simile' refers to ______________.

61. What is 'vanity publishing'?

62. Using the names of real people when creating characters is not a good idea legally because you run the risk of ______________ .

63. Why are short stories sometimes more challenging than novels for writers to write?

64. In terms of interacting with another writer's characters, plagiarism is when ___________________ .

65. The 'denouement' of a story is its _____________.

66. The fiction writing technique of showing a character expressing thoughts or feelings to him or herself is called __________________ .

67. The back story of a piece of fiction is ____________.

68. What is a copyright?

69. What do inverted commas mean when used in fiction dialogue?

70. A 'stock character' is _______________.

71. If the narrator of a story refers to him or herself as 'I', which of the following perspectives is being used?

72. The inner self-questioning or drive that leads a character to do or accomplish something is called the character's _____________.

73. Which of the following best defines a collection of interconnected short stories?

74. 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 _________ .

75. When submitting fiction - especially a novel - to a literary agent, which of the following is usually sent after the initial inquiry?

76. In a linear narrative, how is the story told in terms of time?

77. The term 'stream of consciousness' refers to ______________.

78. The main relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist of a story can best be described as one of __________ .

79. Which of the following is the closest explanation of the term 'premise', as it is applied in fiction writing?

80. _________ is a service in which an author writes a book that will eventually be published under somone else's name.

81. What is the difference between a publisher's 'front list' and 'back list'?