Pages

Friday 12 October 2007

Aspiring writers' quiz

Have you got what it takes to be a writer?

It's been a while since I've redirected my loyal readers to a quiz. This one is by Holly Lisle, an American author with an extensive and very useful website. I learned a lot from it when I started writing. And she doesn't mention single POV once.

Go to Are you right for writing? and see how you score. (Disregard the repellent colour scheme of beige and pink. And the decorative photo to the left of this post, which is clearly an actress pretending to be an author. Probably Jane Austen).

Oh, since you ask, I got 47. She says: 30 - 49 points -- There's hope; you suspect some of the darker truths about the profession, and have an idea of what some of the rewards are. If you really want to do this, you'll face some disillusionment, but also stand a good chance of finding the real joys of the profession.

14 comments:

  1. That was good fun!

    "Mine was 53: 50 - 79 points -- If you can write, you're in there."

    which is heartening!

    Have a splendid weekend.

    Nikxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's appropriate that as a published author you should score higher than a mere aspirant.

    And you CAN write, or you wouldn't be published, so yeah, heartening!

    All is as it should be.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi, I enjoyed doing the quiz, thank you for sharing it with us... I hate to tell you what I got.;-)


    But I will.... 85... Guess I always knew in my heart of hearts I was, if only I had learnt to do it right sooner...lol ;-)

    Best wishes
    Annie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Okay, Annie, you are now officially the class swot.

    (Is there a dust-covered skeleton that was once your cat or husband in your living room? Fatally neglected in your fevered passion for prose?)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Lexi,
    Nope, my much beloved is alive and kicking, he's such a sweet. He will cook, clean & wash up so I have time to write. How lucky am I, very lucky ;-)

    best wishes

    Annie

    ReplyDelete
  6. What does it mean when you get a negative fraction?

    ReplyDelete
  7. A fraction preceded by a minus sign is negative. Any negative fraction is equivalent to a positive fraction multiplied by -1.

    I hope this has cleared things up for you, Norm. Math(s) can be pretty darn tricky.

    Did you try the quiz?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh. Ah. Right, then...

    So were you encouraged, or not?

    ReplyDelete
  9. 44. Had to adapt a few questions for my particular yen - the idea of writing a novel terrifies me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I had a lot of 'yeah buts'....

    I don't answer the phone unless it's Mary. I always want to talk to her.

    I've written most anywhere, the AlphaSmart works well for that.

    But the old friend? I'd want to support a friend. And, I could use stuff from the conversation in my stories....

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's funny, Oli, because screen writing scares me. There's so much technical stuff you have to know.

    Whereas anyone can write a novel, and most people have, it sometimes seems.

    Norm, I never want to answer the phone. I prefer the written word, if one isn't face to face. But I don't have a Mary to answer for me!

    Still puzzled as to how you got a minus mark AND a fraction...

    ReplyDelete
  12. 84 points. Don't know if that's good or bad.

    S.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's good! You're in the top rank! 37 more than I scored. You have:

    a) writing ability and

    b) a certain world-weary cynicism that will save you disillusionment along the way.

    At least, that's how I read it. Any reproachful, bony cats staring at you as you type?

    ReplyDelete