Welcome to this comprehensive quiz on writing! As you embark on this literary journey, you’ll encounter questions that will challenge your knowledge on various facets of writing, from historical literature and famous authors to modern-day writing tools and techniques. Whether you’re a bibliophile, an aspiring writer, or just someone looking to test their knowledge, this quiz promises to entertain and educate. So, sharpen your pencils, flex your mind, and let’s get started!
1. Who wrote the first detective novel ever?
2. Which classic novel begins with the line “Call me Ishmael.”?
3. Who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain?
4. Which novel is considered the best-selling book of all time (excluding religious texts)?
5. Which book holds the Guinness World Record for being the most stolen from public libraries?
6. What Japanese author is known for his surreal and imaginative novels, including “Kafka on the Shore”?
7. Who wrote “Brave New World”?
8. In which novel can you find the character Jay Gatsby?
9. Which famous author lost a manuscript while traveling on a train, forcing him to rewrite it from scratch?
10. What is the name of the fictional town in Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”?
11. What 1851 novel was originally criticized for being “absurd” and “overwritten”?
12. Which science fiction author penned the three laws of robotics?
13. The character Sherlock Holmes was created by which author?
14. Who is the author of “Pride and Prejudice”?
15. “The Waste Land” is a poem by which renowned author?
16. Which novel tells the story of a doomed love affair between Anna Karenina and Count Alexei Vronsky?
17. What classic novel was originally titled “First Impressions”?
18. What post-apocalyptic novel features a father and son journeying through a burned America?
19. What is the pseudonym of the author who wrote “Carrie”, “It”, and “The Shining”?
20. Who wrote the dystopian novel “1984”?
21. What writing event challenges participants to write 50,000 words in the month of November?
22. Which daily writing exercise involves penning thoughts as they come, without any editing?
23. What is the term for a piece of fiction under 1000 words?
24. Which tool is often recommended for writers to track their daily word count and writing habits?
25. What type of writing practice involves creating a daily account of your personal experiences?
26. Who popularized the “10,000 hour rule”, suggesting it as the time needed to master a skill, including writing?
27. Which piece of advice suggests writers should eliminate unnecessary words in their prose?
28. In which famous writing book will you find the phrase “Murder your darlings”?
29. What method involves writing with a focus on quantity over quality, often used in brainstorming phases?
30. Which modern technique involves setting a timer, often for 25 minutes, to focus solely on writing?
31. What is the term for a group of writers who provide feedback on each other’s work?
32. Who wrote “Bird by Bird”, a memoir and writing guide?
33. Which type of poetry is written without specific patterns of rhyme or rhythm?
34. What is a six-word story that’s often attributed to Ernest Hemingway?
35. Which tool helps writers plan the events of their story, often using cards or post-it notes?
36. What term describes the background and societal conditions of a story’s setting?
37. What is the name of the climax or turning point in a story?
38. Which element of a story involves the events leading up to the climax?
39. What writing software allows authors to organize their manuscripts, notes, and research in one place?
40. What is the term for a central idea or underlying message in a piece of writing?
41. What word describes the unique choice and arrangement of words by a writer?
42. What’s the term for a short piece of writing on a particular subject, often expressing personal views?
43. Which writing technique involves starting a story in the middle of the action?
44. What type of writing is based on everyday life and personal experiences?
45. In fiction writing, what term describes a hint or clue about future events in the story?
46. Which element of a story introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation?
47. What’s the term for a long poem that tells a story, often about a heroic figure?
48. Who is the author of “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft”, a popular book about the art of writing?
49. What term describes the feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader?
50. What type of character remains the same throughout a story, not undergoing significant growth or change?
51. Which writing process involves checking for coherence, organization, and logical flow of ideas?
52. What’s the term for the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities in literature?
53. What name is given to the central character in a story who drives the main events and action?
54. In poetry, what term describes the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of adjacent words?
55. What is the general term for a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning separate from its literal meaning?
56. In which writing style do authors give a truthful account of facts, devoid of personal bias or emotions?
57. What’s the term for an author’s portrayal of a character using descriptive language?
58. In fiction, what term describes the events that happen after the climax and lead to the resolution?
59. What literary device involves a direct comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as”?
60. In a story’s structure, what term describes the final unraveling or solution of the plot?
61. What vintage writing tool utilizes a series of metal pins to imprint letters onto paper?
62. Which digital tool provides suggestions on grammar, style, and clarity in writing?
63. What’s the term for a software that allows writers to publish and format their work into an e-book?
64. Which writing tool, often cloud-based, allows multiple users to edit a document simultaneously?
65. What’s the name of a Japanese brush pen used for calligraphy and artistic writing?
66. Which software is designed specifically for scriptwriting, formatting scripts to industry standards?
67. What tool helps writers eliminate distractions by offering a clutter-free writing environment?
68. Which writing utensil uses a ballpoint and oil-based ink?
69. What is a stylus that’s specifically designed to write on tablets and touchscreen devices?
70. Which tool, resembling a notebook, helps writers organize their thoughts, character profiles, and plot structures?
71. What software offers complex character and world-building templates for novelists?
72. What digital platform allows writers to self-publish novels chapter by chapter and receive real-time feedback from readers?
73. Which handheld device allows writers to take digital notes and resembles the feeling of writing on paper?
74. Which software offers a digital corkboard feature, allowing writers to move virtual index cards around?
75. What type of journal has a dotted grid, often used for free-form planning and journaling?
76. Which digital tool assists writers in checking for overused words, cliches, and redundancies in their manuscript?
77. What’s the name of the tool used to sharpen pencils?
78. Which modern device allows writers to speak and have their words transcribed into text?
79. What online platform offers a space for writers to share short stories and poetry with a large community?
80. Which writing utensil uses water-based ink and offers a tip similar to a paintbrush?
81. Which application lets users create wiki-style interconnected pages for project organization and note-taking?
82. What popular cloud storage service allows writers to backup and access their manuscripts from anywhere?
83. Which traditional writing tool involves the use of a feather and ink?
84. What’s the name of the digital tool that helps writers map out their ideas visually, often in the form of branches?
85. Which software helps researchers and writers manage and cite bibliographic references?
86. What online platform is favored by academic writers to share and discover research papers?
87. Which tool involves a thin slice of metal or plastic for drawing straight lines?
88. What’s the name of the tool that allows writers to erase graphite marks from paper?
89. Which application offers customizable timers for writing sprints and breaks, based on the Pomodoro Technique?
90. What writing platform provides templates for creating interactive, choose-your-own-adventure style stories?
91. Which type of bookbinding tool allows for pages to be easily added or removed?
92. What’s the name of the platform where writers can create and sell online courses on writing?
93. What software helps screenwriters collaborate in real-time, offering features like chat and live co-writing?
94. Which writing tool, primarily used in the past, involves small, individual pieces of metal type to print text?
95. What digital platform is known for flash fiction and micro-stories, often told in less than 280 characters?
96. Which type of software assists writers in creating visual storyboards and timelines for their narratives?
97. What’s the name of the tool that magnifies text for detailed editing or proofreading on paper manuscripts?
98. Which popular blogging platform has a minimalist design and is favored by many writers for its simplicity?
99. What tool, often in the form of software, allows writers to check the originality of their work by comparing it to existing content on the internet?
100. Which writing utensil uses a combination of ink and a tiny ball to roll ink onto paper, creating a smoother writing experience than ballpoint pens?
101. What term describes the underlying message or deeper meaning of a literary piece?
102. Who wrote the famous adage, “Show, don’t tell” to guide writers in their craft?
103. In fiction, what term refers to a recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story?
104. What is the rhythmic pattern of a poem, determined by the number and types of stresses, called?
105. Which genre of writing explores and speculates about possible futures using current technological and societal trends?
106. Who coined the term “suspension of disbelief” in the context of poetic faith?
107. Which style of writing provides a concise, factual account of real-life events?
108. In the realm of writing, what does “purple prose” refer to?
109. What’s the term for a story or scene set in a period earlier than the main story?
110. Which narrative voice uses “you” making the reader a character in the story?
111. What do we call a sudden, profound realization or discovery in literature?
112. Which literary technique uses an object, person, place, or action to have a meaning itself and stand for something larger than itself?
113. Who said, “The first draft of anything is shit”?
114. What genre of writing is characterized by its emphasis on emotion, imagination, and individualism?
115. What’s the term for a brief and indirect reference in a text to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, or literary significance?
116. What type of poem expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically spoken in the first person?
117. What literary term refers to the use of contradictory ideas or terms in a brief phrase?
118. What type of character opposes the protagonist in a story?
119. What’s the term for a play on words, where a word is used in a manner to suggest two or more possible meanings?
120. In literature, what is a prolonged speech by a single character, typically within a play?
121. What term refers to the time and place in which a story unfolds?
122. In which narrative point of view is the narrator all-knowing and can enter the minds of multiple characters?
123. What’s the term for the series of events that make up the main part of a story, novel, or play?
124. What do we call a character’s speech, directed to the audience, that is not supposed to be heard by other characters on stage?
125. Which type of irony involves a situation in which actions have an effect opposite from what was intended?
126. Who wrote the six-word story: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”?
127. What term is used to describe a story told backward, where the outcome is shown before revealing how it came to be?
128. Which genre of writing offers commentary on societal issues under the guise of a fictional setting?
129. What’s the term for the central character or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel or any other story?
130. What is the use of a word to describe or imitate a natural sound or the sound made by an object or action?
131. In Shakespeare’s works, what is a traditional 14-line poem written in iambic pentameter called?
132. Which writing style presents facts without showing feelings or opinions?
133. What do we call the highest or most intense point in the development or resolution of a story?
134. In literature, what term refers to a mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term?
135. What is a fictional account of a real person’s life called?
136. Which literary technique involves a character in a play speaking to themselves, revealing their inner thoughts?
137. What term describes the introduction early in a story of verbal and dramatic hints that suggest what is to come later?
138. In fiction, what term describes a struggle between two opposing forces, usually a protagonist and an antagonist?
139. What’s the name for a fictional prose narrative that is shorter than a novel, typically focusing on one main character and theme?
140. Which literary device involves creating a fracture or inconsistency within a narrative, such as breaking the fourth wall?
141. Which literary device involves repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive clauses or sentences?
142. What type of narrative recounts the life or significant events of the writer themselves?
143. What do we call a figure of speech in which words are used in a way that their intended meaning differs from the actual meaning of the words?
144. Which literary device is used to give non-human entities human-like qualities?
145. What type of story is set in an imaginary universe, often inspired by mythology and folklore?
146. Who is often referred to as the “Bard of Avon”?
147. What term refers to the character, scene, or event from a literary work that is referred to in another?
148. Which style of writing is characterized by brevity and intensity in expressing feelings and ideas?
149. What do you call a narrative that begins “in the middle of things”, rather than at the beginning of the story?
150. What’s the term for a poem that mourns the death of an individual or laments something lost?
151. In which narrative point of view is the narrator a participant in the story, using “I” or “we”?
152. What type of ending deliberately leaves certain matters unresolved, allowing the reader to decide?
153. What’s the term for a long narrative poem that celebrates the deeds of a legendary hero?
154. Which literary device contrasts two opposing ideas in adjacent phrases or clauses?
155. What term refers to a turning point in a story where the protagonist experiences a significant change?
156. What do you call a form of literature that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticize people’s stupidity or vices?
157. Which figure of speech involves an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis?
158. In literature, what’s the name given to the central topic, subject, or message within a narrative?
159. Which literary device refers to a word’s actual pronunciation differing from its spelling?
160. What is the term for a minor plot that relates in some way to the main story?
161. What name is given to a poem that tells a story and often has a consistent rhyme and rhythm?
162. Who wrote “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, a landmark in the magic realism genre?
163. What term refers to a common character type found in literature, known for certain traits and behaviors?
164. Which ancient Greek epic recounts the story of Odysseus’s journey back home after the Trojan War?
165. Which novel by George Orwell is a critique of totalitarianism and is set in a dystopian future?
166. Who is the author of “Pride and Prejudice”, a seminal work on manners and matrimonial machinations?
167. In literature, what do we call a play on words wherein a word is used to convey two meanings at the same time?
168. What is the narrative strategy of starting a story at its chronological end?
169. Which Russian novelist wrote “War and Peace”, a sprawling tale of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia?
170. What genre of literature focuses on the mysterious, the supernatural, and the terrifying, often including haunted settings and gothic elements?
171. Who wrote “The Waste Land”, a landmark modernist work of the 20th century?
172. Which novel by Herman Melville focuses on the obsessive Captain Ahab and his hunt for a great white whale?
173. In Shakespearean tragedy, who is the Moorish general in the Venetian army who is led to doubt his wife’s fidelity?
174. What literary technique refers to an earlier event, scene, or term previously referenced or encountered?
175. What novel by Aldous Huxley depicts a dystopian future where society is technologically advanced but emotionally and intellectually stifled?
176. Which poet wrote “The Road Not Taken”, a poem about choices and their implications in life?
177. In literature, what’s the term for a recurring image, word, phrase, or action that enhances the theme of a work?
178. Who wrote the epic poem “Paradise Lost”, which describes the biblical tale of the fall of man?
179. What genre of literature is characterized by its focus on characters who face moral or psychological challenges?
180. Who is the author of “The Stranger”, an existential novel about an emotionally detached French Algerian?
181. Which American author wrote “The Great Gatsby”, a novel set during the Roaring Twenties that critiques the American Dream?
182. What’s the name of the literary device where animals, ideas, and inanimate objects are given human traits or characteristics?
183. Who penned the iconic line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, in a historical novel set during the French Revolution?
184. What type of poem has a strict 17-syllable, 5-7-5 syllable count pattern, and captures a moment in nature or life?
185. Which novel, set on an English estate called Brideshead, reflects on the themes of memory, family, and Catholicism?
186. What do you call a long speech delivered by a character in a drama to express their thoughts aloud?
187. Who is the author of the Gothic novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”, which tells the story of Victor Frankenstein and the creature he creates?
188. What term refers to a story or poem within a larger narrative, like the tales in “The Canterbury Tales”?
189. Which novel by Emily Brontë centers around the doomed love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff?
190. What is the term for a line or verse with five metrical feet, typically consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable?
191. Who wrote the “Song of Myself”, a part of the larger work “Leaves of Grass”?
192. In which Shakespearean play does the line “To be, or not to be: that is the question” appear?
193. What do you call a humorous and often satirical imitation of the style of a particular literary work or author?
194. Who authored “Beloved”, a novel that delves into the trauma of slavery and its aftermath in America?
195. What literary device presents speech, thoughts, or actions in a way that multiple meanings can be interpreted?
196. Which novel by James Joyce is known for its stream-of-consciousness technique and takes place over a single day in Dublin?
197. What is the term for a phrase or expression that has been used so often it’s no longer original or interesting?
198. Who wrote “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, a novella that examines the life of a high-ranking judge in 19th-century Russia?
199. In literature, what’s the name given to a recurring element that appears frequently in works of literature, like the ‘hero’s journey’?
200. Which dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood is set in a totalitarian society where women are property of the state?
201. What’s the term used for the exaggerated promotion of a product, person, or idea?
202. In writing, what’s the term used to describe an account of a person’s life written by someone else?
203. What do you call the background information provided at the beginning of a story to set the scene?
204. What punctuation mark is used to indicate a pause, typically between two main clauses, that’s more pronounced than a comma?
205. Which term describes a type of writing intended to instruct or inform?
206. What’s the term used to describe the unique manner in which each author expresses their thoughts?
207. In scriptwriting, what do you call the list that details the characters and their traits?
208. What word refers to a play on words, where the meaning is humorous due to its similarity in sound to another word?
209. What is the literary term for a short amusing or interesting story about a real person or event?
210. Which type of writing uses figurative language to evoke sensory experiences in the reader?
211. What do you call the process of submitting a written work to a publisher or agent in hopes of publication?
212. Which type of writing aims to persuade or convince its readers?
213. What term refers to the final resolution or clarification of a dramatic or narrative plot?
214. What do you call a figure of speech where two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect?
215. In writing, what term describes a common theme, motif, or structure shared among works, particularly in literature and film?
216. Which type of story or novel is based on a real-life event, but includes imagined scenarios and dialogue?
217. What word is used to describe the ‘high point’ or most intense part of a story?
218. What’s the term for a short composition on a particular subject, often presenting the personal view of the author?
219. In literature, what’s the name for a recurring structure, contrast, or literary device that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes?
220. What do you call an expression that has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or being irritating?
221. What term refers to the introductory paragraph or section of a novel or article that provides background information and sets the tone?
222. What’s the name for a brief statement or account covering the main points of a piece of writing or a news item?
223. What term is used to describe a writer’s choice of words and the way in which these words are assembled into sentences or phrases?
224. In writing, what is the name given to the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings different from their literal meanings?
225. Which type of writing is meant to communicate factual information, such as reports, news articles, and textbooks?
226. In the context of a narrative, what term refers to the events that lead up to the most crucial part of the story?
Final Words
Thank you for taking our quiz! We hope it offered a delightful mix of challenge and discovery. If you enjoyed this, make sure to explore other quizzes on Trivia Bliss to further test and expand your knowledge, including a quiz all about photography. Happy quizzing!
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