Before you start: Creative Writing and Storytelling pretest

About 10 minutes. Not graded. 12 questions, plus 3 quick confidence questions.

This is not a test you pass or fail. It is fine not to know these answers. Many people will not, because you have not taken the course yet. Your answers show your starting point, so at the end you can see how far you came.

Why we ask: it shows what you already know and which ideas are new to you. When you finish the course, you will see your before and after for each skill, so you can see where you grew and what to review.

How sure do you feel?

Rate each line from 1 (not at all sure) to 5 (very sure). There is no right answer.

I can choose a story with a clear change and give it a shape.

1 2 3 4 5

1 = Not at all sure5 = Very sure

I can write scenes, characters, and dialogue that feel real.

1 2 3 4 5

1 = Not at all sure5 = Very sure

I can write about real people fairly and revise with feedback.

1 2 3 4 5

1 = Not at all sure5 = Very sure

Questions

1. Which story bank entry is the best start for a short story?

A. What I believe about hard work and staying loyal. B. All the years I spent playing baseball and football in high school. C. The morning I found my old teammate's name in the paper.

2. A writer's draft tells about a nice dinner with friends. Nothing is different at the end. What is the main problem?

A. The draft should begin with the drive there. B. The story has no change at its center yet. C. The dinner needs more guests and more food.

3. In a story, a teen wants to make the team. His knee injury holds him back. At tryouts he decides to play goalie instead. What is the turning point?

A. Deciding at tryouts to play goalie instead. B. The knee injury that keeps holding him back. C. Wanting very badly to make the varsity team.

4. You are writing about a holiday dinner that went wrong. Which first line drops the reader into the story fastest?

A. I want to tell you about a holiday from a few years ago. B. My family has always loved to host big, noisy holiday dinners. C. The smoke alarm went off just as the guests rang the bell.

5. Which part of a story should usually be a full scene?

A. The bus rides she took to school each morning. B. The moment she opens the letter that says she got in. C. The three long months she spent studying hard for the exam.

6. A woman waits for a job interview. Which sentence lets the reader see her nerves without naming them?

A. She smoothed her skirt for the fourth time and checked the door. B. She was more nervous than she had ever been before in her whole life. C. Nervous is the only word to describe how she felt that day.

7. Which detail gives a character the most depth?

A. A strict math teacher who cries at every school play. B. A strict math teacher who gives a lot of homework every night. C. A strict math teacher who has taught for 20 years.

8. Two sisters argue in your story. Which spoken line reveals the most about them and pushes the story forward?

A. "Hello there. How is your day going so far?" B. "You told Mom before you told me?" C. "The weather sure is nice out today."

9. You are writing a memoir and cannot remember if an event happened in 2009 or 2010. What is the most honest choice?

A. Check records or ask family, and if unsure, say so. B. Pick the year that fits the story's timeline best and move on. C. Leave the year out and never mention when it was.

10. Your public essay mentions a friend's money trouble. It is not needed for the story. What should you do?

A. Keep it, since every detail in it is true. B. Cut the detail, because it is private and adds nothing. C. Keep it but change your friend's first name and job title.

11. A reader says your story's ending is confusing. You also spot several typos. What do you fix first?

A. The font, so the pages look more professional to readers. B. The typos, so the draft looks clean and neat. C. The ending, since it is a story level problem.

12. You want help from an AI tool on your story. What is the best way to use it?

A. Ask it to rewrite the story in a stronger voice. B. Paste its version in and submit it under your name as is. C. Ask where the story drags, then revise it yourself.

Save my starting point

Next up

Go to Lesson 1: Every life is full of stories.

This self check is not graded.