Should I Be a Writer Quiz
Questions: 15 · 10 minutes
1. When reading work in a style or genre unfamiliar to you, what do you tend to do?
Focus mainly on whether the story or subject entertains me
Notice specific structural or language choices and consider why they work
Prefer familiar forms because they are more relevant to what I want to write
Mark a few techniques that I might experiment with in my own work
2. Two thoughtful readers give you conflicting feedback on the same passage. How do you respond?
Follow whichever reader has more writing experience
Test both suggestions against the passage's purpose, then make my own decision
Keep the original version so the work remains entirely mine
Look for the underlying concern the readers may share, despite their different solutions
3. You would like writing to become part of your career, but income from it is uncertain. Which approach fits you best?
Build skills and credits alongside a stable income plan, reviewing progress over time
Make an immediate full-time leap because pressure might create commitment
Explore a gradual transition through freelance work, study, or reduced hours if feasible
Postpone writing until it offers a predictably secure career path
4. Imagine that you have written regularly for months without publication or much outside attention. What would help you continue?
Tracking completed drafts, stronger skills, and personally meaningful progress
Sharing occasional work with a supportive reader or writing group
A clear sign that recognition or payment is likely soon
I would probably redirect my effort to something with faster visible returns
5. After finishing a complete first draft, how do you view the revision stage?
As a chance to rethink structure, meaning, and language where needed
As useful mainly for correcting obvious errors before sharing
As a focused process of improving the sections that matter most
As less appealing than beginning a fresh idea
6. You unexpectedly gain a free evening with no obligations. Which option sounds most appealing?
Work on a scene, essay, poem, or other piece I want to create
Capture ideas or observations that might become a piece later
Read or watch something that could spark my imagination
Spend the evening on a different hobby that currently interests me more
7. A piece you worked hard on is rejected by a publication or contest. What are you most likely to do?
Take a short break, then decide whether to revise or try another suitable venue
Continue writing but keep future work private to avoid the submission process
Review what I can learn, then revise or submit elsewhere while starting new work
Treat the rejection as a sign that another pursuit may suit me better
8. A normal week is already busy, but you want to make progress on a project. What plan feels most realistic?
Write only if inspiration and spare time happen to coincide
Reserve a few small, flexible writing windows around existing commitments
Wait for a future week with a large uninterrupted block
Protect a repeatable writing appointment, even if each session is modest
9. Which part of being a writer holds the most lasting appeal for you?
Having a flexible or recognizable creative identity
Seeing a finished piece reach and affect readers
Receiving publication, praise, or professional recognition
Turning complex thoughts or imagined worlds into language
10. When you imagine starting a substantial writing project, which response fits best?
Several ideas appeal to me, and I am ready to choose one to explore
I like the possibility, but another creative activity usually feels more immediate
I have a project or question I feel strongly motivated to develop
The identity of being a writer appeals more than any project I currently want to write
11. A family, work, or study responsibility takes over the time you planned to write. What do you usually do?
Drop writing for the week and begin again when circumstances are easier
Keep the project alive by capturing a few notes or ideas
Move the session to another specific time that still fits the week
Use a shorter backup session while respecting the competing responsibility
12. An idea keeps returning to you for several days. What are you most likely to do?
Talk about it with someone and enjoy the conversation it creates
Let it remain an interesting thought unless it becomes more urgent
Write a passage or scene to discover where it leads
Make notes about its characters, argument, or possibilities
13. A draft contains an important scene, but it feels flat. What would you most naturally do next?
Identify one likely problem and revise that element first
Move to a new project that feels more immediately promising
Try substantially different versions of the scene and compare them
Set it aside and read similar scenes before deciding what to change
14. You notice that your dialogue often sounds similar across characters. Which response best matches your approach?
Study conversations and revise each character around a distinct intention or rhythm
Accept it as part of my natural style and focus on the plot
Read dialogue by writers I admire and borrow one technique to practise
Ask a reader which character sounds least convincing and adjust that one
15. Suppose you learned that your current project would never be published. How would that affect your desire to finish it?
I would probably stop because publication is the main reason to finish
I would still want to finish because making the work matters to me
I might finish if I could share it with a small group I value
I would keep selected parts but redirect most of my energy elsewhere