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The questions below are chosen randomly from the Book Lab, the Lyric Lab, and the Music Lab; simply to give you an idea of how the interactive test works in all of the labs.
1.  

The primary purpose of an outline is:
      A. to be well written and compelling.
      B. to help you interest collaborators in your idea.
      C. to tell us the action of the story by telling us what happens in every scene.
      D. to help you interest a producer in your show.        Sorry, your response is incorrect.

Explanation:

An outline is not primarily intended to display good writing or help to interest producers or collaborators; it is intended to tell the action of the story scene by scene.

Choose/change your answer:
2.  

Which line has prosody issues, if set to strict and absolutely regular music?
      A. The other night, from cares exempt,
      B. I slept. And what d'you think I dreamt?        Sorry, your response is incorrect.
      C. I dreamt that I had come
      D. To dwell in Topsy-Turveydom!

Explanation:

The third line doesn't have enough syllables to fill all of ta-TUM ta-TUM ta-TUM ta-TUM, and bad prosody is going to be the result. An easy enough fix, of course, but the point is that if the music is indeed ta-TUM ta-TUM ta-TUM ta-TUM, but the lyric is only ta-TUM ta-TUM ta-TUM...something's got to give.

Choose/change your answer:
3.  

The basic principals of storytelling:
      A. are different for plays and musicals.
      B. do not apply to musicals.
      C. are the same for plays and musicals.        Your response is correct.
      D. change every twenty years.

Explanation:

Although some of the specifics vary, the basic principals of storytelling always apply whether you are writing a musical, a play, a novel, or a screenplay.

Choose/change your answer:
4.  

What kind of motion makes up an authentic cadence?
      A. Subdominant to Tonic        Sorry, your response is incorrect.
      B. Tonic to Subdominant
      C. Dominant to Tonic
      D. Tonic to Dominant

Explanation:

Authentic cadences consist of movement from Dominant to Tonic.

Choose/change your answer:
5.  

In She is a candle in the wind, what is being compared to what?
      A. She is being compared to a candle.
      B. The wind is being compared to a candle.
      C. This isn't a simile, and nothing is being compared to anything.
      D. A candle is being compared to the wind.        Sorry, your response is incorrect.

Explanation:

She's as vulnerable to being blown out of existence as the flame of a candle in a wind. The simile really ought to be She is the candle's FLAME in the wind because, of course, a wind can't annihilate wax...but we get the point. She is still burning brightly, despite the winds which blow against her.

Choose/change your answer:
6.  

The basic difference between Stranger and Neighbor exposition is:
      A. stranger exposition should be avoided in favor of neighbor exposition.
      B. stranger exposition refers to information shared between people who do not know each other, whereas neighbor exposition refers to information shared between people who do know each other
      C. stranger exposition is awkward and neighbor exposition is elegant.        Sorry, your response is incorrect.
      D. stranger exposition happens in Act One, and neighbor exposition happens in Act Two.

Explanation:

Neither stranger exposition nor neighbor exposition is inherently better or worse. One is the way strangers talk to each other, the other is the way neighbors talk to each other. The one cardinal sin is to put stranger exposition into the mouth's of neighbors, such as having a character answer the phone saying 'Hello, Father, this is your eldest daughter Rebecca.' In this exaggerated form, it is obvious and laughable, but subtler versions can be equally awkward.

Choose/change your answer:
7.  

What is an enharmonic equivalent?
      A. Two chords that sound alike
      B. Two names for the same chord        Sorry, your response is incorrect.
      C. Two names for the same note
      D. Two harmonies that sound alike

Explanation:

An enharmonic equivalent identifies the same pitch in different ways, for example, Bb and A#.

Choose/change your answer:

Your score is 1 out of 7.

(A passing grade is 5.)


You can take this test again as often as you want from this page. When you are finished with this test,
you can return to the WMT HOME PAGE.