Writer's Block Trivia Quiz

Answer: Neil Gaiman

Gaiman has claimed that smart people invented writer's block almost as an excuse for getting stuck. There is a solution, however, as he suggests writing something else in the meantime. That said, Gaiman has taken anywhere between two months (for "The House at the End of the Lane") and twenty-three years (for "The Graveyard Book") to write his works.

Some in between have been considered some of his bests-- books like "American Gods", "Coraline", and his "Sandman" comic series. By the mid-2010s, he'd written ten novels.

Answer: Mark Twain

Writing never seemed to be much of an issue for this famous American novelist; he ended up creating countless works, most of which were short story collections and novels, in his later years (he really only started hitting his stride in his forties!).

It was, perhaps, breaking down his overwhelming tasks that allowed him to write nine books in the "Tom Sawyer" series and classics like "The Prince and the Pauper" and "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court". Samuel Langhorne Clemens died in 1910 and was later called the greatest humorist America had ever had.

Answer: Dan Brown

Though many critics have derided Dan Brown's extremely popular novels as poorly written (we're not going to get into it), it's hard to deny the author's tendency to write best-sellers. Since the release of "The Da Vinci Code", Brown has gone on to write several books in his series featuring Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbology professor. Brown's methods of defeating writer's block seem a bit unconventional to say the least, but it may be because of the blood rushing to his head that some of his outlandish plots have come to fruition. Who knows?

Answer: Stephen King

King has, of course, written dozens upon dozens of novels and short story collections to make him one of the most celebrated popular authors of the twentieth and twenty-first century. King, who started writing in the 1970s, has become somewhat of a leader in the horror community and much of his process was outlined in his non-fiction release "On Writing".

As someone who has claimed to write four to six hours per day (while reading an equivalent amount), King's process is likely to daunt some, but his tendency to write works that many claim to encapsulate a true, American way of life or voice (despite the horrors within) seems to indicate his idea works.

Answer: Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway, known for classics like "The Old Man and the Sea" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls" moved from journalism to fiction writing in his life. Taking part in both World Wars, he ended up moving to Cuba later in his days and wrote his novels full-time, becoming one of the most famous American authors of the day.

His distinct style, however, is what sets him apart; his Iceberg Theory creates characters whose motivations and histories are fairly surface-level to the reader, allowing for omissions to fill in the gaps and create cleaner prose, not unlike a short newspaper article.

After decades living in Florida and Cuba, he committed suicide in Idaho in the early 1960s. He wrote nine novels and numerous short story collections.

Answer: Margaret Atwood

A member of the Order of Canada, Margaret Atwood's more-than-half-century career has produced numerous award-winning works, many of which touch on themes like gender roles in society, identity, natural environments, and our potential futures. Novels like "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Oryx and Crake" allowed her to create almost-prescient social commentary enough so that she's earned countless honorary degrees and international prizes.

She's put numerous writing tips out there, but notably, she said "Don't sit down in the middle of the woods. If you're lost in the plot or blocked, retrace your steps to where you went wrong.

Then take the other road. And/or change the person. Change the tense. Change the opening page." Wise words, in my opinion.

Answer: Terry Pratchett

Sir Terry Pratchett was beloved by many in the fantasy literature community for his "Discworld" series which, over more than forty books, fleshed out an often-hilarious world featuring many recurring characters. It's because of this series that he was one of the top-selling authors in the UK at the turn of the century.

He passed away in 2015, but not before an award for debut novels was established in his name. As he once said: "What changed history were the smaller things. Often a few strokes of the pen would go the trick." He certainly left his mark.

Answer: Elizabeth Gilbert

Although there have been many books published encouraging creativity over the years, many fell by the wayside unlike "Eat, Pray, Love" author Elizabeth Gilbert's "Big Magic", which attempted to tune people into the idea of living wholly creative lifestyles with abandon.

The quote in the question is indicative of her style which accepts imperfection and urges not dwelling on negative self-expectation to overcome blocks. Besides her non-fiction account of her trips to India, Italy, and Indonesia in the massively-popular "Eat, Pray Love", she also wrote a few fictional novels to positive reception. "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear" was a "New York Times" Bestseller.

Answer: Orson Scott Card

Although Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" series has become one of the most famous science fiction series of all time, Card's political and religious views went to the forefront in the 2010s, but one can't discount the popularity of his works which, considering his words on writer's block, are a bit intense. Card, for many years, released a new sci-fi novel annually; it indicates that his series had a bit of a specific vision before hitting the page. Card also wrote a handful of books about writing and creative process in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

Answer: Philip Pullman

Following up this quote, Pullman stated: "What you do then is MAKE IT UP. I like the reply of the composer Shostakovich to a student who complained that he couldn't find a theme for his second movement. 'Never mind the theme! Just write the movement!' he said."

Pullman, aside from writing the "His Dark Materials" trilogy including "The Golden Compass", started writing in the 1970s and became one of the most celebrated contemporary British authors. An Oxford graduate, he is also known for his work in the literary community and his awards for children's literature.