One Word Test

~ Jill

Fans of Doctor Who should recognize this quote from the latest episode, The Snowmen:

Promotional poster for The Snowmen. Source: Wikipedia. Copyright: BBC.

“Truth is singular; lies are words, words, words.”

For the rest of you, it is the rational given for the “one word test,” where a character must answer every question put to her with only one word.

For example,

Question: Why is Steven Moffat the best writer in TV history?

Answer: Clever

I’m going to adapt this test to help me with a top ten list: Who are my ten most favorite authors and why do I love them?

Jane Austen, Watercolour and pencil portrait b...
Jane Austen, Watercolour and pencil portrait by her sister Cassandra, 1810 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I realize that some of my one word answers would need clarification.  In the Doctor Who episode, the test works because it is all within the context of the show. The audience and the test giver all understand the full meaning behind each single word answer.

I highly recommend you try this.  It took me less time than I expected, not even five minutes, but it clarified for me why I love these writer’s words.  Pick something and tell us why you love it. In one word.

14 thoughts on “One Word Test”

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  8. Interesting idea. I think it should be really helpful for making decisions as well, because it forces you to go right down to the gist of each option. 🙂

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