Question

The true essence of a writer’s voice lies far beneath the surface. It is not merely a matter of grammar and word choice. It is the writer's craving to connect. It is less craft and more courage – less ink and more blood. It is not only how the writer tells his story; it is the story he chooses tell. The story he must tell. It is the reason he writes.

• A. It reveals itself in details the eye doesn't easily take in— in some unexpected hesitation or cunning adverb or barely audible inflection that makes you sit up and take notice.
• B. And contrary to popular belief, a writer’s voice is learnt more than it’s “found” or “discovered.”
• C. It is the fiery truth that burns in his heart until it becomes unbearable to wait even a single moment longer before putting pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard.
• D. It is the way an author expresses personal attitude— through word choice, asides, sentence flow, paragraph density, and other individual stylistic devices.

Answer 1

The correct option is C It is the fiery truth that burns in his heart until it becomes unbearable to wait even a single moment longer before putting pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard.

The paragraph given explains that the true essence of a writer’s voice “lies far beneath the surface”. What does the “surface” here refer to? The writer’s grammar and word choice. A writer’s voice, the paragraph tells us, is less about his craft and more about his urge to connect and tell the story that he simply must tell. It is the reason he writes.
Now, let us look at the options to complete the paragraph:
Option A. It reveals itself in details the eye doesn't easily take in— in some unexpected hesitation or cunning adverb or barely audible inflection that makes you sit up and take notice.
This option talks of the literary devices a writer can use to grab attention. However, the paragraph argues that a writer’s voice is not merely about his word choice and his craft. So this is not the right option to complete the paragraph.
Option B. And contrary to popular belief, a writer’s voice is learnt more than it’s “found” or “discovered.”
This option offers a new line of thought— that a writer’s voice can be learnt. However, the paragraph we have is not about how a writer’s voice can be found or learnt. It is about what constitutes the essence of a writer’s voice. So this is again not the right option to complete the paragraph.
Option C. It is the fiery truth that burns in his heart until it becomes unbearable to wait even a single moment longer before putting pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard.
The paragraph explains how the writer’s voice is a force that drives him to tell his story. The penultimate line talks of the voice being “the reason he writes”. Option C fits in well with this. It explains how the voice burns in the writer’s heart forcing him to give in and put pen to paper. So this is a good option to complete the paragraph.
Option D. It is the way an author expresses personal attitude— through word choice, asides, sentence flow, paragraph density, and other individual stylistic devices.
This line talks of word and grammar choices a writer makes to expresses his personal attitude. The paragraph states clearly that the true essence of the writer’s voice is not merely about this. So option D is also not the right one to complete the paragraph.
Correct Answer: Choice (c)