This solution explains how to determine the essential components of a writer's workshop based on the provided passage.

Writer's Workshop Content According to the Passage

The question asks what should fill a writer's workshop, according to the author of the passage. To answer this accurately, we need to carefully examine the text provided. The passage contrasts contemporary writing, which it suggests is dominated by external fears and superficial concerns, with what the author believes makes for truly meaningful literature.

Passage Analysis: Modern Writing vs. Timeless Truths

The author expresses concern that modern writers are preoccupied with physical fear, leading them to neglect the "problems of the human heart in conflict with itself." This internal conflict is identified as the source of "good writing" and the only subject matter truly "worth writing about." The passage emphasizes the need for writers to overcome fear and focus on "old verities and truths of the heart," described as "old universal truths."

According to the passage, without these universal truths, a story becomes "ephemeral and doomed." Such stories deal with superficial themes like "lust" instead of love, meaningless "defeats," and hollow "victories." The author stresses that a writer's workshop should specifically exclude shallow content and make room only for fundamental, enduring truths.

Question Focus: Requirements for a Writer's Workshop

The core of the question is about the ideal contents or focus for a "writer's workshop" as envisioned by the author. The passage provides a direct statement regarding this:

"He must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid; and, teaching himself that, forget it forever, leaving no room in his workshop for anything but the old verities and truths of the heart, the old universal truths lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed..."

This sentence explicitly states what should and should not be in a writer's workshop.

Option Evaluation: Matching Passage Content

Let's evaluate each option against the guidance found in the passage:

• Option 1: stories of love and lust - The passage contrasts love (derived from universal truths) with lust (a characteristic of shallow writing). It suggests writing about lust happens when writers forget universal truths, not that the workshop should contain both.
• Option 2: stories of victories - The passage mentions "victories without hope" as a negative example of writing lacking depth. It does not endorse stories of victories as a primary focus for the workshop.
• Option 3: universal truths - This option directly aligns with the passage's statement that a writer's workshop should have "no room... for anything but the old verities and truths of the heart, the old universal truths."
• Option 4: ephemeral facts - The passage clearly states that stories lacking universal truths are "ephemeral." Therefore, ephemeral facts are precisely what should *not* be prioritized in a writer's workshop.

Identifying Universal Truths as Essential Workshop Material

The passage strongly advocates for writers to ground their work in "universal truths" such as love, honour, pity, pride, compassion, and sacrifice. These are presented as the foundation for meaningful and lasting literature. Consequently, a writer's workshop, the space where craft is honed, should be dedicated to cultivating and exploring these fundamental aspects of the human experience.

The author's view is that overcoming fear and focusing on these core human values are essential for avoiding superficiality and creating work that resonates universally. Therefore, the writer's workshop should be filled with the exploration and understanding of these universal truths.