Thing Feigned or Imagined: A Self-Directed Course in the Craft of Fiction

"Thing Feigned or Imagined goes beyond the scope of most books of the "how-to-write" genre, digging deeply into the practical skills of the craft that often take years of experience for writers to hone. From a fluid definition of fiction, to the nuts and bolts of editing and manuscript submission, acclaimed author Fred Stenson draws on three decades of writing to offer a personal take on the craft of fiction. Stenson shows what fiction writers do and how they do it. His experience at mentoring established and beginning writers alike manifests itself in this book, in which he leads writers through an honest, funny, and engaging take on the process of writing and edition fiction.

Somebody commissioned to design the perfect writing mentor would probably come back with Fred Stenson. Stenson is wise, funny, and blessedly enthusiastic about the craft of writing. This is a book real writers are going to use, again and again. Curtis Gillespie, Playing Through and The Progress of an Object in MotionIn Thing Feigned or Imagined, Stenson takes his readers into the workshop of the writer, examining both basic and seldom-considered aspects of the craft of fiction. The result is illuminating: a book that writers of all levels of expertise will cherish. Merna Summers