"Writing a novel," says John Dufresne, "is not as easy as you may have thought before you tried. But it's also not as difficult as you imagined." Dufresne's smart, practical, hard-nosed guide is for the person who has always wanted to write a novel but has been daunted by the sometimes chaotic, always challenging writing process. A patient teacher and experienced writer, Dufresne focuses his expertise and good humor on helping aspiring novelists take their first tentative steps. His six-month program variously calls attention to the key elements of good fiction writing and offers exercises that are designed to sharpen writers' command of novel-length storytelling. After six months of guided writing, the users of this book will finish what might have once seemed impossible-a rich and compelling first draft of a novel. Is Life Like This? may well be the most important addition to the aspiring writer's library.

Author Biography

John Dufresne is the author of eleven previous books, including three fiction writing guides. A professor in the MFA program at Florida International University, he lives in Dania Beach.