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.