What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers

by
Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter
Published in 1991
by William Morrow

“To be a good writer you must do two very different things—write like a writer and think like one.” This handbook is a guide through over eighty writing exercises that provide insights on craft and process from Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter, who have more than twenty-five years of experience teaching creative writing between them. The exercises cover elements of storytelling—beginnings, characterization, point of view, dialogue, plot, and revision—with each entry including a straightforward description of the exercise, the objective, and student examples that will inspire both beginning and experienced writers.