The Lie That Tells a Truth is essential to writers in general, fiction writers in particular, beginning writers, serious writers, and anyone facing a blank page. John Dufresne, revered novelist and teacher, demystifies the writing process, showing that while the idea of writing may be overwhelming, the act of writing is simplicity itself.

Writing is a craft. Dufresne shows you the tools and how to use them. Under his guidance, you'll learn to overcome your resistance to writing and start to write for the fun and wonder of it, finding your passion and your voice. Drawing on the wisdom of literature's great craftsmen, Dufresne initiates you into the tools, processes, and techniques of writing: inventing compelling characters, developing a voice, creating a sense of place, editing your own words. Where do great ideas come from? How do we recognize them? How can language capture them? In his signature comic voice, Dufresne answers these questions and more in chapters such as "Writing Around the Block," "Plottery," and "The Art of Abbreviation."