How to Tell a Story and Other Essays

"Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences," the best-known and best-loved essay in this collection, is Mark Twain's how-to guide for the would-be author. A hilarious and cutting critique of what not to do, this deliciously wicked essay also lays out what writers should and must do if they want their fiction to live and breath - as Twain's own fiction always does. Anyone who cares about storytelling or writing will find Twain's sage suggestions in this volume compelling and engaging.