Contents

Preface

Homo Fictus Vs. Homo Sapiens

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Abstraction?: Conveying Emotion in Fiction

The Art of Description

“What We See With”: Redefining Plot

Returning Characters to Life: What Chekhov Teaches Us about Endings

The Flowers of Afterthought: Premises and Strategies for Revision

Praise for David Jauss

If I were in charge of the seating arrangements, I’d reserve a place for David Jauss in the very first row of contemporary American fiction writers.

—Wally Lamb, author of We Are Water

Whether the characters are male or female, young or old, from the majority or from the minority, David Jauss renders them with the compassionate mastery of a true and humble artist. His prose is at once lean and generous, sensual and intelligent, edgy without being judgmental.

—Andre Dubus III, author House of Sand and Fog and Townie: A Memoir

For more than three decades David Jauss has been quietly crafting gems of literature. [His] skill, insight, and artistry that have earned him a place among the very best American writers. His talent runs deep.

—Clint McCown, author of Haints and Music for Hard Times: New & Selected Stories

David Jauss’s work was a huge influence on me as a young writer.

—Dan Chaon, author of Stay Awake

I have long admired David Jauss’s fiction—the tough, yet gentle intelligence in it.

—Richard Bausch, author of Something Is Out There: Stories

I have long been a great admirer of the work of David Jauss, though admire is too weak a word. More like a fanatical fan. His stories have been personal landmarks for as long as I have been writing.

—Bret Lott, author of Dead Low Tide and Jewel