What if? is the first handbook on the topic of writing that is based on a practical conviction: the most effective and provocative method for learning the art of writing lies in mastering specific exercises. All seventy-five exercises for beginners and advanced writers consist of a succinctly formulated task, the associated goal, and numerous examples from world literature as well as from students of the two authors. The authors focus on very concrete situations in their handbook: How does a story begin, and how does it end? When do you use direct speech, and when do you use indirect speech? How do I transform real events into fiction? How do I find a language that has both melody and precise expression? Which senses are engaged in the reader? Each exercise isolates a specific element of narrative literature.