This is a rare work of nonfiction from Edith Wharton. It contains advice on writing from the first woman ever to win a Pulitzer Prize (which Edith Wharton won for her fictional piece The Age of Innocence). In this book, Edith Wharton provides general comments on the roots of modern fiction, the various ways in which to write a piece of fiction, and developing form and style. She also devotes space to the telling of a short story, how to construct a novel, and the importance of character and situation in the novel.