We all have stories to tell about our lives and the lives of people we know. Rebecca Rule and Susan Wheeler help new and experienced writers commit those stories to paper. With a warm, wise, and encouraging voice, they describe the writing process, from the inkling of a subject, to drafts, to specific writing skills, to a final product. Each skill is practical, shown briefly, clearly, with outstanding examples from published as well as student writing to illustrate each point. The book covers critical topics such as: ULLI writing not to rehash, but to discoverLI finding a subject and narrowing itLI writing scenes and dialogue LI developing conflictLI stressing important moments and pointsLI using outstanding details and facts, time summaries and stretches, flashbacks, endings, and moreLI ways to find meaning and add depthLI revising and editingLI curing writer's blockLI giving and receiving constructive criticism./ULAs practical as Strunk and White's "Elements of Style," but far more warm, detailed, and encouraging, "True Stories" gives writers everything they need to find their stories and craft them with insight and meaning.