Author Thomas Stribling wrote this letter to Mr. M. H. Kowan of Columbus, Ohio in response to Kowan's request for answers to five questions, seemingly related to writing (the original questions are not included). The first answer provides Stribling's humorous definitions of the words fiction and novel. The second seems to explain why Stribling writes. The third answer ranks the elements of a novel in order of their importance, and the fourth simply reads "Rewriting." The last answer says that Stribling has no other suggestions but reiterates his wish for more definition requests.