I’m thrilled to announce the publication of my new book Re/Invention: Methods of Social Fiction. Re/Invention is a comprehensive intro to social fiction as a research method. The book gives you everything you need to write fiction grounded in scholarship; however, even if you’re not interested in writing fiction, it’s vital for all researchers, and especially qualitative researchers, to learn how to use literary tools and construct strong narratives. This book provides that guidance. Coverage includes writing as inquiry, the historical and contemporary context for fiction as a method, how to do it, various narrative structures with examples of published work, evaluation criteria, publishing advice, skill-building activities for students/novices, rethink-your-research activities for researchers to reimagine their current research as fiction, a glossary of suggested resources, and more.
Here’s what some scholars have said:
“One of the best-written methods books I have ever read, it is accessible, clear, and detailed. The examples demonstrate the fiction concepts, and the pedagogical elements provide valuable advice and questions to think about in order to get a writing project started.”
—Sandra L. Faulkner, PhD, School of Media and Communication, Bowling Green State University
“This book is excellent at explaining both the theory behind fiction as method and the practical 'how-tos' of doing it well… especially valuable for students coming from disciplines where fiction is not normally used, but where it could serve to make research accessible to a broader audience. I will use it in my own class.”
—Jessica Smartt Gullion, PhD, Department of Sociology, Texas Woman’s University
“Leavy does a wonderful job of introducing social fiction. The flow and style are confident and easy. There are humorous sections that keep the reader engaged in a way that is often missing in dry academic research methods texts.”
—Kenya E. Wolff, PhD, Department of Teacher Education, University of Mississippi
I loved writing this book so much and hope it’s useful to others. Please pick up a copy today, consider if for course adoption, and/or ask your library to order it. If you adopt the book as required reading for a course and you’d like me to virtually visit your class for a Q&A, please contact me.
Be well,
Patricia