http://figs4fun.com/basics.html

figs4fun is a great place to start which also points you to Ray Givan's website.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ray's Figs

Thanks so much for the links; they seem to be a great place to start.

One basic question that is still a bit unclear despite my browsing: when I prune in late winter / early spring, can I cut large main branches at any point I wish? Doing so would help me reshape the tree drastically from a tall, spindly one to a more conveniently-sized, esthetically pleasing one.

Thanks again,

Barnet

barnet 10 (now just barnet),

First of all DO keep your USDA zone in your GW profile,
it helps a lot in answering any of your future questions.

>>> late winter / early spring,

Pruning should be done BEST when the tree is dormant,
both late-winter/early-spring are fine.

Here up-cold-north, spring-time may be favored to make
sure that any winter-killed-fig-wood is taken into account.
Knowing your zone (10); this is not applicable to you...