Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore »

Elizabeth Lyon is a mentor, editor, and popular writing instructor. She's contributed to The Writer and Writer's Digest.

Professional editor and author Elizabeth Lyon offers aspiring novelists the guidance and instruction they need to write and edit well-crafted and compelling stories that will stand out from the competition and attract the attention of agents and publishers, including:

- Stand-out style techniques, from accessing an authentic voice to applying techniques of "wordsmithing" that transform prose
- How to rewrite characterization for dimensionality, a universal need, and theme
- Adjustment suggestions to match the prose style and structure of specific genres
- Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style
- Strategies to strengthen story beginnings and endings
- Methods for increasing plot stakes, creating movement, and adjusting pace for maximum suspense

Introduction: Preparing to Revise     xiii
Style Speaks
Inside-Out: The Voice of Style     3
Outside-In: Simple Revisions for Style     20
Outside-In: Advanced Revisions for Style     38
Craft Works
Revise for Genre     53
Whole Book: Five-Stage Structure     64
Whole Book: Journeys and Less Common Structures     90
Movement and Suspense     118
Time and Pace     139
Characterization Endures
Viewpoint     181
Character Dimension and Theme     204
Character-Driven Beginnings     217
Character-Driven Scenes and Suspense     242
Character Personality and Voice     264
Character-Driven Narration     286
Marketing Pays
Copyediting     303
Query Letters and Synopses: Polishing for Marketing     320
Acknowledgments     337
Index     339