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Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford To Ignore (2008)

by Elizabeth Lyon(Favorite Author)

4.14 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0399533958 (ISBN13: 9780399533952)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Perigee Trade

review 1: Lyon manages to be respectful of writers at the same time she challenges us to go beyond ordinary editing techniques. When the spelling mistakes are gone, and the bad grammar and word usage are corrected, the polishing begins. Written in a clear and authoritative style, Manuscript Makeover gave direction to my editing like no other book on my shelf. Probably the best book on writing I have purchased.
review 2: I rarely give five star ratings, but this book is just that good. It's not necessarily life-changing or . . . maybe it is, at least for this writer.As it's subtitle says, the techniques outlined are techniques that shouldn't be ignored, although they aren't new and you've probably encountered them in any number of writing books or classes. But, what Lyon... more gives you is a compact reference for improving writing, for deepening characterization, structure, plot, etc. She also touches on copy editing and marketing, because, as we know from Dr. Johnson, none but a blockhead writes for fun.Lyon suggests techniques such as "riff-writing" that I, at least, was unaware of. "Riff-writing" is a version of free writing directed at a particular sentence or paragraph in a finished draft of a work. It allows the writer to play, to give depth and breadth to a particular piece of writing. She also suggests common techniques such as imitating other writers to help "see" style, and to help loosen the inner editor and stave off the inner critic when drafting. less

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