A Book Review of Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon (Perigee, April 2008)

Edit Your Fiction For Publication
Review by Patricia Clement

Elizabeth Lyon makes the simple but stunning promise to both novice and experienced fiction writers that practicing the techniques in Manuscript Makeover will lead to publishable stories. And she has the credentials to back up this claim—experience as an editor, mentor and workshop leader and author of four previous books on the craft of writing.

A readable and well organized-style, spiced with humor, makes reading Manuscript Makeover an unusual pleasure. The book is divided into the four main areas of style, craft, characterization and marketing. Each chapter is sprinkled with descriptions of the most common writing problems of each chapter’s topic as well as clear explanations of the ways to fix each problem.

Examples from best-selling novels illustrate concepts and each chapter ends with a detailed checklist for easy reference. The style chapters present inside-out (“using your self knowledge to plumb the depths of your life experiences to improve your writing”) and outside-in (“tricks of the trade”) methods of revision.

Craft chapters address issues particular to each fiction genre, different types of story structure and movement, suspense, time and place.  The five chapters on different aspects of characterization present the most in-depth coverage I’ve ever read of that subject.

Chapters discuss point-of-view, character dimension and theme, character personality and voice, as well as character-driven beginnings, scenes, suspense and narration. After reading the characterization chapters I finally understand how to strengthen my book and create irresistible characters by weaving character development into scenes and narration.

The last chapters deal with how to market your manuscript, from delivering impeccable manuscript mechanics to writing synopses and query letters that will neatly take your novel from your first draft to your agent and editor’s desk.

Reading Manuscript Makeover has given me the skills and confidence to edit my clumsy first draft into a polished novel. Buy this book and let Elizabeth Lyon help you score an acceptance on your novel or story.