The second book in the Writer's Compass series from professional writing instructor Elizabeth Lyon offers both aspiring and established authors the fundamentals of writing and selling a great novel or short story. In addition to the basics of characterization, plot, pacing, and theme, A Writer's Guide to Fiction also features a plan for revising fiction, a guide to marketing, samples of cover and query letters, and methods of honing the writing craft.
A Writer's Guide to Fiction (Writer's Compass)
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About the Author
Elizabeth Lyon, a regular speaker at writing conferences and retreats nationwide, has been a contributor to Writer’s Digest and is a mentor, editor, and teacher for many writers. The author of Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write and The Sell Your Novel Toolkit, she lives in Eugene, Oregon.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Practical tips for beginnng writers,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Writer's Guide to Fiction (Writer's Compass) (Paperback)
I used Elizabeth Lyons' book, The Sell-your-Novel Toolkit, after I'd finished my first novel. Her samples of query letters and synopses helped me sell my first (and second) novels. Now I recommend it to students when I teach fiction writing. Her new book, A Writer's Guide to Fiction, is loaded with practical tips and strategies for new writers. It takes the mystery out of writing fiction, and has lots of good examples, lists and suggestions for would-be short story novelists and short story writers. I'll recommend this one as well.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Required reading for fiction writers,
By OkieScribe "OkieScribe" (Tulsa OK) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Writer's Guide to Fiction (Writer's Compass) (Paperback)
I actually started with Lyon's "Sell Your Novel Tool Kit", but quickly realized I had not reached that point with my novel yet. So I backtracked and bought this book, which I have found to be incredibly helpful. Her approach is systematic and rational, while still allowing for the creative and inspired. This is by far the best of all the books I've read on writing fiction, especially novels, and it has in some ways completely changed my approach. She manages to be supportive and inspiring without getting sappy, and her experience as an editor makes her insights especially penetrating and pertinent.Though Ms. Lyon generously recommends other books on fiction techniques within the text of her own, this title is the one absolute must-have for serious novelists. Its companion title on selling a novel is likewise highly recommended and required. Thank you, Elizabeth Lyon, for your invaluable guidance!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely Helpful,
By Patrice Fagnant-macarthur (Springfield, MA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: A Writer's Guide to Fiction (Writer's Compass) (Paperback)
I am currently working on my third novel, and I picked up this book to learn more about the craft of writing and how to make my writing better. In reading this, I realized just how much I didn't know! Lyon offers so much wisdom in this book, from developing characters to creating plots and scene development, to marketing, and incentives to keep writing even when the road is hard. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is serious about writing fiction and wants to improve his or her writing.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
THE MOMENT YOU lay down your first words of fiction, you become a magician like David Copperfield. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
mattering moment, story yearning, transitory truth, editing clients, twelve archetypes, omniscient viewpoint, story goal, scene goal, plot goal, inciting incident, flashback story, viewpoint character, primary plot, meaningful past, scene structure, story promise, resource box, inner story Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Special World, Harry Potter, New York, Jack Bickham, Maureen Murdock, Dean Koontz, Joseph Campbell, Bill Johnson, Christopher Vogler, Inmost Cave, The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit, Clive Cussler, Danielle Steel, Jane Hamilton, Jane Kirkpatrick, Map of the World, Monica Wood, Nancy Kress, Orson Scott Card, The Shipping News, Dave Boyle, Donald Maass, Henry James, Jayne Ann Krentz, Master Characters New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
THE MOMENT YOU lay down your first words of fiction, you become a magician like David Copperfield. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
mattering moment, story yearning, transitory truth, editing clients, twelve archetypes, omniscient viewpoint, story goal, scene goal, plot goal, inciting incident, flashback story, viewpoint character, primary plot, meaningful past, scene structure, story promise, resource box, inner story Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Special World, Harry Potter, New York, Jack Bickham, Maureen Murdock, Dean Koontz, Joseph Campbell, Bill Johnson, Christopher Vogler, Inmost Cave, The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit, Clive Cussler, Danielle Steel, Jane Hamilton, Jane Kirkpatrick, Map of the World, Monica Wood, Nancy Kress, Orson Scott Card, The Shipping News, Dave Boyle, Donald Maass, Henry James, Jayne Ann Krentz, Master Characters New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
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1
book
cites this book:
- A Map of the World (Oprah's Book Club) by Jane Hamilton on 4 pages
- A Story is a Promise by Bill Johnson on 4 pages
- Cold Mountain: A Novel by Charles Frazier on page 77, page 82, and page 201
- Light In Shadow by Jayne Ann Krentz on page 74, page 130, and page 134
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott in Front Matter, page 34, and page 103
See all 100 books this book cites
- The Writer's Handbook 2004 (Writer's Handbooks (Writer Inc)) by Elfreida Abbe on page 58
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