Introduction:You can be published! PARTONE: PUTTING WORDS IN chapter1 Your classroom? It''s your first chapter! chapter2 Why you should be a hooker chapter3 What''s your point of view? chapter4 Don''t be an information dumper chapter5 Your manuscript is a Christmas tree chapter6 William Brennan: A "Christmas tree" case history chapter7 Make your scenes work harder chapter8 Don''t discuss sows'' ears with silken words chapter9 You say your heroine doesn''t hate your hero? Too bad! chapter10 But they have to like each other, too! PARTTWO: TAKING WORDS OUT Introduction:21 Steps to fog-free writing step1 Use fewer -ing words step2 Use fewer infinitives step3 Change passive voice to active voice step4 Avoid "expletive" and "had ____ that" constructions step5 Use fewer "hads" in internal dialogue step6 Shorten verbs step7 Eliminate double verbs step8 Eliminate double nouns, adjectives, and adverbs step9 Watch for foggy phrases step10 Remove character filters step11 Delete -ly words step12 Get rid of all dialogue tags except "said" step13 Now, get rid of "said"! step14 Cut the dialogue! step15 Eliminate redundancies step16 Use fewer prepositional phrases step17 Get rid of throwaway words step18 Edit for conciseness step19 Avoid clichés like the plague step20 Get rid of superficials step21 Stop those wandering eyes PARTTHREE: SHARING YOUR WORDS Introduction:Sharing Your Work chapter11 Critique partners chapter12 Professional editors chapter13 Publishers and agents chapter14 Writing the query letter chapter15 Writing the synopsis Appendix ExerciseSolutions Sarah''sPerils Solutions Mysteryon Firefly Knob Synopsis Novelsused as examples Index Aboutthe author.