Narrative tense might sound like a small detail, but it’s one of the elements of writing that helps your story make sense .  It tells readers when the action is happening—past, present, or future—and keeps them grounded in your story’s timeline. When your tense shifts without warning, it can confuse readers or make your writing feel choppy. Every writer struggles with tense consistency at some point, but it's something every writer can master with a little practice and awaren

You know that moment when you sit down to watch “just one episode,” and suddenly, it’s 2 in the morning? There are many elements in screenwriting that come together to convince you to watch "just one more episode"—cliff-hangers, emotional turns, and perfectly timed reveals. That’s pacing at work—the rhythm of storytelling that keeps audiences hooked. And here’s the thing: The same techniques that make TV shows and movies addictive can make your writing do the same, convincing

You’ve finished a draft. Now comes the part that separates a decent draft from a polished manuscript: revision and self-editing. Many writers dread this stage because they fear “cutting too much” or losing their voice and the meaning of their work. But the truth is, careful tightening makes your writing clearer, sharper, and more impactful. As an editor, the number one difference I observe between the manuscripts of beginner and experienced writers is the knowledge of how to

If you’re new to writing and dreaming of publishing your first book, but you’re staring at "The End" and wondering, now what? —this post is for you. 👋 As a freelance book editor and proofreader, I often work with writers who aren’t sure what the next steps are after getting words on the page. Here’s a practical Q&A to guide you through what comes next. Q: I've finished my first draft. What do I do? A: Step one: Celebrate!  Writing a first draft is a big accomplishment. Then:

When writing fiction, it’s easy to get caught up in plot twists, character arcs, and world-building. But behind every compelling story lies something deeper—something that connects the narrative to a reader’s heart. That "something" is theme. More than just a literary device, theme is the emotional core of your story, the underlying message or question that gives your novel its soul. Rather than being spelled out for the reader, or "on the nose" as I like to say, themes often

Fiction is more than a sequence of events—it’s an experience. A good story tells us what happened; a great story makes us feel  it. One of the most powerful tools a writer has to make that happen is figurative language. It’s what turns plain prose into something immersive, emotional, and unforgettable. Whether you're crafting a sweeping epic or a quiet character study, figurative language isn't just decorative—it's foundational. Perhaps you remember learning about figurative

On LinkedIn recently a fellow freelance editor challenged a few folks to rewrite a set of sentences to reduce repetition and enhance sentence style and variability. It's difficult to edit for style without full context, but it was a fun exercise, and I had even more fun reading through the comments for other people's suggestions. No two suggestions were the same! Read on for the next post in the series on elements of style in fiction: sentence structure. One of the hallmarks

Hiring a professional editor is an important part of the publishing process, but before you hand your manuscript over, some necessary groundwork should be completed. By preparing your manuscript properly, authors ensure the editing process is efficient, cost-effective, and productive. Here are some critical steps to consider before sending your work to an editor. (These come from my own experience working with debut authors and writers who are new to self-publishing.) 1. Self

Proofreaders aren't just eagle-eyed typo hunters. For many indie authors, proofreaders can often be a valuable resource for navigating the next steps in the self-publishing process. If you've never thought to ask your proofreader about what to do with your polished manuscript, here's a step-by-step guide that will take your manuscript from final polished draft to published book. This checklist assumes that you have standardized the formatting of your manuscript document and a

A grammar miniblog Most writers are familiar with the basics of formatting dialogue in fiction such as in the following examples: “I...

In the past, I’ve talked about how freelance editors might charge for their services. There are many ways professionals might do this, but one way I discussed was using the sample edit to determine how many hours a project is estimated to take, applying an hourly rate, and then charging a full project fee. Time is, therefore, money, as the saying goes. Logically, it makes sense then that saving time will also save you money. Now, before anyone objects, let me explain what I m

What developmental editors do can be a bit of a mystery to the uninitiated, so I asked some of my DE colleagues for a broad picture of how they go about the editing process. (No, I am not a developmental editor.) Developmental editing As described in other blog posts and places on my site, developmental editing is generally considered “big picture” editing. A developmental editor performs three tasks in the editing process: They read the client’s full manuscript at whatever s

Beta readers are a pivotal part of the self-publishing process. They read your manuscript with the eye of an “average” reader, helping to identify areas of improvement. What beta readers do Beta readers are essentially test readers. While some may comment on obvious grammar or spelling mistakes, the bulk of a beta reader’s feedback should be focused on their level of engagement with and reactions to the text. They may also comment on the effectiveness of world-building, chara

In the editing world, time really is money. Editors have to strike a balance between setting a rate they can live on and completing work in a timely, methodical, and conscientious way, while keeping a good flow and not letting projects stagnate. So, the longer a manuscript takes to edit (no matter how long it is), the higher the cost for authors. Some editors may offer a flat or fixed rate, but many will adjust their per word, hourly, or project rates based on how long they p

One of the first things I learned about that was new to me as a freelance proofreader and editor was style sheet creation. Yet, it’s probably the least heard of aspect of the editing and proofreading process for my clients. What is a style sheet? A style sheet is like the Wikipedia page for your book. While the name is usually singular (style sheet), a style sheet is typically much more than one page. Style sheets come in many different formats and … styles. They are as uniqu

Independent authors are faced with many decisions during the self-publishing process, not least of which is determining what type of editing their manuscript needs. The decision to hire a professional editor, in itself, introduces a whole host of choices that can lead very quickly to decision fatigue. The editing trend There is a temptation, especially if one frequents writer Facebook groups and other corners of the Internet, to skimp on editing and instead rely on the help o