Share
An investigative podcast hosted by world-renowned literary critic and publishing insider Bethanne Patrick. Book bans are on the rise across America. With the rise of social media, book publishers are losing their power as the industry gatekeepers. More and more celebrities and influencers are publishing books with ghostwriters. Writing communities are splintering because members are at cross purposes about their mission. Missing Pages is an investigative podcast about the book publishing ind ...
…
continue reading
#221. 5 Line Editing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine
Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips
Manage episode 521126767 series 2786880
Content provided by Savannah Gilbo. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Savannah Gilbo or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.
Discover five practical line editing strategies that sharpen your prose, strengthen emotional clarity, and make each sentence more purposeful on the page.
Line editing can feel intimidating, especially if you're not sure where to begin or how to make meaningful improvements at the sentence level. And if you've ever tried refining lines before your scenes are clear and working, you know how frustrating the process can be.
In today’s episode, I’m joined by three brilliant book coaches and editors: Karyn Fischer, Alice Sudlow, and Julie Artz, who work with writers every day to help them strengthen their line-level craft. Along with their best tips, I’m also sharing two of my own favorite strategies so you can approach line editing without feeling overwhelmed or unsure of where to start.
Here's what we talk about:
[03:00] Learn how dynamic verbs instantly energize your prose and why swapping out static wording is one of the fastest line editing wins.
[07:14] See how a simple clarity–flow–refinement order keeps your line edits focused and prevents the overwhelm that stops many writers in revision.
[11:40] Learn why understanding the true purpose of your scenes helps you make clearer sentence-level decisions.
[15:41] Explore how short, long, and mixed-length sentences shape pacing, emotion, and rhythm so your prose feels intentional instead of flat or repetitive.
[19:28] Five practical line editing tools, from reading aloud to spotting junk words, that help you tighten and strengthen your manuscript.
Whether you're revising a first draft or doing late-stage editing, these five tips will help you make intentional, powerful choices on every page.
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
⭐ Follow & Review
If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.
Chapters
1. Why Line Editing Matters (00:00:00)
2. What Line Editing Is And Is Not (00:01:20)
3. Coaches And Episode Roadmap (00:02:03)
4. Karen Fisher On Dynamic Verbs (00:03:19)
5. A Hierarchy: Clarity, Flow, Polish (00:08:40)
6. Purpose-Driven Edits With Alice Sudlow (00:11:40)
7. Rhythm Through Sentence Variety (00:16:10)
8. Julie Arts’ Five Line Edit Tips (00:19:23)
9. Wrap-Up And Next Steps (00:23:51)
236 episodes
))
