Have you subscribed to our new biweekly newsletter that provides free, helpful editing tips? It’s called THE LINE EDIT.
Here’s a copy of our first issue:
Welcome to THE LINE EDIT, your go-to source for practical, professional insights that help you strengthen your writing one tip at a time.
Whether you’re polishing your novel, rewriting a memoir, or putting the final touches on your nonfiction book, THE LINE EDIT is here to help. Each issue delivers one practical, professional editing tip you can use right away—no fluff, no jargon, just clear advice to make your writing stronger, cleaner, and more compelling.
This ongoing newsletter is brought to you by the editors at Current Words Publishing, where we believe every author deserves great support and great editing.
Let’s dig in!
✂️ Pro Tip 1: Read Your Work aloud. One of the simplest and most powerful editing tools in your arsenal is the opportunity to read your writing aloud. When you hear your words instead of just seeing them, awkward sentences, repetitive phrases, and clunky dialogue become instantly more noticeable. This is because your ear catches rhythm and pacing in a way your eyes don’t.
The technique is especially helpful for spotting unintentional tongue twisters or dialogue that doesn’t sound natural. Bonus: Reading your work aloud slows you down, making it harder to skim over mistakes. If something sounds wrong or trips you up, that’s a sign it needs attention. Give it a try and see what you discover about your work!
For our first issue of THE LINE EDIT let’s take a look at a second pro tip.
🛠 Pro Tip 2: Tuck dialogue tags inside. Dialogue is vital to a good story, and vital to keeping readers on track. You need dialogue tags: identifying text that lets the reader know who’s speaking. Here’s an example (in italics): “I’m going home,” said Christy as she walked out the door. The problem with dialogue tags is that very often there is no movement or action combined with them, and while they help readers stay on track, they are boring to read. Because we both need them, and they’re not particularly tasty, I often recommend that my editing clients tuck them inside the dialogue, so, instead of this…
“Carmen, when we return to the office I want you and Jeremiah to clear out Mary’s belongings to make room for her replacement. Let’s hope this one won’t be a rat,” McPherson said.
…you would do this…
“Carmen,” McPherson said, “when we return to the office I want you and Jeremiah to clear out Mary’s belongings to make room for her replacement. Let’s hope this one won’t be a rat.”
Of course, you don’t know anything about that story, but how much more boring is it to end on McPherson said as opposed to McPherson calling Mary a rat? Readers are still provided with important information (the name of the speaker), which keeps them on track. Ending while still in the dialogue also keeps them more engaged.
In poetry writing, poets often think very long and hard about the word they end their lines on for the same reason. This is especially true in the more sparse and impressionistic world of poetry, because ending a line on the most interesting part of the line helps move readers onward, helps them engage. Prose writers should also consider this, not merely with dialogue, but with their paragraphs or chapters. Does the word, the sentences, or the paragraph you end on make readers want to stay awake and keep reading? If so, success!
🛠 Want More Help With Your Writing? Visit the Current Words Author Resources page for free tools, downloads, and helpful guidance for writers at every stage. Whether you’re querying, revising, publishing, or need guidance navigating the industry, we’ve got materials to support your next step.
✍️ Need professional copy-editing services? We work across nearly every genre and on projects ranging from short fiction to epic-length novels, as well as memoir, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Whether you’re self-publishing or querying agents, a professional edit can make all the difference. Our rates are fair, our feedback is honest, our experience spans decades, and we’re ready to help. Visit our website to learn more.
Want a free sample edit? Dianne is happy to provide you with a free sample so you can see what an edit can do for you.
Simply email dianne@currentwords.com to get on her schedule.
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