by Christine Bode | Feb 7, 2026 | Writing Tips
Editors form early impressions, but not final judgments. The first five pages of a manuscript offer signals, not conclusions. Within those opening moments, your manuscript’s first five pages reveal how a writer approaches language, tone, and reader trust. Five pages...
by Christine Bode | Feb 3, 2026 | Writing Tips
Writers often ask me which rules matter most. My answer may surprise them. Your voice matters even more than grammar rules because voice is what readers remember. Voice is the living pulse beneath the prose. Without it, even flawless grammar falls flat. That doesn’t...
by Christine Bode | Jan 31, 2026 | Book Reviews
Book Review by Christine Bode Title: The HospitalityAuthor: Luna Asli KolchuPublisher: Self-PublishedReleased: January 20, 2026Pages: 144ASIN: B0GDS1NKNJStars: 4.0 “Some families pass down heirlooms. Some pass down land. The Ashfords pass down guests.”...
by Christine Bode | Jan 27, 2026 | Writing Tips
Readers don’t fall in love with characters because of perfect prose. They care because the characters feel alive. If you want to write compelling characters without overwriting, you must resist the urge to explain everything. Overwriting takes various forms:...
by Christine Bode | Jan 24, 2026 | Editing Tips
Editors rely on The Chicago Manual of Style, so authors don’t have to. One of the primary roles of a professional editor is to apply CMOS consistently behind the scenes, allowing authors to focus on storytelling rather than technical rules. If you’re writing fiction...
