by Christine Bode | Feb 17, 2026 | Writing Tips
Even compelling stories can suffer from line-level mistakes in fiction that dilute tension, flatten voice, and weaken emotional impact. These subtle flaws rarely ruin a draft outright. However, they quietly erode reader trust over time. Your plot may shine. Your...
by Christine Bode | Feb 14, 2026 | Writing Tips
A polished fiction manuscript does not announce itself with fireworks. Instead, it moves with quiet confidence. Readers feel its strength long before they analyze its craft. They trust the voice. Settle into the rhythm. Turn pages without resistance. Polish is not...
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 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 20, 2026 | Writing Tips
Every writer wants readers to forget they’re reading and feel like they’re listening. That’s the heart of natural dialogue writing tips—crafting conversations that feel alive rather than constructed. Dialogue that breathes exists where characters speak with purpose,...
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