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:

• Karyn Fischer Website
• Alice Sudlow Website
• Julie Artz Website

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Learn how to build a focused, authentic author platform to connect with readers early, grow your visibility, and create lasting momentum for your book launch.

In this episode, I’m joined by Shelby Leigh, bestselling author of four poetry books (with over 60,000 copies sold!) and the founder of Marketing by Shelby, where she's helped more than 8,000 authors and creatives learn how to market their books with ease.

Shelby and I talk about how to start building your author platform before your book launches, what to post when you don't have a book out yet, and how to market in a way that fits your personality (even if you’re introverted or allergic to salesy marketing).

Here’s what we cover:

[02:15] How Shelby went from anonymous poet to book marketing educator, and what helped her embrace book promotion as an introvert who once dreaded it.

[05:25] What an author platform actually includes (it’s more than social media!) and how early (or late) you should build one that works.

[12:30] The 3-Part “Show, Sell, Story Tell” content framework for sharing your work online without feeling pushy or performative.

[18:15] The most common author-platform mistakes writers make and the mindset shifts that turn confusing marketing into genuine reader connection.

[20:40] How to set up your first email list, plan a low-stress book launch, and keep growing your readership long after release week.

Whether you're preparing to publish or just starting your first draft, you'll discover simple, sustainable ways to market your book and connect with readers who'll love it.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Marketing By Shelby Website
• Grab Shelby’s Free List Growth Starter Kit

⭐ 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!

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Discover why clarity (not secrecy) is the key to keeping your readers engaged, curious, and emotionally invested in your story.

Writers often think suspense means withholding information, but what if the opposite were true?

In this episode, I'm joined by Daniel David Wallace, author, writing teacher, and founder of the annual Escape the Plot Forest Summit, to discuss why holding back details can leave readers confused or disconnected rather than curious.

Daniel explains how sharing the right information at the right time builds trust, deepens emotion, and makes every twist hit exactly the way you intended.

Here’s what we cover:

[02:25] Why trying to keep readers guessing for too long kills tension, and what actually makes a mystery feel exciting instead of confusing.

[06:35] How the fear of being ‘too obvious’ causes writers to hide key details, and why showing your hand sooner can keep readers even more engaged.

[10:00] What The Hunger Games can teach us about foreshadowing in fiction through the famous berry scene.

[18:00] What it really means to treat your reader like a friend, and how building trust keeps people invested in your story from start to finish.

[20:00] Where writers go wrong with multi-POV—and why including more POVs isn't always the way to make your story clear to readers

If you've ever worried that giving too much away will ruin your story, this episode will change how you think about suspense, clarity, and reader trust.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Daniel David Wallace Website
• The Character First Story Free Writing course

⭐ 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!

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.