Learn about mood and rhythm in fiction

Hone your writing and editing craft with articles, books, webinars and audio content dedicated to helping you tell stories rich in mood, rhythm, tension and suspense.

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Articles about mood and rhythm in fiction

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Books for fiction authors and editors

Making Sense of ‘Show, Don’t Tell’

‘I cannot tell you how informative and useful I found this’ – Nic Winter, crime writer

​​​This fiction-editing guide helps editors and authors understand the differences between shown and told prose. Learn how to determine whether there are stylistic problems and how to craft solutions. The outcome is a stronger story and a more immersive reading experience.

Making Sense of Punctuation

This fiction-editing guide shows authors and editors how to use different types of punctuation in a novel.

​I go beyond publishing-industry conventions and teach you how to play with punctuation so that your prose is clear but laced with mood and rhythm too.

Editing Fiction at Sentence Level

Fiction is about flow, rhythm, mood, voice and style. But mostly it’s about story. When writers self-edit at line level with confidence, story is elevated by the sentence, rather than buried beneath it.

Editing Fiction at Sentence Level shows you how to hone your line craft so that your narrative and dialogue compel readers to turn the page.​
​ENJOYED THE JOURNEY AND LEARNT A GREAT DEAL ...
Thank you so much for the tremendous work you have put into editing my manuscript. Your expertise and observations are hugely valuable. You have instilled encouragement in me to go forward, and I have enjoyed the journey and learnt a great deal!
JOSEPHINE VAUGHAN, INDEPENDENT MEMOIR AUTHOR

Webinars on line editing craft

​Narrative Distance: A Toolbox for Writers and Editors

‘Told me masses of new stuff, and gave me a set of new tools to use immediately.’ – SoA @ Home Festival​ attendee
This webinar teaches professional fiction editors and commercial fiction authors how to recognize and control narrative (psychic) distance, and edit for a better reader experience.​

How to Line Edit for Suspense

Learn how to identify suspense in a novel and evaluate its effectiveness using the suspense trifecta framework. Edit for improved reader experience and communicate your revisions with confidence.

Preparing Your Book for Submission

'The BEST event I have been to on how to edit a manuscript. I learned so much!' – ​SoA @ Home Festival​ attendee
This 30-minute webinar teaches commercial fiction authors 11 pithy line-editing tips that make a substantive difference to writing flow and reader experience.

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Listen to The Immersive Fiction Collection

Listen to these episodes of The Editing Podcast in which Denise and Louise chat with independent authors and editors about sensitive and immersive fiction.