Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips

#221. 5 Line Editing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine

Nov 25, 2025

Guest

Julie Artz

Join Karyn Fischer, a seasoned book coach and former literary agent, Alice Sudlow, a developmental editor specializing in story refinement, and Julie Artz, an author and line-editing expert, as they share invaluable tips for polishing prose. They delve into using dynamic verbs to invigorate writing, maintaining clarity, flow, and purpose in scenes, and strategically varying sentence lengths to enhance emotion. Plus, discover practical tools like reading aloud and tracking junk words to elevate your editing game and make every line count!

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ADVICE

Choose Dynamic Verbs

Circle verbs on your page and replace weak or linking verbs with vivid, dynamic verbs to animate scenes.
Strong verbs create imagery and move action without needing extra adjectives.

ADVICE

Follow A Three‑Pass Hierarchy

Edit in three ordered passes: clarity first, then flow, then polish to avoid overwhelm.
Fix confusion and emotional logic before agonizing over perfect wording.

INSIGHT

Let Scene Purpose Guide Lines

Ground every line edit in the scene's purpose and the novel's arc so each word advances change.
Line choices should amplify the scene's intended emotional and plot movement.

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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.

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