Lessons

Short lessons on the craft problems a check finds in fiction: dialogue tags, rhythm, names that drift and point of view. Each one has worked examples, before and after, and says when to keep the habit.

• DialogueTags and beatsA speech tag tells the reader who is speaking. When it starts telling them how, it competes with the line it belongs to.
• DialogueRhythm and voiceDialogue is not a transcript. It is speech shaped for the reader: shorter, sharper and more distinct than real talk. Read it aloud as you revise; where you stumble or run out of breath, the reader will too.
• ContinuityNames and continuityReaders keep track of your people and places by their names. When a name drifts, they stop to work out whether someone new has arrived. A story bible is only as good as its last update: when you rename someone in revision, change the entry first, then check each chapter again.
• Point of viewPoint of view and filteringThe reader lives inside your point-of-view character. Every “she saw” and “he felt” reminds them they are outside, watching someone else have the experience.