These are two of the most common sentence-level errors we flag in a line edit, and they’re worth understanding properly rather than just patching one instance at a time — because once you see the underlying pattern, you start catching them yourself before a manuscript ever reaches an editor. What a Comma Splice Actually Is …
Of everything we correct in a line edit, dialogue punctuation is the most common — and the most fixable. These are mechanical rules, not style choices, which means there’s no “voice” defense for getting them wrong. Here’s what to know. Commas, Not Periods, Before Dialogue Tags If dialogue is followed by a tag like she …
Introducing FluidScriptr — a new tool from Tin House Press for writers ready to take their stories further. You wrote the book. Now someone asks: is there a screenplay? It’s a question more writers are hearing. The lines between publishing formats have blurred — novels become series, memoirs become documentaries, short stories become short films. …
