You’ve written a story has a solid premise, an engaging plot and interesting, relatable characters—in your head, anyway. But if the words on the page don’t channel that story into the minds of the readers in all its richness and nuance, then your book isn’t what it deserves to be.
Here are the four most common line editing issues I’ve found in fiction, and how to fix them:
Spatial continuity
Imagine you’re curled up on your couch, TV remote in hand, watching two characters locked in a tense, emotional showdown. Their faces are etched with worry, voices trembling, and the soundtrack is practically begging you to feel the drama. But instead, you burst out laughing.
The culprit? A continuity error. In a scene that’s supposed to be heartbreaking, a tiny detail hijacks the moment: the character’s purse keeps vanishing and reappearing like a mischievous ghost. One shot, the purse strap is draped over her shoulder. Cut to the next angle, and—Poof! the purse is gone. Back again, and there it is. It’s like a magic trick nobody asked for.
Suddenly, the emotional weight of the scene is replaced by a game of “spot the purse.” The showrunners were going for tears and got giggles instead.
But continuity errors aren’t just a TV and movie problem; written stories are just as vulnerable. If a character is sitting with a street-side window behind them and someone throws a brick through it, hitting them square in the chest—wait, how did that work? Suddenly, the story’s logic collapses.
As a line editor, I frequently see characters teleporting across rooms, objects materializing out of thin air, etc. (If you’ve made this mistake, don’t worry. You’re in excellent company.) Part of my job is to play detective, visualizing each scene to be sure every detail fits.
Point of view
Now imagine you’ve replaced that remote with a book, and you’re not just reading the story; you’re living it. You can see through the character’s eyes, think their thoughts, feel their heartbeat...
But just as you’re getting settled in, you’re snatched out of that character’s head and dropped into another one. Then another. Suddenly, the story zooms out, and you’re floating above it all, guided by an all-knowing narrator. Then before you can catch your breath, you’re dropped back into the first character’s head again, and the only thing you’re sure of anymore is the vertigo.
Choosing the right point of view is like picking the perfect lens for your story, and keeping that lens steady is crucial. A sudden shift can leave readers dizzy, unsure whose eyes they’re looking through.
In my editing experience, even authors who are careful about point of view slip occasionally, letting in details the character couldn’t possibly know. Here’s where your line editor can provide a second pair of eyes to catch these errors and save your readers from confusion and whiplash.
Verb tense
Have you ever found yourself tangled in a story where the character seems to exist in three different realities at once?
James is breathing a sigh of relief because his mother-in-law has finally left. And he’s deep in conversation with her. And somehow, he’s also nervously anticipating their very first meeting—all simultaneously! It’s enough to leave any reader scratching their head.
What the writer really meant to convey was this: James has just parted ways with his mother-in-law and is relieved that the visit is over. He’s replaying their recent conversation in his mind while also reflecting on their entire relationship—right back to those jittery moments before their very first meeting.
Fortunately, there’s an easy solution for messes like these. The English language gives writers a special tool that can keep up to six different timeframes straight in the same passage. But it only works if we use it, and too many writers shy away from it. It’s often dismissed as too tricky, too confusing, or just plain irrelevant. That’s a huge misconception because this one of the most powerful tools a writer has.
It’s called verb tense, and if you’re not an expert at handling it yet, that’s okay. You have a line editor who is.
Characterization
There’s nothing like the thrill of discovering a new book that’s set in the world of your favorite TV series or movie franchise. You dive in, eager to reconnect with beloved characters, only to find something feels off. The dialogue doesn’t ring true, or the characters behave in ways that just don’t fit. Disappointed, maybe even a little betrayed, you put the book down. You can’t believe you spent your money on something that’s not what it pretends to be.
Readers rely on writers to capture characters authentically. Even small deviations—a character offering a polite “Thank you” when she’d normally grumble to save face—can break the spell and ruin the experience. When characters act out of character, it’s hard for readers to stay engaged.
Poor characterization is one of the issues that give fan fiction a bad name. Pick up a random Star Trek paperback and see if the crew feels like the ones you know from the screen. Too often, they don’t.
Usually, the writing falls into one of two traps:
Bobble-head characters: They’re shallow imitations, endlessly repeating catchphrases or signature gestures, but lacking the depth, decision-making and genuine reactions of their on-screen counterparts.
Blank characters: Aside from their names, there’s nothing to distinguish them. They’re strangers, all speaking and acting the same, making it hard to tell them apart.
There’s no shortcut to truly understanding your characters, whether you created them or you borrowed them from another world. Major issues with characterization are developmental, but if you just need a little help making your characters come alive, that’s where a good line editor can make all the difference.
I provide line editing, copyediting and proofreading services. Click here to learn more and ask about hiring me.