dialogue

The Comfortable Manuscript Problem

15 April 2026 / Author Services, Editing, Mark Posey

There’s a point in many manuscripts where the story quietly pulls back. The conflict softens, the dialogue becomes safer, and characters make the reasonable choice instead of the revealing one. The result is a manuscript that is technically good—but often forgettable. The moments readers remember are rarely the comfortable ones.

One Simple Trick to Make Your Dialogue Instantly Stronger

30 July 2025 / Mark Posey

Struggling with clunky conversations or over-the-top dialogue tags? Clean, compelling dialogue doesn’t just sound real — it works hard to reveal character, build tension, and move your story forward. Here’s how to write dialogue that earns its place on the page.