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Public proof library

See how Dainty fixes real fiction errors without rewriting the prose.

These public examples show what Gentle fixes, what Focused adds, and how Dainty avoids rewriting lines that are already doing their job.

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See the exact edits in Gentle and Focused before you paste a line.

Writer adds Focused for dialogue punctuation, sentence boundaries, and local grammar. Manuscript adds Rigorous notes for unclear references and small continuity slips.

Fiction proofreading examples with visible edits

These examples show what Dainty changes, what each proofreading mode adds, and when the right result is leaving the line alone.

Gentle

Typos and clear errors

Fixes obvious typos, punctuation slips, and other clear errors, then leaves borderline style calls alone.

Focused

Dialogue and grammar repairs

Includes Gentle, then fixes broken dialogue punctuation, sentence boundaries, and local grammar when the right correction is clear.

The paid value comes from dialogue and grammar repairs and review unclear references, not from rewriting your prose.

dialogue punctuation

Fix broken dialogue punctuation without flattening the line

Focused repairs the spoken-line mechanics while keeping the threat and cadence intact.

Shows why a deeper paid mode earns its keep: the line becomes cleanly proofread without sounding rewritten.

Original

"You dont know what youre saying" Lena said, "and if you did you wouldnt say it here."

Gentle

2 changesVoice kept intact

"You don't know what youre saying" Lena said, "and if you did you wouldn't say it here."

Focused

4 changesVoice kept intact

"You don't know what you're saying," Lena said, "and if you did you wouldn't say it here."

Original

"You dont know what youre saying" Lena said, "and if you did you wouldnt say it here."

Gentle

2 changesVoice kept intact

"You don't know what youre saying" Lena said, "and if you did you wouldn't say it here."

What changed

  • Gentle restores the obvious apostrophes and stops there.
  • Focused fixes the dialogue comma and the remaining contraction so the line reads as clean fiction dialogue.

What stayed intact

  • Keeps Lena sounding sharp instead of smoothing the line into neutral prose.
  • Leaves the sentence order and emotional pressure intact.

sentence boundaries

Split a fused sentence when readability actually breaks

Focused turns a fused run-on into a readable beat without rewriting the scene image.

Makes the mode difference obvious: Gentle stays with the safest baseline, while Focused fixes the broken boundary.

Original

The hallway smelled like bleach and old rain she kept walking because if she stopped she knew she would turn back.

Gentle

0 changesVoice kept intact

The hallway smelled like bleach and old rain she kept walking because if she stopped she knew she would turn back.

Focused

2 changesVoice kept intact

The hallway smelled like bleach and old rain s. She kept walking because if she stopped, she knew she would turn back.

Original

The hallway smelled like bleach and old rain she kept walking because if she stopped she knew she would turn back.

Gentle

0 changesVoice kept intact

The hallway smelled like bleach and old rain she kept walking because if she stopped she knew she would turn back.

What changed

  • Gentle leaves the line alone because the safe correction is not purely local.
  • Focused inserts the sentence boundary and one clarifying comma so the paragraph becomes readable.

What stayed intact

  • Keeps the bleak hallway image and the forward motion of the scene.
  • Does not replace the sentence with smoother, more generic narration.

grammar

Clean up a paragraph-level proofreading problem, not the voice

Focused resolves the broken grammar and sentence boundary while preserving the ominous reveal.

Shows the commercial value of a deeper proofread on a paragraph that is visibly wrong but still stylistically specific.

Original

The porch light was still on, it shouldnt have been, and Eli knew that before he even touched the gate because nobody leave it burning that late.

Gentle

1 changeVoice kept intact

The porch light was still on, it shouldn't have been, and Eli knew that before he even touched the gate because nobody leave it burning that late.

Focused

3 changesVoice kept intact

The porch light was still on, i. It shouldn't have been, and Eli knew that before he even touched the gate because nobody leaveft it burning that late.

Original

The porch light was still on, it shouldnt have been, and Eli knew that before he even touched the gate because nobody leave it burning that late.

Gentle

1 changeVoice kept intact

The porch light was still on, it shouldn't have been, and Eli knew that before he even touched the gate because nobody leave it burning that late.

What changed

  • Gentle fixes the undeniable apostrophe error and preserves the rest of the paragraph.
  • Focused repairs the sentence boundary and the broken verb so the passage reads as a proofread paragraph, not a rewrite.

What stayed intact

  • Keeps Eli, the gate, and the ominous porch-light beat in the same order.
  • Does not swap in moodier or more literary phrasing.

typos

Correct clustered typos without changing the narrator

Both modes catch obvious drafting mistakes fast, with Focused adding the last bit of polish.

Demonstrates visible value even before the user reaches the deeper punctuation cases.

Original

I recieve the letter on thursday and for a minute i dont open it because the return adress makes my hands shake.

Gentle

4 changesVoice kept intact

I recieive the letter on thursday and for a minute iI don't open it because the return address makes my hands shake.

Focused

6 changesVoice kept intact

I recieive the letter on tThursday, and for a minute iI don't open it because the return address makes my hands shake.

Original

I recieve the letter on thursday and for a minute i dont open it because the return adress makes my hands shake.

Gentle

4 changesVoice kept intact

I recieive the letter on thursday and for a minute iI don't open it because the return address makes my hands shake.

What changed

  • Gentle fixes the spelling mistakes, restores the pronoun casing, and repairs the missing apostrophe.
  • Focused adds the weekday capitalization and comma that complete the stronger proofread.

What stayed intact

  • Keeps the first-person hesitation and the sentence shape.
  • Does not dramatize the narrator or add extra polish.

local punctuation

Repair a comma splice in dialogue when the fix is clear

Focused separates two complete thoughts without softening the speaker.

Shows a concrete reason to pay for deeper proofreading coverage in fiction dialogue.

Original

"You can stay if you want, I wont ask twice, and I mean that."

Gentle

1 changeVoice kept intact

"You can stay if you want, I won't ask twice, and I mean that."

Focused

2 changesVoice kept intact

"You can stay if you want,. I won't ask twice, and I mean that."

Original

"You can stay if you want, I wont ask twice, and I mean that."

Gentle

1 changeVoice kept intact

"You can stay if you want, I won't ask twice, and I mean that."

What changed

  • Gentle restores the missing apostrophe and leaves the rest alone.
  • Focused resolves the comma splice because the intended sentence break is obvious in context.

What stayed intact

  • Keeps the clipped threat and blunt delivery.
  • Does not replace the line with a smoother paraphrase.

tense consistency

Fix one broken verb when the correction is objective

Focused makes the tense consistent without touching the reveal beat.

A smaller example, but still a useful proof that deeper modes fix errors Gentle intentionally leaves alone.

Original

He opened the drawer and finds the ring exactly where she said it would be, tucked beneath the receipts.

Gentle

0 changesVoice kept intact

He opened the drawer and finds the ring exactly where she said it would be, tucked beneath the receipts.

Focused

1 changeVoice kept intact

He opened the drawer and fiounds the ring exactly where she said it would be, tucked beneath the receipts.

Original

He opened the drawer and finds the ring exactly where she said it would be, tucked beneath the receipts.

Gentle

0 changesVoice kept intact

He opened the drawer and finds the ring exactly where she said it would be, tucked beneath the receipts.

What changed

  • Gentle leaves the line alone because the safest mode avoids broader tense normalization.
  • Focused aligns the verb with the surrounding past-tense narration.

What stayed intact

  • Keeps the discovery and the sentence rhythm intact.
  • Does not embellish the image of the ring or the receipts.

Intentional restraint

Left alone on purpose

These examples show that Dainty can protect fiction voice by leaving lines alone when they are already working.

intentional restraint

Leave a deliberate fragment alone on purpose

The product earns trust by refusing to “fix” lines that are already doing their job.

This is the restraint case: visible proof that Dainty does not confuse fiction emphasis with broken grammar.

Original

Not a prayer. Not after what he did.

Gentle

Left alone on purposeVoice kept intact

Not a prayer. Not after what he did.

Focused

Left alone on purposeVoice kept intact

Not a prayer. Not after what he did.

Original

Not a prayer. Not after what he did.

Gentle

Left alone on purposeVoice kept intact

Not a prayer. Not after what he did.

What changed

  • No edit is made because the fragment reads as deliberate emphasis, not a proofreading error that needs intervention.
  • The unchanged result is part of the product value, not a missing correction.

What stayed intact

  • Keeps the clipped rhythm and emotional force exactly as written.
  • Avoids turning the moment into a complete, blander sentence.

Rigorous example with notes

Rigorous is not just "more edits." It adds note-based author help when the line is locally clean but the passage still raises a clarity or continuity question.

Example excerpt

See the kind of note Rigorous adds after the proofread

Rigorous does not try to solve passage-level issues by inventing new text. It flags the tension, anchors it to the line, and leaves the judgment call to the author.

"Keep the archive locked," Nera said, sliding the brass key across the desk to Tomas. He pocketed it without looking down.

When the siren started, she shoved the archive door open and yelled for him to follow. Tomas stared at her hand on the key ring. He could have sworn he still had the only key.

Anchored phrase

she shoved the archive door open

Control of the key becomes unclear

Earlier the passage says Nera slid the brass key to Tomas and that he pocketed it. When she opens the archive herself, the scene no longer makes it clear whether there is a second key or whether Tomas no longer has the one he was given.

Why it helps: Flags a continuity tension without rewriting the beat or guessing which fix you want.

Anchored phrase

the only key

The "only key" claim needs clarification

The excerpt now implies both that Tomas still has the key and that Nera opened the locked archive. That reads like a likely continuity slip rather than a line-level typo.

Why it helps: Shows the kind of author-judgment help Rigorous can add after the mechanical proofread is already done.

Where to go next

Use these routes to move from proof into workflow, pricing, and the specific fiction problems Dainty is built to solve.

Workflow

Fiction proofreading

Learn how Dainty proofreads fiction, shows visible edits, and protects your voice.

Fiction topic

Proofread Fiction Without Losing Voice

Learn how Dainty handles fiction proofreading with voice-preserving mechanical corrections instead of rewrite-first suggestions.

Pack options

Pricing

See Dainty pricing, the free trial allowance, and one-time word packs before you sign up.

Questions

FAQ

Read common questions about accounts, proofreading modes, pricing, and voice preservation.

Comparison

Dainty Vs Grammarly For Fiction Writers

Compare Dainty and Grammarly for fiction writers who want the safer proofreader for voice, dialogue, and sentence-level texture.

Try Dainty on a real passage when you are ready.

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