Macro Level Editing

We like to edit from big to small. It would be silly to spend a lot of time polishing up a scene, only to decide later to remove that scene entirely. So, as we mentioned recently, the first editing pass is to determine if any scenes get cut from the first draft.

You might not be surprised to learn that we have a methodology for this process, or that it involves a spreadsheet. Making the decisions would be all but impossible if we tried to just wing it, especially with two of us who have to agree. It’s not a judgement of whether the scene is “good,” because if it’s “bad” it can always be fixed. The question is, does the scene earn its keep?

We name our scenes as we’re writing, which is handy for building the spreadsheet at this stage. Going down the line, we discuss each one and make notes. What you want to do is document what each scene does to move the story. What information is conveyed? What events take place? How is character developed? Are there other scenes that do exactly the same job? Ideally, most of your scenes will be contributing more than just one significant element. But it’s not a points system. Scenes that only do one job aren’t necessarily weak. And if you eliminate the moment where a vital clue is revealed, that’s not helping.

Look over your list. Be critical. You probably don’t want to be the writer who says, “I can’t cut that scene, it’s the one where the main character has breakfast!” Notwithstanding that it might be the most important meal of the day, most readers will find other events more captivating. Unless this breakfast is thematically charged, becomes a crucial moment of clarity for the protagonist, is attended by a vital ally, etc. In which case, those should be the things on the list.

You know what your story wants to be. The stuff that doesn’t help with that is what you should take out. Even if it’s good stuff, it might not be in the right story. (When you cut something, you don’t have to burn it. And you won’t hear us saying “kill your darlings.” Just, you know, lock them up in a folder or something until you find the right project for them.)

A writing partner is someone who helps you look at the big picture before you dive into the details.