Jill here. I had planned to start my poetry series today, but this week has been rough. So I’m revamping an old post since it’s one I need to review for myself this week anyway. I hope it helps you too!
About a month ago I turned in a book. This is a write-for-hire project I haven’t told you all about because the publisher asked me not to yet. My edits are due to arrive today, and I’m ready for them.
A month ago, I was not ready.
It’s important to take some time away from your book before you jump right back in to edit. When you’ve been working so hard for so long, you’re just too close to the story to be able to see the problems. Too often they become invisible to you as you’re deep into the writing. Stephanie wrote an awesome post called Six Reasons to Take Six Weeks Off From Your First Draft. It’s really good advice.
Once you’ve taken a break and are ready to edit, you will first need to do a macro edit. This is the BIG edit. The overall edit. Thankfully for me, I’ll be getting macro edit notes from my editor. It’s super helpful to have someone partner with you in this process, but it doesn’t always happen. When I’m working on completing a novel by myself and editing it by myself, I have created a process that enables me to develop my own macro edit list of notes. Here is how I tackle the macro edit on my own:
1. I read the book carefully. I read it straight through, as quickly as I can. I ask myself about the concept of the book. Is it unique? Is it universal? Can people relate to the story? I look at my protagonist. Is he likeable or relatable? Can readers identify with him? Learn from him? Follow him? Root for him? What about the plot? Are the stakes big enough? Are they primal? How does my hero interact with the plot? Does my hero have a goal? Does he work to solve the story problem himself without secondary characters sweeping in to save the day? Does one scene lead organically into the next? Does the pacing work, varying just enough? What about the storyworld? Does it make sense? Is anything confusing? Am I using too many fantasy words or not enough?
As I read, I make a bulleted scene list with just enough notes so that I can see the entire book in two-three pages. This helps me quickly spot any big plot holes. I also make a list of problems to fix, which gives me a checklist to work from and helps me not worry that I’ll leave out something important.
2. I rank the list of problems. I rank my list of problems from biggest to smallest. This doesn’t take as long as the making of the list, but it’s an important step in the process.
3. I fix the big stuff first. It might seem daunting to start with the biggest problems, but since they are so big, it is a relief to fix them first. That way, things get easier as time goes on. Plus, you kind of have to fix them first since they’re the big pieces that hold the story together. I specifically look for:
-Plot holes
-Main character problems: Internal and external motivations, growth arc, likability.
-If I have a sagging middle
-Whether or not my dark moment works
-Do I have a powerful climax?
-Do I have a great ending?
-Are there inconsistencies in the story?
-Are my timelines working? Do I need to make a calendar to check my dates?
-Do I have an imbalance of characters? Do I need to add, cut, or combine characters?
-Do I have some research to do? This often happens if I have a cop scene or medical scene and I just made things up for the first draft. Now I have to check my facts with a professional. (Always check your facts!)
4. I read the book again for smaller stuff. Once I feel like my draft is mostly consistent, then I go in to look at the smaller stuff.
-Description: I add description where I had none. This could be descriptions of settings, characters, action, magic, adding the five senses, all that good stuff.
-Secondary characterization: I look for description, tags, voice, quirks, etc. I want to make sure each character stands out and is memorable.
-Subplots: Are they consistent? Do I need to go back and plant clues here and there?
-Magic: Is it consistent? Is it believable?
-Storyworld: Is anything confusing? Do I need to find places to explain more or delete where I’ve explained too much?
-How is my pacing?
-I look for places I can go in and add references to theme or symbolism.
If I have time, I send it off to a few beta readers to see what they think. I want opinions. I want to know what’s working and what needs work before I send it to my agent to pitch to editors.
How do you macro edit?
How about you? Do you have any tips for tackling a macro edit? Any questions? Share in the comments.
Great tips!
Thanks!
I really have no idea how to edit! I haven’t done much of it and when I read about how people do it, it’s overwhelming.
I guess it’s another skill to learn but I think I need to have more written before I can really dive into learning how to edit. So for now I focus on brainstorming/planning & writing with complete abandon (first draft)
That’s very wise, Tonya. Finishing a first draft should be a priority. You can do it!
This was a really helpful post! In a few weeks, I’m going to edit/rewrite/lengthen my story out and I could use as much help as possible.
Ooh, how exciting. It’s always exciting (and slightly daunting) to tackle a new rewrite. But you feel SO GOOD when it’s done. Plus, you know your book is so much better for all the work you put in.
Thanks for the awesome tips! If all goes according to plan, I’ll be starting my first ever macro-edit this summer, so this will be a big help. Can’t wait. 🙂
Yay! How exciting, Em! 🙂
Thank you so much, Jill! I’m in the thick of my macro edit and this has really helped me make sense of all of it. For anyone else facing a macro edit, my tip would be to never give up. It feels SO easy to give up sometimes, especially when the editing is overwhelming, but you’ve got this. Keep up the good work, fellow writers!
I definitely empathize. Thanks for the encouragement, Adi!
You’re welcome! Editing is tough work. I wish you best of luck, Colin!
What great advice. It can be overwhelming. I almost always cry at least once–just because. Giving your heart and soul to the hard work of writing a novel is no simple task! But if you do hang in there and take it day by day–and sometimes word by word–it will be worth it in the end. I promise!
I’ve been slogging through a macro edit of my book, and it is enormously difficult. I started by reading through and leaving notes at the end of each chapter as to how it was and whether the story progressed well. Now I’m rewriting each chapter and I’ve got more or less into the second half, which was the weakest part of the first draft and essentially requires a total replacement. It’s really hard to come up with something that fits while trying to keep in mind all the extra things like character arcs and dialogue! I think I might just have to get down a messy thing that works and then go back again and fix the lesser problems. I like the idea of ranking the importance of certain changes a lot.
That’s often exactly what I do, Colin. I just write something super ugly, just as a filler to bridge one scene to the next. And so often it seems like such hard work that I really don’t want to do it. So the ugly filler scene makes a nice placeholder for me to psyche myself up to redo that filler later on. You can do it! Take breaks if you need to. And go re-read one of your fun, finished scenes to remind yourself that what you’re doing is good and you like it! Don’t rush it. You’ll get there eventually.
Macro edits are so daunting! As someone in busy in the center of my first draft, I’m not exactly looking forward to this process. However, knowing that I’ll have this post and others to come back to when I’m in the middle of it all is comforting.
I do have a question. I’m approaching the 75% mark in my book, but I’m only on page 50 something. When editing, do you have any tips on how to lengthen the story without filling the tale with needless fluff?
Well, it depends on the story and on the type of writer you are. For me, I write thin, so I know that my rewrite will grow because I’ll be adding description and character tags and thought tags–lots of narration. If you already are describing things well, then you either might need to think of a subplot that could be added. Or you might consider that it’s okay to have a shorter book. Not every book is going to be the same length. Stephanie has some ideas in this post that might help you: https://goteenwriters.com/2017/01/09/what-to-do-when-your-manuscript-is-too-short-or-too-long/
Thank you! This is very helpful.
How do you handle taking breaks from rewriting and doing second or third drafts? Another six weeks, or just a few days?
It depends on the book and if it’s a contracted book or not. If it’s contracted, the publisher’s deadlines tell me how much time I have. If it’s a book I’m writing on my own, I usually only take a big break between the first draft and the content edit stage. The line editing stage is my favorite, so usually I just keep going through the book again and again until I’m happy. If I get super tired of it, I might take a few days off or a week. I also sometimes will send such a draft out to beta readers for feedback. In that regard, I might take another month-long break so that my beta readers have time to read.
How do you go back through a novel you have edited a bit? I have already edited my novel to an extent but I feel like there are still major plot holes and other problems. How do you recommend fixing those?
I would go about in in the exact same way as mentioned above. I’m a list girl, so lists help me stay focused, plus they make a daunting task look manageable. I have also storyboarded the book on index cards so I could lay it out on the floor and see plot holes and move things around. That is another method I find extremely helpful. I wrote a post on it here: https://goteenwriters.com/2017/09/20/how-i-cut-33k-words-twenty-percent-from-my-epic-fantasy-novel/
Sometimes if I’m super stuck, I need professional feedback. That’s when I’ll ask a writer friend to read it or pay a freelance editor to help me. Sometimes simply sitting with friends and telling them all the problems is a way to work through them since they’ll ask questions which spark new ideas, etc.