How to navigate a structural edit
and remembering why I write
If you follow me on instagram you might have seen I’ve been keeping strange hours as I worked to meet a deadline on the novel. For the first time in a long time, I spent a few nights at the desk, specifically from midnight until 5am, writing away in the studio under the strange but not unpleasant clattering of possums and hoots of nighttime creatures. It reminded me of being up breastfeeding in the early days with the babies; how I used to imagine all the other exhausted women bent over snuffling babies in the dark. I took strength from what Sarah Sentilles tells us during Word Caves with writers from Australia and the US: you are never alone when you are writing. Instead of feeding mothers, I thought of other writers sitting at their desks in different time zones, wrestling with the words.
I’ve pressed send on the manuscript this morning. I am elated. Exhausted. The magnificent high that comes from getting to the very edge of the thing you wanted to create. And, having done this a few times now, I’m also prepared for the inevitable crash that follows this high; the second-guessing and anxiety and panic as I wait for feedback. But that’s tomorrow’s problem, for now, I’ll take the high.
While I’ve been navigating this edit, I found myself constantly searching for advice on how other writers do it. It’s why I love interviewing writers so much, why I have that laden bookshelf of writers on writing. How do they do it? Where do they put their bodies? What exactly does a day editing look like?
In case you find yourself doing the same, I thought I’d write some notes here, and handily title it in the most literal way I could!
The set up
Because I keep my process journals (which I often mention but are best described in this post for Lee Kofman’s blog) I can go back and check how and where and when things happened. This timeline will be different for everyone, depending on whether you are working to a publisher’s timeline and how your editorial support (whatever that looks like) works.
This also helps explain why you might see or hear writers declaring they 'finished’ or ‘pressed send’ multiple times!
Here’s how it’s gone for me, this time around:
I sent an early draft of this novel to my agent in September last year. She gave some great big picture feedback and I took that into account.
At the end of November, after a period of intense focus during a Varuna residency and a read and feedback from a trusted early reader, I submitted a draft to my publisher. It was ‘ready’ enough to meet the (overdue) submission deadline but needed a lot more work. In early December we had long discussion by phone and he gave me some pages of more specific notes on characters and plot. Back to the page.
I submitted the reworked draft at the end of January. Had time away from it while summer camping and then intense work on it for a couple of weeks. More long phone conversations with publisher.
Gave it to my mum and dad and sister to read. They are all excellent readers and offer great feedback and insights at the same time as loving me unconditionally so can be relied upon to say nice things that help fortify in the face of hard publisher feedback!
At the same time, I gave the manuscript to two more trusted writer folk, whose feedback - phone/written notes - was incredibly useful and insightful. Timelines aligned (huzzah!) and I received all three lots of feedback (both readers plus publisher) at the same time. One key issue was shared by all. Back to the page - for a big restructure this time.
For much of February and early March I became a writing hermit. There were definitely less showers. There was a lot of cancelling plans and feeling guilty about being in the book more than in the real world. This is the reality of the gig. It no longer stresses me as much as it once did.
All of this is what can be loosely described as the structural editing phase. Receiving feedback on the big picture stuff - is the plot working, is the sense of place visceral, are the characters fully realised, what is it all about? There’s no markup or on the line feedback at this stage, although much of the work to do is, of course, on the line.
So, since that early Feb feedback this is the where and when and how of what I’ve done to get it done.
Where
Procrastination is a major issue. Got myself out of the house as much as possible. Sometimes this looked like working down at the local community centre where I couldn’t distract myself with loads of washing, sometimes it involved retreating from family (ie they went away for long weekend, and thus I pulled all nighters!) I took up an offer to spend a couple of nights at a friend’s holiday house that I could combine with a gig. I’d also pre-booked an online retreat that meant I worked intensively at home, but counted myself out of household run-around for that period.
When
Blocks of protected time: School hours mostly and then all day (and sometimes all night) when I had pre-planned ‘retreat’. This is essential for me. I have to set things up so that kids and schedules etc are taken care of and I don’t get caught up in the day-to-day. I lean hard in to ‘the village’ that supports me and my family.
Goal setting: I kept weekly and daily goals (ie. cover chapters 17-30, work out the weather, focus on character X) and also wrote the deadline date BIG on my whiteboard.
Saying no: To MAKE this time I had to say no to lots of things - both work and personal. Again, have learnt this the hard way! Made myself accountable by putting it out there that I couldn’t take on any work until the novel was in. One of the great privileges of being a working writer is that the schedule can be feast or famine (lots of periods where we are waiting on feedback or for long publishing timelines) which means I’m now much better at recognising there will be busy times when I lean into work and times when I can lean back into family and friends. Knowing this really does help and makes the wacky workload feel more sustainable.
Kept moving: Also (after learning the hard way in previous years) kept swimming/pilates/moving my body as daily goals to keep me sane and stop my body seizing up in a bent over laptop position!
What
I work in Word. I have the current draft, my process journal and generally a new doc for each draft where I paste deleted scenes, in case I need them again. I also created an excel spreadsheet to chart the time of day for each chapter. I keep print outs of the current draft outline (just chapter headings) next to me in hardcopy. When I had done one work-through of the ms I printed it out and just worked off that for a few days, marking it up in pen and using highlighters and post it notes. I now work with an additional screen next to my laptop so I can see journal and manuscript at same time.
Hard copy outlines, using Word.
How
Order: I worked chronologically through the ms for the most part. The novel takes place over three days in the same setting so this worked well. However, there were times when I had to jump ahead or back to follow a thread or deal with the domino effect of making a change. As these times - having a way to navigate the document was hugely useful. I use the contents function in word (in Indexes and Tables) - mostly as a print out for each new draft. This helps me keep track of where I am up to. I also created the spreadsheet (I’m terrible at these and rarely use!) that was super helpful to finalise the time of day for each scene and also to keep track of what was being revealed when and to whom.
Sentences: One excellent piece of feedback was that I needed to go deeper on the line to get into the ‘me-ness’ or voice of this book. Because it’s a new kind of a genre for me (although true to form a bit of a mash-up!) I’d spent a lot of time being anxious about getting the plot and structure right and less on the sentence level and thus I felt a lot of the prose felt like ‘place-holder’ text. Getting back to the sentence level and paying attention to the words was so important.
On sentences: the MOST useful passage from writer on writing that I go back regularly is from George Saunders in his brilliant A Swim in the Pond in the Rain. I’ve extracted these paras in full and hope he won’t mind. Honestly the whole chapter ‘Afterthought #2’ is worth printing out and sticking next to your laptop! And the whole book within reaching distance works for me! His substack is also brilliant.
Early in a story, I’ll have a few discrete blocks (blobs? swaths?) of loose, sloppy text. As I revise, those blocks will start to…get better. Soon, a block will start working—I can get all the way through it without a needle drop. The word that sometimes comes to mind is “undeniable,” as in “All right, this bit is pretty much undeniable,” which means that I feel that any reasonable reader would like it and would still be with me at the end of it.
A block, revised, starts telling me what it’s for; sometimes it asks a question (“Who is this Craig of whom they are speaking?”) or seems to want to cause something to happen (“Fern has offended Bryce and he’s about to blow”). Once I have a few “undeniable” blocks of text, they start telling me what order they’d like to be in, and sometimes one will say say that I really ought to cut it out entirely. (“If you get rid of me, Block B, then Blocks A and C will abut, and look at that—that’s good right?”) I start asking questions like “Does E cause F or does F cause E? Which feels more natural? Which makes more sense? Which produces a more satisfying click?” Then certain blocks start to adhere (E must precede F) and I know they won’t come unstuck.
When something has achieved “undeniability,” it feels like something that has actually happened and can’t be undone, instead of just words on a page.
George Saunders, ‘Afterthought #2’ p.112, A Swim in the Pond in the Rain
Keeping it small: when I interviewed Michelle de Kretser for The First Time Pod she told me a story about her anxious dog that I have repeated as writing advice many times. In short, the advice she received was that her dog needed a smaller room, it was overwhelmed, she needed to shut the door and keep the dog’s room smaller. Michelle applies this to her writing; when she is overwhelmed she goes to the smallest possible thing she can fix - a sentence, a word. This inevitably leads her to the next and so on. She says it much better if you want to listen to the end of this interview. Close the door. Focus on one small thing.
Note-taking: During this intense phase I’ve recorded voice memos, written frantically in my journal, sent myself countless messages on my phone and email as I think of something just before I go to sleep. At Varuna, Kris Kneen said something wonderful about how we often solve problems in that liminal space just before we go to sleep. So now, when I have that thought about a character or a sentence and I’m resisting getting out from under the blanket and writing it down, I think of Kris, make the note, send it to myself so I’ll see it in the morning.
Taking breaks: of course, right? But when you get in the zone it can be hard to move away from the desk. Recently Kylie Ladd talked about hypofrontality at a wonderful event at Eltham Bookshop with Kate Solly (side note buy their excellent books). She was speaking about why walking, swimming, hanging out the washing HELP us with the subconscious work we need to do on our novels. Check out this article from Damon Young she sent me for more.
Down time: When I’m deep ‘in the zone’ as I have been, I like to immerse myself in somewhat related books, series, movies, podcasts. Thus lots of thrillers, crime novels etc. Helps me to stay in the zone but have some time away from the novel.
Love notes: Another Sarah Sentilles pearl of wisdom. Leave yourself a love note for the next day. Here’s mine from last Friday night:
YOU ARE IN THIS – don’t worry about anything else – you’ve sorted that – it is just YOU AND THIS NOVEL – Saturday evening and Sunday to go. GO GO GO – feel that elation and buzz.
Who
Trusted readers: other writers, family - have given such brilliant feedback. Also helped rip off the bandaid of sharing the thing, that awful unskinned and vulnerable feeling we all know so well. Sometimes we’ll swap, sometimes these are pay it forward favours, sometimes just BIG asks. Work out what you can offer another writer in return if you are asking someone to read for you. Friends and family don’t count - they are unfortunately forever stuck with you and your big requests.
Writing networks: I’ve leant hard into my various wonderful writer WhatsApp chats. Other writers KNOW what you’re going through, they can sympathise, coax, jolly and advise. Reach out and be ready to be there for them when they need.
Experts: this is the period I send a lot of emails and texts asking super specific questions about those things I’ve had highlighted for ages in the manuscript and now really need to solve. How does this part of a tractor work? What do you call this part of a fence? Would this tree be in flower here, at this time? How does a rifle sound at this distance? Yes google and chatgpt are useful but nothing’s as good as a real life expert if you can get them on the phone.
The village: TELL people you are on deadline and have limited capacity. ASK for help.
Remembering what it’s all for
The BEST feeling in all this, followed closely by the relief/elation after pressing send, was the realisation that it is the act of writing itself that brings me the most joy in this whole writing life. Specifically; the buzzy excitement as things click together, as tiny moments you’d written months ago reveal themselves to be lynchpins and portals to whole new levels of meaning.
From my journal on Wednesday morning.
3.26am this is crazy now – reckon if I had to I could finish it tonight – I don’t and I won’t but this is what that crazy puzzle fitting in to place feels like – I’m DOING IT REMEMBER THIS FEELING THIS IS THE BEST BIT
I did, in fact, finish it. Although I gave myself another day (and some sleep!) to sit with it all. Wonderful writing psych Alison Manning told me that during this intense period MY BRAIN ACTUALLY CHANGED. Anyone who understands neuroplasticity will know this already - but still I was thrilled at her description because yes - that’s what it felt like. Something that was not yet created, that felt practically impossible to me a month ago, was not even in existence as an idea two years ago, is now done (or done for now). And me and my brain are different because of it. How wild is that?
It’s easy to roll your eyes at writers who say the joy is in the writing - I know, I’ve done it often, myself. And when you’re deep in querying or nursing rejection or even in the rollercoaster of publication or highs of awards and praise, it can be hard to come back to the steady ground of why you do this thing. It’s a beautiful thing to remember what it’s all for.
What I’ve been
Reading
Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks. Stunning, pared-back memoir from this acclaimed writer as she retreats to Flinders Island to try and comes to terms with the sudden death of her husband. As profound and beautifully written, and I predict as recommended, as Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking.
Wait Here by Lucy Nelson. An exceptional upcoming (June, 2025) debut collection of short stories about women who are not mothers - by choice or circumstance. The first story ‘Chances Are, We Were High as Kites’, is worth the price of entry alone. Nelson’s writing is as fierce as it is tender and these are stories to savour.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. Phenomenal, as the longlisting for the Women’s Prize suggests. Wrote more here.
Margot’s Got Money Trouble by Rufi Thorpe. Listened to the excellent audiobook narrated by Elle Fanning. More thoughts here. Huge fan of Thorpe, particularly this essay which was a touchstone while I was writing The Mother Fault.
Orpheus Nine by Chris Flynn. Soon to be released (Mar 26) new novel from Chris Flynn who has shifted to supernatural thriller this time around. Biting, funny, terrifying.
Watching
Amid the editing chaos I had to have two wisdom teeth removed. The self-imposed days in bed allowed for a whole lot of bingeing…
Apple Cider Vinegar (Netflix). Publishing + wellness + scam, what more could one want?
The White Lotus S3 (Binge). Bit slow for me this time around but maybe only because I can’t binge it? Looks great, of course, and could watch Amiee Lou Wood do her thing ALL DAY. Hoping things pick up the pace…
Black Doves (Netflix). Totally watchable British spy thriller. Knightly is very good, Whinshaw is divine.
Running Point (Netflix). Fun to watch with a basketball mad family (if you watching with kids be prepared to discuss chlamydia, also lots of sex). Also TOO funny that ep 6 involves the foul shot that is part of Katherine Collette’s excellent middle grade novel The Too Tall Tales of Alma T. Best: Out of Bounds.
C.B. Strike (Binge). Recommended by my sister when I said I needed easy British crime. Now I’m hooked.
Got coming up
Launching Steve Minon’s incredible debut novel First Name Second Name at Readings Carlton on Thursday March 27 at 6pm. Free but bookings essential.
Delighted to be heading back to one of my favourites - Newcastle Writers Festival, April 4-6. Program is outstanding and I’ll be hosting three events:
Things We Don’t Speak About: Pleasure with Dr Hilary Caldwell, Alyx Gorman & Georgia Grace. Sat April 5. 1-2pm
Artist as Activist with Hasib Hourani, Catherine McKinnon & James Bradley. Sat April 5. 6.15pm. FREE EVENT.
Culture & the Creative Spirit with Anita Heiss & Nardi Simpson. Sun April 6. 10am.
Heading to the jam-packed Sorrento Writers Festival. I’ll be chatting kids’s books with Alison Lester, Nicole Hayes and Jess Sanders for this event on Thursday 24th April and catching as many sessions as I can!
Okay, that was longer than I anticipated! Hope that there was something useful in there for you x Would love to hear your own tips and advice on getting through a structural edit, or, give me some tips I can use when I’m into the copyedit! Go well xx
Love this! I'm a mess when it comes to editing. I have so many half drafts and I tend to edit as I go, so I know how to carry the scene, dialogue forward. But I get hung up on micro editing. Drafts never get completed. I've done so many revisions to my current debut, that I feel lost at times. But I'm determined to see it through this year!
Thanks for sharing so generously, Kate. A timely read for me.