#WeWriteBooks, Post 25: The Macro Edit

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books in lots of weird genres like fantasy (Blood of Kings and Kinsman Chronicles), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). She's currently writing a post-apocalyptic book with all of you called THIRST in conjunction with the #WeWriteBooks series. 

Find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or on her author website, where you can read THIRST. You can also try two of her fantasy novels for free here and here.

Welcome to week twenty-five of #WeWriteBooks Wednesdays, where we are writing books together. I finished my first draft of THIRST a few weeks ago. The book needs a major rewrite, which I don't have time to work on right now. I hope you all were able to see how messy my first draft ended up being and how much work I still have to do. Click here to visit the chapter archives, if you want to read it.

  

Recap

Week one was genre (THIRST is post-apocalyptic YA). Week two was premise. Here's my premise:

A waterborne disease has sprung up in every corner of the globe, decimating the human race. Young survivors Eli McShane and his friends journey toward Colorado and the rumored location of a safe water source.

Week three was Storyworld.
Week four: maps and floorplans.
Week five: protagonists and main characters.
Week six: side characters.
Week seven: prewriting.
Week eight: plot structures. 
Week nine: Theme.
Week ten: creating a plot outline or list of key scenes.
Week eleven: point of view.
Week twelve: narrative modes.

Week thirteen: how to write a scene.

Week fourteen: Where to start.

Week fifteen: Prologues.

Week sixteen: Dividing Your Book Into Chapters and Scenes 
Week seventeen: Write Fast and Free
Week eighteen: Dialogue and Thought

Week nineteen: Character and Author Voice
Week twenty: Action
Week twenty-one: Description
Week twenty-two: Exposition
Week twenty-three: Pacing
Week twenty-four: Beginnings and Endings of Scenes and Chapters

The In-Between

One of my favorite quotes is from author Michael Crichton. “Books aren’t written—they’re rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it.”

That’s so true.


Now that you've finished your first draft, you'll need to rewrite that book!

But first, you really should take a rest.

You've been slaving away over this book. You are so close to it right now. Too close. Take a couple days (or maybe even weeks) to rest your mind, read a craft book, or work on something else before you dive in to the edits. The time and space will make you sharper when you come back.

Still not convinced to take a break? Check out Stephanie's post called Six Reasons to Take Six Weeks Off From Your First Draft. It's really good advice.

Today's Topic: The Macro Edit

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. You'll be looking at plot, characters, storyworld, and theme to try and smooth everything out. It will still be rough. You're trying to get a consistent draft with all the parts in place. The writing might still be messy and sub-par, but you can fix that in the micro edit.

Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant explain the writing process as such:

1) Write it. (Write the rough/first draft.)

2) Write what you mean. (Take your manuscript through the macro edit.)

3) Write it well. (Take your manuscript through the micro edit.)

You've completed step one. Now you're on step two. You know so much more about your story now. You know where the holes are. You know what needs to be fixed. You know if you have too many characters or not enough. It's time to go in and make this story say what you meant to say. Add description. Get all your facts in order. Put the right characters in the right place. Make sure the characters are saying things they'd actually say. Add those missing plot threads. Add scenes that need to be added. Delete scenes that were unnecessary. Get your character quirks and eye colors right.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, you can use the Go Teen Writers Self-Editing Checklist to help you. 

Here is how I tackle the macro edit:

1. I take a break

I take my time off. It might be a week or two. It might be several months. It might only be a few days. No matter what, I need time away from the manuscript to rest my mind.

2. I read the book carefully

I read the book 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?

As I read, I make a scene list so that I can see the entire book in two-three pages. This helps me see any big plot holes. I also make a list of problems to fix. This gives me a checklist to work from and helps me not worry that I'll leave out something important.

3. I rank the list of problems 

I rank my list of problems from biggest to smallest.

4. 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. 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!)

5. 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.

6. Send it off!
If I have time, I send it off to a few beta readers to see what they think. If I don't have time, I send it to my editor, who will give me a macro edit and ask for another rewrite. This is a good thing, especially if I didn't have a chance to give the story to beta readers. I want opinions. I want to know what's working and what needs work.

More posts to help you

How to Show Your First Draft Who is Boss

How To Write a Novel

Revise That Thing

Weeding Out Weak Scenes  

Journey with Gillian: Rewriting Insanity—Problem Solvingthat Impossible Scene

How to Keep Your Rewrite Organized

Does Your Manuscript Need Book Surgery?

Assignment time

I realize many of you won't be ready for a macro-edit right now, so I'd like you to think about some things you know aren't working in your story. For me with THIRST, I have several problems. I've mentioned the book might need to be divided into two. My main character has a love interest my readers hate, so that isn't working. There is no antagonist until halfway through the story. I forgot to remove trackers from my characters before they escaped into the woods at the end of the book. I also forgot the doctor they kidnapped to remove these trackers. He was supposed to stay in the compound. He just sort of vanished. So, lots to fix.

How about you? Any ideas of what you will need to work on? Share in the comments.