How to respond to structural edits

I’m also conscious that this much detail and decision-making can be daunting to face on the other end. That’s why I offer a follow-up Zoom call after every edit, to help authors talk through the feedback and get a sense-check on their plan for moving forward.

But, ultimately, it all comes down to you and your story. If you’ve ever wondered how to respond to a ​structural edit​ without spiralling, here’s my advice on where to start.

Take a minute

I just want to acknowledge that you will likely feel a range of emotions on receiving your editorial report, from excitement to dread. It’s natural to want to dive straight in, but I strongly recommend taking it slow. Read through the comments, then let it marinate for a day or two, even a week. Go for long walks, sleep on it. Try to absorb with an open mind, not ruling anything in or out. This allows your subconscious to make sense of the feedback and start to generate ideas. 

Define and refine

When you’re ready to get stuck in, it might help to organise the feedback into four broad categories. Are there any suggestions that feel like a lightbulb moment? Often there’s a few big-picture comments that fall into place with a satisfying thunk – Yes, that’s what the problem was! I know exactly how to fix that. This is a good place to start your edits. Next, note the suggestions that are intriguing or exciting. Are any ideas coming up for you? Do you need more time to consider them? What suggestions do you want to explore first? If anything is a hard no, feel free to jot that down too, along with some notes about what you will do instead if any change is needed. It’s totally fine to disregard suggestions – you know your story best. Finally, make sure you consciously note the positive feedback. Even the most sensitive editing can be confronting at first and it never hurts to be reminded that you’re doing good work!

Start with characters

If you’re not sure where to begin, I always recommend starting with characters, because the best stories are character driven. Once you’ve dug deeper into who your character is and how they need to have changed by the final page, you can use this intel to help you refine the plot. Map the key plot points and weigh up whether or not the events of the story are still relevant in the context of your protagonist’s updated world-view and arc, or if they could be replaced or revised to more powerfully illustrate the character journey.

Hold the line

I love the advice to work on one story strand at a time. Even small changes can have a domino effect, so whether you’re tackling a character arc or a subplot or a structural element like the placement of flashbacks, focus on that one thread from beginning to end to ensure you’ve considered the big picture.

Try without buy-in

Remember, you don’t have to commit to your changes; you can play around with edits and scrap them if they don’t work. This is something that keeps me up at night as an editor – does the author know that my suggestions are literally just that? For instance, if I’ve recommended changing a scene to a different character’s point of view, or opening a chapter at a later point, it’s simply encouragement to try it out. If it doesn’t work or feel good for you, forget about it!

Stay motivated with small wins

If you get frustrated or fatigued along the way, treat yourself to an easy fix. Maybe you need to change some character names so they don’t sound too similar; maybe it’s a matter of removing a few of your crutch words or making a list of alternatives; perhaps you can fix some small inconsistencies around character appearance or timeline. You’re still making progress while you’re background processing the big stuff.

Congratulate yourself

Above all, take a moment to be proud of yourself. Writing a whole dang novel is one of the most complex things you can do with your brain! You’ve already passed the first and hardest hurdle, which is getting the story down on paper. Anything you do from here is going to make it even better. You are amazing, I am in awe of you, and you have my permission to indulge in as many little treats as you need to get through your edits.

Authors, if you’re in the writing weeds and feel like you’re ready for some structural feedback on your WIP, I’d love to help. Drop me a line to see if we’re a good editorial fit.