What’s a Structural Edit?

One thing I’m learning about writing is you learn everything as you go. You become a writer by writing. When I began this project I had no idea about writing, drafting, editing, publishing, or what a structural edit may or may not be. Now, I’m in the middle of one and it’s a big mess.

I put my work in progress, You Can’t Say That down for several weeks while I travelled to Japan. My work is a memoir, and my story is intrinsically linked to Japan. It had been five years since I had visited, and reconnecting with the country made me realise there was a major disconnect in the book. Over the weeks, I was able to see what the problems were.

A structural edit looks at the ‘architecture’ of the story. Although my basic framework is ok, some of the content is superfluous to what the story is about.

The parts I have taken out are the feel good stories I found easy to write. The bits I like in hindsight, after reading and re-reading, are the bits that were difficult to write. These parts are essential to the story, rewarding to read, and consequential to the outcome. They also contribute to the message of the book overall, and to the development and understanding of the characters, who are me, my kids, my family, and my friends.

So, now I’m home and trying to find my way through a major structural edit. I ripped about 18,000 words out of the book and intend to replace them with at least as many new words. Removing so many words feels a little like I’m going backwards. But, I’ve heard many writers say that what you leave out of the book is as important as what you put in. And, after spending months agonising over whether I was trying to tell two disparate stories in one, I realised I was. So, the removed chapters are not wasted. Just put aside for another project.

The difficult writing, achieved while poring over eulogies, coroner’s reports, and police statements is messy. Taking that mess and trying to build it into the story is the challenge. I can still see the finish line, but I’m determined to tell the best story I can. I believe the message is important and want to convey it with as much respect and gravitas as I am able to impart. The more authentic and eloquent, the better the story for the reader.