Following the long hard stare I took at The Novel I’ve decided not to start waving my metaphorical scythe about just yet. This is editing, after all, so a methodical approach is appropriate. I’ve made a kind of chapter list, a series of keyword descriptions about what happens when. A storyboard without pictures.

On this list I have flagged each item in one of four ways:

• keep it, it’s fine
• drop it, it doesn’t add anything to the story
• needs to be written
• does not need to be written

Now I’m sitting on my conclusions for a day or two to see if I’m going the right way. The stark fist of removal is no doubt required. I’m just not sure how stark it needs to be.

I shall also employ that other editoral trick of putting The Novel aside for a while and re-reading it with a clear mind sometime later. Which is fine, because I have three other writing tasks clamouring for my attention.