I’m going to be very vulnerable with this blog post.

I recently had macro edits staring me in the face, and I couldn’t get started.

I had a mental barrier that I struggled to get over. Much of it came from things external to writing, but I had got to buckle down and get the edits done and done well. Maybe you’ve experienced the same thing.

Macro edits are a key part of the writing process. It’s a step in the process that we writers either love or hate. I don’t know anyone who feels meh about this part of writing. If you aren’t familiar with the term, it’s usually the first major edit with an outside editor and is the time that you begin to address the larger issues in the book. It’s the time in the writing process where you dig into what’s working and what might not be with a book. It can be daunting, overwhelming, and hard to know where to start.

That’s where I was.

So what’s a writer to do?

Here are four tips to get started if you ever find yourself struggling to get started.

• Pick something easy and start there. It may seem overly simplistic, but it truly is the best way to start. You know what they say: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. So how will I start my macro edits? I’ll start with the one piece I do know how to launch and I’ll solve it. With that small piece of momentum, the rest won’t feel as overwhelming.
• Call and brainstorm with your editor. Most are more than happy to do this with you. Often it’s the piece I need to get my energy and passion back. In fact, I’m going to pause right now and shoot my editor and email scheduling a call for next week. The larger issue is solvable, but I need a bit of energy to know I can get it layered in. Brainstorming with the editor can be a great way to do that. After all a romantic suspense novel needs…suspense. Okay, email sent. On to the next idea.
• Try to remember why you loved these characters or story. The macro edit is the most work of the process to me. Copy edits and proofing are straightforward, but macro edits are where I have to deal with characters that aren’t working. Plots that drag. Motivations that are off. Etc. It’s work. One thing that can help is to dig into why this was a book I wanted to tell. For this book, I love that I’m tying my passion for WWII and art to a legal suspense. I may be struggling to realistically layer in the suspense, but I love the guts of the story. So much! Tapping into that will help power me through the draining work parts.
• Celebrate the progress you make. Getting started is hard. So celebrate that. Then tackle the next challenge and celebrate it, too. Before long you will have crossed the finish line and be one step closer to holding your finished book in your hands.

What strategies do you use to start your macro edits so you can successfully cross the finish line?