The Perspective Pass: How to Edit for One Problem at a Time
Editing is overwhelming.
You've finished your draft. You know it needs work. But where do you start? Do you fix the plot holes? The character arcs? The pacing? The prose? The overused words?
Trying to fix everything at once is a recipe for paralysis. You'll read the same paragraph a dozen times, changing a word here, a comma there, never making real progress. You'll lose track of what you've already fixed and what you haven't. You'll get discouraged.
The solution is the perspective pass.
What is a perspective pass?
A perspective pass is when you read your manuscript with a single focus. You're not trying to fix everything. You're not even trying to fix most things. You're looking for one specific issue, and you're fixing that issue everywhere it appears.
For example, you might do a pass solely for the word "that." You read every sentence, and every time you see "that," you ask: is this necessary? Can I cut it?
Then you do a pass for "just." Then a pass for filter words. Then a pass for body language tics. Then a pass for "suddenly." Then a pass for adverbs.
Each pass is focused. Each pass is manageable. Each pass makes your prose tighter, cleaner, stronger.
Why does this work?
Because the human brain can only focus on one thing at a time. When you try to edit for everything at once, you're splitting your attention. You're less likely to catch problems. You're more likely to miss things.
But when you focus on one thing—when you're reading specifically for "that" or "just" or filter words—your brain is primed to notice those things. You'll catch instances you would have missed. You'll make changes you would have overlooked.
How to do a perspective pass.
Step 1: Choose your focus. Pick one issue—one word, one category of words, one type of problem.
Step 2: Use Word Census to find instances. Run your manuscript through Word Census. See how many times your focus word appears. Get a sense of where it's clustered.
Step 3: Read with that focus. Read your manuscript slowly. Every time you see your focus word, stop. Ask: is this necessary? Can I cut it? Can I replace it? Can I rewrite the sentence?
Step 4: Make the change. If the word is unnecessary, cut it. If it can be replaced, replace it. If the sentence needs rewriting, rewrite it.
Step 5: Repeat. Once you've finished one pass, choose another focus and start again.
Suggested perspective passes.
Here's a list of perspective passes you might do, in roughly the order of importance:
- Filter words. Saw, heard, thought, felt, noticed, watched. These create distance and weaken immersion. Read Filter words are killing your immersion.
- "That." Often unnecessary. Cut it. Read The "that" epidemic.
- "Just." A softener that weakens your prose. Cut it. Read The "very" problem.
- Intensifiers. Very, really, actually, basically, quite. Replace with stronger words.
- Adverbs. "-ly" words. Replace with stronger verbs. Read Strengthen your verbs.
- "Suddenly." Usually unnecessary. Cut it. Read "Suddenly" isn't sudden.
- "Then." Often unnecessary. Cut it.
- Body language tics. Nodding, shrugging, sighing. Vary or cut. Read Body language tics.
- Prose echoes. Repeated distinctive words. Word Census will help you find these. Read Why prose echoes ruin the reader's experience.
- Clichés. Phrases that are overused and predictable. Replace with fresh language.
How long does this take?
Longer than reading your manuscript once. But shorter than reading it a dozen times and never making progress. Each pass is focused, so it's faster than you might think. And the results are dramatic.
A note on tools.
You can't do perspective passes without tools. You can't count word frequency in your head. You can't remember every instance of every word. You need something that sees what you can't see.
Word Census is that tool. It's free. It's private. It's designed for novelists. It counts every word in your document and flags the distinctive long words you've used more than once. It's the perfect companion for perspective passes. For the longer argument about craft, time, and getting the book out, see the writing handbooks.
The bottom line.
Editing is overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be. The perspective pass breaks editing into manageable chunks. One focus at a time. One pass at a time. One improvement at a time.
Run your manuscript through Word Census. Choose your focus. Do your pass. Then do another. Your prose will be tighter, cleaner, stronger. And you'll actually finish your edits.