When cutting up is necessary

So, you've done all the important line edits on your manuscript, but you find that you need to rearrange and reorder events.

It could be a moment to have a freak out about how impossible it is going to be, but it could also be a really good opportunity for some fun :D

Here's what I do:

1. I write out all the important scenes in my book onto a sheet of paper.

2. I cut that piece of paper up.

3. I lie another piece of paper down on my study floor

4. And then I arrange the book onto the whole sheet in its current order.

5. Then comes the fun part. Re-arranging it all.

6. Think of it like a puzzle.

If you're really OCD about it, like I am, then you might even have different colored pieces of paper for particular plot threads and/or characters. It makes it even more interesting. It also allows you to see the color balance of your book, and to visually see if your book is too heavy in one area or too light in others.

Hope this helps a little with the dreaded re-arrange, and showed you that it can be a lot of fun :)

<3<3<3

I'm off to build a novel-puzzle.