Editing Yourself

You've poured everything out. You've written pages and pages. Now what? How do you find the gold in all those words? Editing isn't about cutting — it's about finding what matters most.

The First Pass: Find the Moments

Read through everything you've written. Highlight the moments that make you feel something. Not the facts — the moments. The scenes. The details that paint a picture. Those are your keepers.

Notey's Pro Tip

If you're not sure if something should stay, ask: does this create a scene, or just state a fact? Keep scenes, cut facts.

The Second Pass: Cut the Generic

Look for anything that could apply to anyone. "You're kind" — cut it. "You're always there" — cut it. Keep only what's specific to this person. If it could be about your neighbor, it shouldn't be in the song.

The Third Pass: Find the Arc

Now that you have your best moments, arrange them in a journey. What's the setup? What's the build? What's the peak? What's the resolution? The moments you've kept should tell a story, not just list facts.

Notey's Pro Tip

Don't be afraid to cut. The moments you keep will be more powerful when they're not buried in everything else.

Trust the Process

Editing feels like losing things, but it's really about finding what matters. The 200 words you keep will be more powerful than the 2000 words you started with. Trust that less is more.

You don't need to say everything. You just need to say the right things. Editing helps you find them.

Key Takeaway

Editing isn't about cutting — it's about finding what matters. Keep the moments, cut the generic, arrange them in a journey. Less is more.