When to use
Use this when you have a complete draft (scene, chapter, or story) and need to revise it in the right order — structure and character before sentences. Best after the draft is done, not while writing it.
Not for: generating a new outline (use cw-story-outline), building a character from scratch (use cw-character), drafting fresh scenes (use cw-scene), or inventing world rules (use cw-worldbuilding).
Method
- Read once for impression only — no fixing. Note where attention drifted and where it gripped. Decision point: fix drift zones structurally before touching any prose.
- Developmental pass first (never invert the order): check premise clarity, scene goals, causal chain (therefore/but), stakes escalation, and whether the ending pays off the setup.
- Character pass: does each want/need/flaw stay consistent, and does the arc actually turn? Flag actions that serve plot over character.
- Scene pass: every scene needs a goal, conflict, and turn; cut or merge scenes that only transition.
- Only now, line-edit. Cut filter words, hunt weak verbs + adverbs (replace with strong verbs), vary sentence rhythm, and delete throat-clearing openers. Decision point: if a fix at this level would be erased by a structural change, stop and go back up a level.
- Copyedit pass: grammar, tense consistency, dialogue punctuation, name/detail continuity.
- Kill-your-darlings sweep: cut the cleverest line if it doesn't serve the scene. Track cuts in a hold file rather than deleting outright.
Example
Draft: a 3,000-word story. Impression: drifts in the middle. Developmental: middle drifts because scene 3 has no goal — merge it into scene 4. Character: the protagonist forgives too easily; add a cost. Scene: scene 5 ends late — cut the goodbye. Line: "She quickly ran" → "She bolted"; delete "she noticed the door was open" → "The door stood open." Copyedit: fix a tense slip. Darling: cut a beloved metaphor that stalls the climax (moved to hold file).
Pitfalls
- Line-editing prose that a later structural cut will delete — wasted effort, top-down avoids it.
- Polishing sentences in a scene that should be cut entirely.
- Overwriting the author's voice into generic "correct" prose.
- Deleting darlings permanently with no hold file, losing lines you may reuse.
Output format
IMPRESSION (drift/grip zones): <...>
DEVELOPMENTAL: premise <ok/fix> | causality <...> | stakes <...> | ending payoff <...>
CHARACTER: consistency <...> | arc turns? <...>
SCENE: scenes to cut/merge <...>
LINE: verbs <...> | filters cut <...> | rhythm <...>
COPYEDIT: <continuity/grammar flags>
DARLINGS (to hold file): <...>
PRIORITIZED FIX LIST (top-down):
1. <structural> 2. <character> 3. <scene> 4. <line>
1---2name: cw-edit-pass3description: Run a developmental then line-edit pass on a fiction draft, big issues before small.4---56## When to use78Use this when you have a complete draft (scene, chapter, or story) and need to revise it in the right order — structure and character before sentences. Best after the draft is done, not while writing it.910**Not for:** generating a new outline (use cw-story-outline), building a character from scratch (use cw-character), drafting fresh scenes (use cw-scene), or inventing world rules (use cw-worldbuilding).1112## Method13141. Read once for impression only — no fixing. Note where attention drifted and where it gripped. Decision point: fix drift zones structurally before touching any prose.152. Developmental pass first (never invert the order): check premise clarity, scene goals, causal chain (therefore/but), stakes escalation, and whether the ending pays off the setup.163. Character pass: does each want/need/flaw stay consistent, and does the arc actually turn? Flag actions that serve plot over character.174. Scene pass: every scene needs a goal, conflict, and turn; cut or merge scenes that only transition.185. Only now, line-edit. Cut filter words, hunt weak verbs + adverbs (replace with strong verbs), vary sentence rhythm, and delete throat-clearing openers. Decision point: if a fix at this level would be erased by a structural change, stop and go back up a level.196. Copyedit pass: grammar, tense consistency, dialogue punctuation, name/detail continuity.207. Kill-your-darlings sweep: cut the cleverest line if it doesn't serve the scene. Track cuts in a hold file rather than deleting outright.2122## Example2324Draft: a 3,000-word story. Impression: drifts in the middle. Developmental: middle drifts because scene 3 has no goal — merge it into scene 4. Character: the protagonist forgives too easily; add a cost. Scene: scene 5 ends late — cut the goodbye. Line: "She quickly ran" → "She bolted"; delete "she noticed the door was open" → "The door stood open." Copyedit: fix a tense slip. Darling: cut a beloved metaphor that stalls the climax (moved to hold file).2526## Pitfalls2728- Line-editing prose that a later structural cut will delete — wasted effort, top-down avoids it.29- Polishing sentences in a scene that should be cut entirely.30- Overwriting the author's voice into generic "correct" prose.31- Deleting darlings permanently with no hold file, losing lines you may reuse.3233## Output format3435```36IMPRESSION (drift/grip zones): <...>3738DEVELOPMENTAL: premise <ok/fix> | causality <...> | stakes <...> | ending payoff <...>39CHARACTER: consistency <...> | arc turns? <...>40SCENE: scenes to cut/merge <...>41LINE: verbs <...> | filters cut <...> | rhythm <...>42COPYEDIT: <continuity/grammar flags>43DARLINGS (to hold file): <...>4445PRIORITIZED FIX LIST (top-down):461. <structural> 2. <character> 3. <scene> 4. <line>47```
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