This is a very simple editing tip but maybe it will help someone who is stuck today. When I'm working on a chapter draft that I know needs developmental help & find myself getting overwhelmed by all the moving parts, here's what I do:
On a separate pad of lined paper, I list the chapter's content passage by passage. Every new idea gets a line, and I note the page numbers and section breaks as I go. The clean paper is key because it helps me clear my head from the actual MS draft, which is covered in my notes
As I write out the chapter's contents on the pad of paper, I use a different color pen to make notes on what's going to happen to each passage, e.g. need to add clarification here, cut repetition here, could move these three passages up to the end of section 2, etc.
I end up with a developmental plan that I can then implement step by step or write up narratively for my client. You can do this for your own drafts!
