What Film Editors Know That Most Writers Don’t
By patron request, I recently watched an episode of The Joy of Editing, a YouTube series in which an independent editor recuts the Star Wars prequels—not as fan fiction, but as a lesson in the craft of storytelling.
In this case, our editor revised the asteroid chase from Attack of the Clones. You know the one: the space chase involving seismic charges that pulverize small celestial bodies.
Screencap; Disney
My reaction to the Joy of Editing video? I came away from it thinking This guy gets it.
Because beneath the lighthearted tone and the excellent match cuts, what he's really doing is what every good editor—whether of film or fiction—ought to do: clarify the structure, define the stakes, and make sure every scene earns its keep.
The video's premise is deceptively simple. The Joy of Editing editor asks two simple questions:
“Does this scene need to be in the film?”
“If yes, what storytelling jobs is it doing?”
A lot of writers never ask those questions. That’s why too many novel manuscripts read like first drafts. They haven’t been edited; they’ve just been spellchecked.
The Joy of Editing guy gives multisensory lessons in the power of asking these questions with ruthless efficiency. He cuts Jango Fett’s little pleasure cruise through a space cave because that entire sub-sequence violates character logic and deflates narrative tension. He also reorders surrounding scenes to clarify the plot’s direction. He’s not just trimming fat; he’s rebalancing the entire act structure to make the story more intelligible.
That kind of strategic reorganization is what separates editing from proofreading. It’s not about whether you spelled “midi-chlorian” right. The main point is story logic; making sure each beat pushes the plot forward while accomplishing at least one more storytelling task.
Ask my author clients. When you hire me to edit your book, I’m not going to be your cheerleader, nor will I heckle you. Instead, I’ll interrogate the manuscript: Why is this chapter here? What purpose does this scene serve? Could this character disappear without affecting the plot?
And I understand why asking those questions yourself is hard. Chances are, you’ve lived with your manuscript for months; sometimes years, before it crosses my desk. Every character is a darling, and every scene is a part of you. But an editor is like a surgeon who sometimes has to advise that a plug be pulled or dead tissue cut off.
All to the greater good of the book—and the readers.
What the Joy of Editing video gets right is that structure exists for a reason. An act transition isn’t just a page break. It’s a moment of escalation; a movement to the next logical tension level. If that transition falters—as it did in Attack of the Clones—the audience loses track of what they’re supposed to care about.
And confused audiences tune out.
But the most telling observation in the entire video? That George Lucas’ original cut spoils a major reveal for no payoff. It’s the kind of mistake a novelist makes when he tells the reader what’s going to happen before showing it. Premature tension resolution is a bad habit that afflicts too many writers. So the criticism leveled at the Star Wars prequels that Lucas had become too big to edit ring true.
Put another way, if George Lucas needs an editor, chances are so do you.
Film and novels are different media, sure. But some fundamentals transcend art forms, like clarity, pacing, and causality. Cut what doesn’t serve the story; highlight what does. Don’t be clever; be clear.
And don’t expect your first draft to be good. In all likelihood it will suck. But it may be fixable if you’re willing to ask the hard questions, ask for editorial help, and put in the hard work.
So take a lesson from Joy of Editing’s Star Wars video. Editing is no less an art than writing is. And it can make the difference between a mess and a masterpiece.
Watch the original video here:
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