Marie Kondo has inspired millions of people to simplify and streamline their lives by assessing their belongings and keeping only what sparks joy in their life’s story. Are you ready to do the same for the stories you write?

by Cara J. Stevens

I’m in the process of packing up our house for a move. We’re downsizing from a large cozy, suburban house to a sparkling new, small apartment in the city. We’re also becoming empty-nesters as our son is moving into his first apartment and our daughter is happily settled across the country. To prepare for this new chapter, I’ve been systematically going from room to room, sorting our belongings into piles: keep, donate, sell, send off with the kids, and throw out. What has helped me through this potentially overwhelming task is Marie Kondo’s transformational book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.

At the same time, I’ve been working with clients struggling to edit their picture book manuscripts. They’re having trouble “killing their darlings.” It hit me, as I was elbow-deep in memorabilia, that downsizing a home and downsizing a manuscript share striking similarities. Both require looking objectively and lovingly at what has brought you to this moment and assessing its usefulness for the journey ahead.

Clearing the Clutter

Much like the process of tidying a home where each item holds a story, editing a manuscript involves sifting through the backstory—those narrative elements that shaped your characters and plot. In both cases, we often hold onto details out of nostalgia, which can clutter the space or page, hindering the overall clarity and functionality. Whether it’s sentimental keepsakes in a closet or lingering scenes in a chapter, our challenge is the same: deciding what truly enhances our current space or story and what simply fills it without purpose.

Many early manuscript drafts are filled with backstory essential to character and plot development that serve as scaffolding as you write. But when the story is complete, the unnecessary backstory should be able to get pulled away, allowing the work to stand on its own. The structure, representing the story, should be free of the scaffolding of unnecessary descriptions and explanations. 

Marie Kondo has inspired millions of people to simplify and streamline their lives by assessing their belongings and keeping only what sparks joy in their life’s story. Are you ready to do the same for the stories you write?

How to Tidy Your Manuscript KonMari-Style

Start by Clearing the Clutter

As you would prepare for a move or cleaning session by sorting through belongings, approach your manuscript with the same mindset. Just as you decide what to keep or give away when moving to a new home, determine which parts of your story are essential to your vision and which can be thanked and released. This step helps you focus on the core elements that truly engage your readers.

Visualize Your Story’s Home

Visualize the complete structure of your story as you would a house. Does each part contribute to building a safe and inviting home for your narrative? If the beginning, middle, and end of your story are well-constructed and welcoming, they will carry your readers along from beginning to end without confusion or unnecessary detours.

Keep Only What Sparks Joy

For each part of your manuscript, ask yourself if it brings joy or serves a critical purpose in the narrative. If a scene or character doesn’t enhance the joy or understanding of the story for a child, ask yourself: “would the ending or journey change if this <character, plot twist, description, adverb, scrap of dialogue, etc.> didn’t make it into the final draft?”

Assign a Place for Everything

In your manuscript, every word, sentence, and paragraph should have at least one purpose, just as every item in your new home should have its place. This helps keep the narrative tight and the pace suitable for your young readers, ensuring they remain engaged and entertained from start to finish.

Embrace the Art of Letting Go

Not all content will fit into the final manuscript. Be prepared to let go of scenes or characters that don’t serve the story’s end goal, no matter how much you love them. Thank them for helping you through the drafting process, then set them aside.

Consider Donating

If some scenes don’t fit within your manuscript, consider donating them to a different story. When you edit your home the KonMari way, you set a bin for donations—things that have value but don’t fit your life’s current narrative. When you edit your manuscript, set aside a “donation bin” for scenes or elements that don’t thrive in the current context. Give them new life as a short story, create a spin-off, or offer the deleted scenes as teaser content. 

Reflect and Reassess

After your initial edits, step back and reflect on your story as a whole. Does it feel as cohesive and inviting as a well-organized home? Make sure there are no lingering elements that clutter the narrative or distract from the main storyline.

After sorting the scenes and taking notes, let the dust settle for a week or a month before diving back in. Give yourself time and space to live with the story and the questions your assessment raised. When you’re ready, return to the manuscript with fresh eyes. Assess what is working and create a game plan for what needs fixing.

Say Hello to Your Masterpiece

Editing is about making your manuscript the best it can be without losing the elements that spark joy and make the read satisfying. By following a KonMari-inspired approach, you can transform your picture book manuscript into a polished, compelling work where every element serves your story’s goals.

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Cara J. Stevens has been an SCBWI member since 1996. She is a podcaster, lecturer, and the author of the Mean Girls Little Golden Book, coming out this September. Learn more at her website at carajstevens.com.

Author photos provided by Cara J. Stevens. Article photos by cottonbrostudio, RDNE Stock project, Karolina Kaboompics, and cottonbro studio, all on pexels.