(MP3002) Preparing to edit

Arghh, what a frustrating day! When I started this project I was warned it could prove challenging especially when it came to the edit phase. This part of the process basically means I create a story from the raw footage that I have shot, and this is much harder than i thought it would be. Because of the nature of the film, that of an observational documentary, it cannot be pieced together in the same way that say a drama could be. There are no story boards or scenes although that being said one of todays task was to begin a paper edit. That involved me noting down the characters, themes and common threads of the material and organizing them into a structure. This doesn't sound too difficult but i have found it really hard work especially when you bear in mind not only has the story evolved but my competence as a film maker has improved too. As a result of this the quality of the footage and direction of the film has changed in terms of quality as time has progressed. Shots that I thought I had dialogue that I need to set up certain scenes I don't actually have. I seem to have this mental block when it comes to arranging the structure in that in my mind I see the film sequentially as i shot it but this isn't necessarily the best way to tell the story. In fact it doesn't make sense if told sequentially as some of the scenes weren't shot in order. I'm not sure whether this block is a result of my logical way of thinking or the tendency I have to become slightly obsessed about things being neat, tidy and ordered! Also my previous editing experience has been on drama's and music videos...