Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
Jack Kerouac
Do you proofread as you write?
Whenever spell check underlines something in its taunting red line, I immediately want to make it disappear. I know this interrupts my flow, but it’s almost impossible not to fix the mistake before moving on (I’m doing it right now as I type this!).
I notice that I tend to do more self-editing when I’m stuck in my stories. This is the sneakiest form of writers’ block. It feels like I’m being productive, but what I really am doing is stalling. Instead of getting a thousand words on the page, I get a few over-edited sentences.
Jack Kerouac said to remove literary, grammatical, and syntactical inhibition as you write—not forever. Just until you finish. You’ll have plenty of time to correct your mistakes when the mad dash is over.
May the muses be with you,
—Christa
Do you correct mistakes as you write? What’s your worst procrastination habit?
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I don’t agree. Writing is about more than word output. Writing is rewriting. Of course, if it doesn’t work for you, then don’t self-edit as you write. But it’s definitely not a form of procrastination to revise a sentence for better or flow or impact, or even to stop and edit a typo.
I’m not a fan of blanket writer’s advice: powering through without stopping might be your thing, but for people who stop and tinker a bit here and there, that might also work.
I agree with you. It’s much more than your word count. Everyone has their own process. This is my personal experience. It’s something to be aware of. Some self-editing along the way is necessary, but in my case, I fiddle with sentences instead of confronting difficult scenes and plot points. Thanks for your thoughts on this.