Inner Editor

[posingsomdomite]

I was wondering what techniques or advice you all a have for shutting up your inner editor aka the voice that makes you read over every word and line a billion times. Personally, I find waking up really early in the morning helps, but I'd like to be able to write productively at any time.

 

[Etaski]

I look firmly ahead to what's coming in the storying and keep thinking, "I'm almost to the good part, I'm almost to the good part..."

When I reach that good part, I keep working until I'm out of fuel.

Then I put the story away for a day or so and come back. And let the editor out of the box then.

 

[Khasy]

Don't read what you've read until you're finished with the chapter. Then you can go over it... The most important thing is to keep on writing.

 

[sr71plt]

Become so well-versed in the fundamentals of grammar and punctuation that you don't think of them while you write--and, thus, will naturally get most of it right to begin with and not have it intrude in the flow of your storytelling. If you can't spell the word you want correctly while you're drafting--and you're moving too fast to look it up (suggest you keep a Webster's at hand), don't sweat it then. Pick it up in a review.

 

[Chiara23]

I agree with that airplane guy practice and a good dictionary are essential. I'm terrible at reading and re-reading what I've written. If I'm writing a new chapter to a series I'll even go back and re-read the previous chapters for continuity as well. I'm almost tempted to just read them on lit to boost my numbers of views lol!

HUGGZZZ to SR71, what a sexy bird

The plane I mean. JK

 

[cocput]

I was wondering what techniques or advice you all a have for shutting up your inner editor...

Don't even think about it. Easier said than done though, it usually works if you are not overtly conscious of your inner editor.

Try writing as much as possible in one stretch. If you can write without making a conscious effort of doing it, then you would solve the problem. While writing, getting intoxicated with the characters or plot or whatever you cherish will help you move forward. The worst part for this technique is then going to re-read it and your inner voice will start crucifying you again.

Clean slate/dirty slate trick. You can try to clear your mind by removing all thoughts one by one and then filling it with the thoughts that you want. If you are not able to clear your mind, then try thinking about a lot of things once and then repeat the trick. Once you feel you have spent enough time on this process, just think about the story and start writing.

 

[_Lynn_]

I haven't found a single trick that works. Instead, I've accepted the fact it's a part of me and work with it the best I can.

 

[mynameisben]

When you're writing your virginal draft, choose one of those fancy schmancy curlicue laden fonts that are impossible to read without tedious scrutiny. An ornery font should put a serious dent in your compulsion to edit as you write. Later, when your creative choo-choo runs out of chugga-chugga, you can "Select All" and change the font to whatever is easy on your editor eyes. Then you can pick through the train wreck of the sentences you wrote in search of survivors.

 

[_Lynn_]

When you're writing your virginal draft, choose one of those fancy schmancy curlicue laden fonts that are impossible to read without tedious scrutiny. An ornery font should put a serious dent in your compulsion to edit as you write. Later, when your creative choo-choo runs out of chugga-chugga, you can "Select All" and change the font to whatever is easy on your editor eyes. Then you can pick through the train wreck of the sentences you wrote in search of survivors.

That doesn't change the words in my head, which is part of my problem.

 

[inflagranteloti]

You could always purchase Write or Die. It's a desktop application that monitors if you're typing at a consistent speed. If you stop for a certain period of time, which changes depending on which mode you're in, the program doles out "punishment." Usually the punishment is just a pop-up or sound, but in Kamikaze mode, your work will unwrite itself. It's great if you've ever tried to write for NaNo.

*Edit* They also have a free, online version.

 

[mynameisben]

That doesn't change the words in my head, which is part of my problem.

Yeah, that's a problem of another sort. Just write down the first words that pop into your head, and accept the fact that your first draft, which no one will ever, ever read, is gonna stink. It's more important to strike while the creative iron is hot than it is to drive your muse to drinking hemlock from listening to you wrestle with whether it is nobler to write "to be" or not "to be."

 

[Innuendos]

You could always purchase Write or Die. It's a desktop application that monitors if you're typing at a consistent speed. If you stop for a certain period of time, which changes depending on which mode you're in, the program doles out "punishment." Usually the punishment is just a pop-up or sound, but in Kamikaze mode, your work will unwrite itself. It's great if you've ever tried to write for NaNo.

Wow, that's just... evil.

I can ramble and go stream of conscious for sustained periods of time, but being stuffed into that kind of box would have me with a gun to my head in no time. Unwritten work? Eeeeeeeeeeeee.

 

[_Lynn_]

Yeah, that's a problem of another sort. Just write down the first words that pop into your head, and accept the fact that your first draft, which no one will ever, ever read, is gonna stink. It's more important to strike while the creative iron is hot than it is to drive your muse to drinking hemlock from listening to you wrestle with whether it is nobler to write "to be" or not "to be."

My OCD doesn't allow for a first draft that stinks.

 

[cocput]

When you're writing your virginal draft, choose one of those fancy schmancy curlicue laden fonts that are impossible to read without tedious scrutiny.

You an also try setting font size as 2 or 4, depending on your editor. As an extension to this technique, you can sit and type so that your eyes are not looking at the screen.

That doesn't change the words in my head, which is part of my problem.

I thought the purpose of writing is to express "the words in my head". I know that I don't think straight. In my previous post, I must have made at least three edits involving change of sentence flow. So, what? We are not some great people who manage to always think cohesively. If you can accept that, then things flow.

Just write down the first words that pop into your head, and accept the fact that your first draft, which no one will ever, ever read, is gonna stink.

I don't think we should say it will stink. A better way may be 'not up to my expectations'. I am not a technical person, but I think there is a technique called "free flow writing". The way I remember it, the technique involves a person to continuously write whatever happens to come to their head, without thinking of English grammar and style.

This "inner editor" thing is more mental than an actual problem. It's like a person who is obsessed about driving too close to the median of the road. There are lots of ways to correct it. You just have to stumble for a long time till you try some technique that actually works for you.

EDIT: I made 5 corrections in this text, after I finished typing the whole thing. And, no, I am not 100% sure that it is syntactically or semantically correct.