One reader asked me to write about "Self-editing and finishing [the] first draft as soon as possible."
I'm going to assume, in the context of "finishing the first draft" that "self-editing" here refers to
what you might call your inner critic or inner editor -- a little voice telling you "That sentence is clunky" or "That's not the best word", while you're trying to focus on getting your story down.
(If what you're after is advice on how to self-edit, once you've finished that first draft, I've got a post on that here: )
You've probably heard a fair few times that you shouldn't edit while you write.
But ... I
think a little bit of editing while you write is probably inevitable. I find myself doing it when I'm warming up into a writing session. Don't feel you have to force yourself to never change a single word while you're drafting; equally, do pay attention to how much editing you're doing / how much forward progress you're making during writing sessions.
If you feel that self-editing is slowing you down, try one of these three
tips:
#1: Set a Timer and Write as Fast as You Can
Pick something to write about: this could be the next scene in your novel, a topic that's on your mind, or a prompt you've chosen at random.
Set a timer for 5 minutes. (Or 10, or 15 -- I wouldn't go about 15 for this as it's hard work!)
Now write as fast as you can until the timer goes off. You might find that some of what you
write is terrible ... but there might also be some great phrases or real insights in there, too.
#2: Plan Your Scene or Chapter Before You Write
There are plenty of great reasons to plan, whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction -- and one of those reasons is that planning can seriously speed up your writing. (Rachel Aaron has a great explanation of how this has worked for her in her book [2k to
10k].)
Whatever you're about to write, spend five minutes planning. For me, this usually means jotting down a series of bullet points: the key ideas I want to convey in a blog post or newsletter article, or the major moments or changes within a scene I'm writing in my novel.
Planning ahead means you won't have so many moments where you stare at the screen trying to figure out what you should write next. If you often find yourself deleting
false starts and rewriting (i.e. self-editing) as you draft, then planning ahead should help a lot.
#3: Ditch the Scene or Chapter Altogether
If you're struggling with a particular part of your novel or non-fiction book, and you keep changing your mind, then the best solution might be to remove that particular scene or chapter altogether. Perhaps part of you already knows it doesn't quite fit in your book, or you have a suspicion
that it isn't going to work (e.g. because there's not enough happening in the scene, or because the chapter is too basic or too advanced in the context of the whole book).
Even if you later come back and add in that chapter or scene, if you want to keep making forward progress, it's sometimes best to simply abandon it and move on.
Of course, writing quickly isn't just about avoiding self-editing. Even if you draft without editing a
word, you won't make much overall progress if you only spend an hour a month on your book.
So, on a slightly bigger scale:
Write as Regularly as You Can
I don't believe you need to write daily -- but if you're working on a big project like a novel, you probably need to write at least a couple of times a week if you're going to stay focused and keep up the momentum.
Be
Accountable to Someone Else
Let a friend (or several friends!) know about your writing goals and plans. Check in with them regularly -- over coffee, by email, on Facebook -- to let them know how you're getting on. Accountability can be a powerful motivator when it comes to sitting down and getting on with writing.
Whatever you're working on right now, best of luck with
it!
