I have come across every single thing you list here, Noor. A lot of your points can really be a disheartening.
I've been reading some from pulp writer, Dean Wesley Smith, and something that has resonated with me from him is his approach is writing a clean first draft through the use of cycling... every 500 words or so going back and editing on the spot. I suppose it is more being edited multiple times throughout. It has been useful to me, but I still get out of control and write 5000 words without a glance back.
Another one that gets me more frequently than I'd like to admit is "research." I might stop writing and then go off to see how a specific coffee machine works or whatever and then... 5 hours later... back to writing.
Good luck!!
Sorry, I wrote a book here! :-) (but no editing 😸)
I love all your (unedited) thoughts! I figured other writers can relate to my critical voice--it's just so prevalent with artists of every type. So hard to tune out sometimes! I've heard about other writers editing periodically and I can definately see the draw. Sometimes editing is so much more rewarding, because there's stuff on the page and we can tinker with it and make it feel closer to the vision we have in our heads. I think I fall into the no-editing camp (for the most part) because I know if I allow myself to edit, I will just tinker forever and it will take me 5 years to write the novel (which it might anyway) but if I have the first draft down at least I can feel like I know the story from top to bottom which gives me a birds-eye view of the most important scenes to stress about and I have less invested when I have to cut entire scenes (and maybe characters?). I also feel the urge to research, but see above re editing. I could research forever and never write the story. I'm so pumped to meet another writer. What are you working on at the moment?
One big thing that has really been an "aha moment" (sorry, that term... 😬) for me has been switching my view of "editing" my own work from "editing" to "writing". Seeing editing as actually writing. I suppose that's just some mental gymnastics... but somehow it helps me.
I am just finishing serializing an action-horror novel here on Substack, and <just> starting a new long-form piece, a shorter novel I think. Otherwise I write a humorous essay (I hope humorous) every weekend.
PS: I could spend the rest of my life researching lol!! For sure.
I have come across every single thing you list here, Noor. A lot of your points can really be a disheartening.
I've been reading some from pulp writer, Dean Wesley Smith, and something that has resonated with me from him is his approach is writing a clean first draft through the use of cycling... every 500 words or so going back and editing on the spot. I suppose it is more being edited multiple times throughout. It has been useful to me, but I still get out of control and write 5000 words without a glance back.
Another one that gets me more frequently than I'd like to admit is "research." I might stop writing and then go off to see how a specific coffee machine works or whatever and then... 5 hours later... back to writing.
Good luck!!
Sorry, I wrote a book here! :-) (but no editing 😸)
I love all your (unedited) thoughts! I figured other writers can relate to my critical voice--it's just so prevalent with artists of every type. So hard to tune out sometimes! I've heard about other writers editing periodically and I can definately see the draw. Sometimes editing is so much more rewarding, because there's stuff on the page and we can tinker with it and make it feel closer to the vision we have in our heads. I think I fall into the no-editing camp (for the most part) because I know if I allow myself to edit, I will just tinker forever and it will take me 5 years to write the novel (which it might anyway) but if I have the first draft down at least I can feel like I know the story from top to bottom which gives me a birds-eye view of the most important scenes to stress about and I have less invested when I have to cut entire scenes (and maybe characters?). I also feel the urge to research, but see above re editing. I could research forever and never write the story. I'm so pumped to meet another writer. What are you working on at the moment?
It's good to meet you as well! :-)
One big thing that has really been an "aha moment" (sorry, that term... 😬) for me has been switching my view of "editing" my own work from "editing" to "writing". Seeing editing as actually writing. I suppose that's just some mental gymnastics... but somehow it helps me.
I am just finishing serializing an action-horror novel here on Substack, and <just> starting a new long-form piece, a shorter novel I think. Otherwise I write a humorous essay (I hope humorous) every weekend.
PS: I could spend the rest of my life researching lol!! For sure.
Oh so cool, just checked out your Substack, you are prolific, it’s amazing you can post 3x a week! And I love the archive of your father’s cartoons!
Thanks Noor, it’s been a fun project!! Now, if I can just get my Weekend post finished 😊…
Love this meeting of the (writing) minds @Noor Rahman and @Adam Rockwell. 🙌