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How many of you do the right brain/ left brain kind of writing? By that I mean free writing with no editing at times and at other times, only editing? How do you organize your time to do this? Do you write with the right-brain at one time of day, and with the left-brain at another? Just wondering how you work this out.
posted
So far, the only thing I have working for really shutting off the editor is the Flash Challenges. I'm working on incorporating timed writing on more activities both to increase word count and to get past the editor.
Posts: 233 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
I have learned to recognize that writing and editing are two different functions, and that many of the times I end up frustrated because I'm wanting to write but find myself futzing over the editing instead. At those moments I have to remind myself to come back and edit another day.
The reality of how I work is that I write, and usually do a light editing as I go along. I try to always give the piece time to ferment overnight before I go back and do a more thorough editing job.
I can't disconnect from my manuscript well enough when I try to edit while I'm in a writer's frame of mind, and I can't get into the consciousness of letting words just flow if I keep pulling the reins in so I can edit. In my opinion, it's helpful to be mostly in one camp or the other, and to realize which function you are trying to perform at the time.
quote:Well, what do you mean by "free writing with no editing"?
Well, there are many writing teachers who advocate blasting words down on paper for a specified period of time without stopping to correct anything, even spelling or gramatical errors. I'm not sure if the term "free writing" is exactly appropriate, but that's what I mean by it. The effect is to turn off the internal editor and just let your mind flow--with the thought of going back and editing later. As you probably have heard of, there are such things as "Book In A Week Events" where the sole objective is to set daily and weekly page goals and try to meet them, by the means described above--that includes no editing. I've tried this before, and found it very useful, but since I have a block of writing time set aside in the morning prior to my "real" job, I'm not sure how to organize my time to separate the two on a permanent basis. I was just wondering if anyone had tried it and had the same problem or found solutions.
posted
I write my first drafts pretty freely, and usually try to get it finished before I do any revising at all. But I've usually done a good bit of planning, first - so it's not totally "free". Free from editing, yes.
Posts: 1750 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Because I am an editor by profession, I honestly do not know how to turn of my inner editor. It's like trying to turn off my voice--it's a big part of me, and a lot of it is automatic. However, I don't suffer from the not being able to get past it thing, so maybe it's okay.
Posts: 814 | Registered: Nov 2000
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quote:I never write without editing. I'm a compulsive editor. Edit, edit, edit...
Ditto. Even when I'm flashing, I still edit as I go. Then again, I don't do much in the way of planning when I'm writing a flash, so continually re-reading and editing my scenes gives me time to figure out what I think should come next.
posted
I tried writing one draft only and sending that out for a couple of years, but eventually I reverted to rough draft / final copy. Then word processors and computers came in and I found I could pick at it a great deal.
However, sometimes (well, most of the time) I feel I could have done this-or-that story just perfectly if only I'd taken one more pass at it. After a while, the grammar and phrasing I've used seems inadequate, and I spot continuity errors I missed on every previous revision...
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If I notice a spelling or grammatical error while I'm writing, I correct it, but I don't look for them. If I'm re-reading something I just wrote to figure out what I just said, and I notice an error, the same thing applies.
Really, I never look for grammar errors. If you have to look for them, then who cares?
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I hate editing. Plus I'm not very good at it. I got myself a book though (Self-editing for fiction writers by Renni Browne and Dave King) so at least I know what I'm meant to be doing now.
But because of my hate of editing I don't think I could ever try and edit an entire first draft of anything. So at the moment I'm writing a few chapters at a time, correcting anything glaring (like typos) as I go along, and then going back and editing them, before continuing on.
Also, to minimize the amount of editing I have to do, I spent a few months planning out the plot of the whole thing too, which I also edited.
The most helpful thing I've found though is the feedback from my family and friends.
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