In this post, you’ll discover why it’s not always a good idea to stop and edit your work while you write.
The creative process needs to flow with as little interruption as possible. If it stops, original ideas may never come to fruition. When you write, you’re using language to express ideas. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, there’s an element of creativity that’s present in your process.
Creativity is about using your imagination. Whether you realize it or not, you’re using creativity and imagination when you write. When I was teaching, I worked hard to foster imagination through instruction methods and curriculum design.
My kindergarten students loved working in their writing journals. Here’s what we did:
- We would start by reviewing the sound of the letter we were learning about.
- Each student would think of a word that begins with that sound.
- I would introduce a brief sentence into which they could insert their word.
- Students would write this sentence in their journals and draw a picture to go with it. They were using their imagination.
They would’ve lost focus and motivation if I’d stopped to ask questions such as “Do you think people will like the colors that you’ve used?” That’s why I walked around the room, watched them work, kept them on-task, and assessed their skills by asking them to read their sentence to me.
I’ve witnessed the frustration of writers whose progress gets hindered by their need to create perfection in one area of their document before continuing. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you suspend your viewpoint when you consider the perspective of others—or even when you stop to edit your own work. Doing so hinders your imagination and can even halt your progress.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t evaluate, revise, backtrack, or brainstorm new ideas. But put the focus on maintaining your perspective. Establish and then move in what you think is the right direction. Then, choose to collaborate with an editor. Although you and your editor will approach your project from different viewpoints, you should share the desire to create the best possible finished product.
Consider what an uninterrupted creative process might do for your writing. How do you ensure that your creative process doesn’t become hindered?
