Another idea from Sleuthfest. Several speakers advised what I guess you can call forward-writing: not letting yourself edit until you've got a first draft. I've made my case on this one before. Can't do it.
The idea is that you don't look back. You make yourself write on because (they say) the act of editing can become a stalling technique and a writer can become lost in "this could be better." While I agree with that, I find that editing sets the story-thus-far in my mind so that I don't go off in an irrelevant direction. It reminds me of where I was headed in the first place. And I must admit, it helps to quell my doubts about my own work. If I don't reread, I succumb to thoughts of "you didn't explain that character very well," or "you haven't put in any sensory details." They're usually there when I look back, but I like the reassurance of reading it again. Add to that the reminders of "are her eyes blue or green?" or "what was the doctor's first name?" that you pick up as you skim through, and it's downright efficient.
I know that mid-work editing can become crippling, so I guard against too much of it. In my workshops I meet wanna-be writers all the time who can't get past the first three chapters. That's not what I do. I'm willing to go on, but I find it comforting/encouraging/helpful to go back every few chapters and read the so-far to see if the whole is seamlessly coming together. And if it isn't, I want to fix it now, not in a major rewrite later.
You need to be a member of CrimeSpace to add comments!