Quote:
Originally Posted by crich70
The best advice I've read about that problem is, "Don't edit. Write." If you stop to edit yourself the story can lose momentum. Books and stories aren't written, they're re-written. If something isn't working right in a story/novel it can be fixed in a re-write, but only if the words are there to start with. Middles always sag as I understand it. What's important is getting the words down on the page to begin with.
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This is one of those rules that I find is best taken in moderation. While I agree that too much time in editing - or too much concentration on editing for technical correction - can make you lose momentum, there can be another side to it. I write under constant review because when I sit down to write I generally review what went before (sometimes a small amount, sometimes quite a lot) - not for technical issues, but for the feel of the story. It's that looking back that I use to help get back my momentum after a day of dealing with other crap. I guess it may be different those fortunate enough not to have their writing time limited to the wee hours of the morning.