It’s easy to do. You’re in the middle of writing your manuscript and you stop every now and then to fix a typo or add punctuation. You want your writing to be perfect, after-all, right? But what if editing your work while writing it is actually harming your masterpiece? How can that be?

Well, consider these points regarding the process of editing as you write.

• It slows you down – When you’re in the mood to write and your inspiration is flowing, you don’t want to stop to fix your punctuation or spelling. When you’re inspired and motivated, you really need to take advantage of those opportunities. So just write, no matter how messy it looks. The point of this stage is to get your ideas on paper.
• It’s distracting – How can you focus on what you’re writing when you keep stopping to edit? And how can you meet a daily writing goal if you’re distracted with edits?
• It’s not necessary – At least not while you’re still writing your manuscript. And editing requires as much attention as -actually more than- writing. 

So, when do you edit?

When you’re not motivated to write -unless, it’s time to edit, of course. Yes, when you don’t feel like writing or worse, you feel as if you can’t write. Use this time constructively by editing. Not only will this effort be a way to continue forward with the completion of your manuscript, it may just inspire you to actually write!

What are your thoughts about editing while writing?

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