How to Bypass Your Internal Editor

How to Bypass Your Internal Editor How to Bypass Your Internal Editor How to Bypass Your Internal Editor By Michael When you edit your first draft, youll have all sorts of ideas of what to change. But when you write your first draft, you want to turn off the internal editor in your mind, that super-ego that looks over your shoulder and criticizes everything you do. Editing is different from writing. Most people cant successfully do both at the same time. And when you do your first draft, you need to focus on writing. Here are some tips on disabling your internal editor until youre ready to hear from it: Make a personal policy to never hit the backspace key more than one. Then you will be able to fix typos but nothing else. If that doesnt work, refuse to hit the backspace key at all. Unless youre a really bad typist, you will still be able to recognize the word you typed. Ive actually written entire chapters in the dark, lying in bed with my ultra-light Alphasmart 2000 keyboard. And in the morning, almost everything I had typed was understandable. If you have to, dont write at all. Dictate onto a recording and type it up later. Dont edit yourself as you speak, either. Never stop talking. If you cant think of what to say next, just say anything until your train of thought returns to you. Start writing with the easy part. Write about what you know best or what you are most passionate about. For example, if youre writing a brochure or website for your business, start with the story of how and why you began the business or learned your skills. Before you know it, you may discover that youve also written about your product line and your unique selling proposition (USP). Set yourself a speed goal. Tell yourself that you have to write a certain number of words a minute. Dont judge the quality of your output. It may be hard at first, but it will get easier. What if you hate what you wrote, and cant stand to edit it? In that case, write it again. You wrote it fast the first time, right? You wont lose much by doing it again. Just start from the beginning, or from where you got off the path, and keep going. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Words with More Than One SpellingHow to Pronounce Mobile"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?