Correct spelling errors while writing or after you've finished?
With the "write, don't edit" rule in mind, how should one handle mistyping?
I usually stop or go back to fix the error as soon as I spot it, but often I feel this breaks the flow of writing.
Should one keep going, or stop to correct? I'm afraid I might miss some errors if I don't. And the thought of going back to fix everything in the end seems overwhelming.
Why should I prefer one over the other?
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3 answers
It sounds like you are struggling between two possiblities:
- Fixing typos but having your concentration on the forward movement of your writing broken, or
- Moving on but facing a daunting task of catching all of your errors during editing and re-writing.
Personally I would be driven crazy by not fixing a mistake I knew was there, and that would break my concentration far worse than going back, re-typing a word, and moving on. You may be totally different, however.
Since you have already tried fixing typos, try working on a segment for about 3/4 of your normal writing time without fixing typos. Then use the last quarter of your time to go back and fix typos - read the work out loud to yourself, read backwards, do whatever you need to do so that the brain's automatic comprehension features don't kick in and keep you from spotting errors. See if this way of working is better for you than fixing typos.
You may want to try both ways of working more than once. As you work you might come up with a hybrid approach. Perhaps you want to write short segments and then fix all the typos in them while deciding what to write next. Perhaps you want to figure in some time spent fixing basic typos. Perhaps you want to leave it all for your first round of editing, or even your last.
Whatever you do, make sure it keeps you writing.
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/1089. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Look, like most of these things, the answer is "what works for you". Personally, I have to keep pushing on -- if I look back, my Inner Critic starts asking for other changes, and as Satchel Paige said "never look back; something might be gaining on you."
On the other hand, I know people who practice the shitabrick method, and have to get each paragraph exactly right before they can go on.
So, how about this: try some freewriting -- write as fast as you can, ignoring errors and all, and see if you get into that nice warm-bath feeling of "flow". If so, forget the spelling, that's why God made spell correct.
If, after you give it some time, it doesn't work, then try fixing errors as you see them.
There's no one looking over your shoulder saying "you're not right the Correct Way", except possibly you.
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/1095. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Another suggestion: Today, you write for an hour, finish, close the document, walk away.
Tomorrow, the first thing you do is take 15 minutes to re-read what you wrote, fix typos, correct grammar, and make edits. By the time you're done straightening up, you should be back in the flow of the story, and you can write for another session. This also gives you the perspective of a day's distance from your work, which makes it easier to "kill your darlings."
I become hysterical about typos and could not proceed without fixing them. But, as others have noted, this issue is very individual.
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