These 3 Writing Tips Changed Everything For Me

I don’t have a fancy intro, so let’s just get right into this.

I’ve used a lot of writing tips over the years, but these three have always stayed with me. If you’re like me, you want to keep the writing process as simple — and effective — as possible.

Here are the writing tips I’ve found very helpful, and I encourage you to use them if you aren’t already.

Tip #1. Don’t Edit as You Go

This tip is easier said than done, but I’ve found it’s best to avoid it. Let yourself get into the flow of writing and try to ignore the mistakes as you go.

This is hard for me as I need my writing to be free from error. That may be some weird perfectionist thing in me, but it’s not helpful in the writing process.

I get on a roll but then see that dreaded red underline from Grammarly. Immediately, I have to go back and correct it. Then I see I didn’t need a comma where I thought I did. Instead of keeping a writing flow going, I’ve started to edit the piece.

Going back to correct the mistakes has just killed my momentum. I then forget where I was going with the original thought and idea.

This tip has taken some time to sink in, but I feel I’m much better at it. I know my copy is going to be a mess and I’ve just made peace with it. That’s what editing is for, anyway.

If you are like me and need to have clean copy right from the start, please give this a shot. Write and don’t look back. Don’t get distracted with the errors that may stand out like a sore thumb. Let your first draft be all about creativity and not perfection. If this means all the paragraphs are a mess — so be it.

Better yet, turn off Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or whatever editing software you use so you’re not distracted. When you go through your first edit, turn them back on. I really feel this had made an enormous improvement in my creativity and productivity.

Tip #2. Wait a Day Until You Edit

Speaking of editing: this one has been an absolute game-changer. I’ve found the hardest thing is to step away from a new piece when I’m finished. I want to keep the momentum going and just get the thing out there.

But I’ve learned this isn’t an ideal approach. When you go from writing, straight into editing, it’s hard to look at your work with an objective eye. Instead, I let the piece sit for about a day. Then, when I get to it, I can come at it from that more objective approach.

An idea that may have seemed good at the time may no longer fit. I can then see where various ideas could benefit from a different placement. And I’m able to accept that some parts just have to go. When you’ve just finished your first draft, these things can be impossible to see. I find I get so married to an idea that I dare not edit it out.

After I’ve had time to let it sit, I’m better able to make those tough decisions.

Creativity and the writing process can blunt that editing objectiveness. To get the best out of your work, come at it with those fresh eyes. Give it 24-hours (or even more) before you edit and you’ll be amazed at how much more efficient your writing will become.

On that note: don’t over-edit. I feel we all fall into that trap of trying to create perfection. Sometimes, you just have to hit publish and move on. When you think about it, writing is never really finished: it’s abandoned.

You could edit a piece for months and still never be finished with it. I go with two to three edits, so I don’t go crazy trying to make the thing perfect — which they will never be.

You may have a much different approach to editing, but this is what I’ve found to work for me.

Tip #3. Step Away When You’re on a Roll — Not When You Hit a Block

One of my favorite documentaries ever is on something I never thought I would spend two hours watching: typewriters. It’s called “California Typewriter” and it’s all about the romanticism of the typewriter and the act of typing on actual paper.

This documentary isn’t just about the physical typewriters, but some writing insights that come from those who still use them.

One such insight comes from playwright Sam Shepard. Shephard has written 58 plays over his career. He was also an actor, director, and has written several books and screenplays.

In the documentary, he discusses the creative process. Shepard said one of the best ways to improve your writing is to leave a piece when it’s about to go somewhere. Normally, we do the complete opposite of this: we get to a dead-end and just walk away. This is the wrong approach.

Shepard states that when you come back after a dead-end, you will still be at that same dead end. You’ll sit back down and the frustration and writer's block all come rushing back.

Instead, it’s best to leave on a high note. This can help spur new ideas, directions, and make you excited to get back to it.

This has been huge for me, and it’s something I had never done before. Instead of writing to the point of burnout, I leave at the high points. This fills me with inspiration and really creates fresh ideas. I can’t wait to get back to it as opposed to the dread I often feel when my piece has hit a brick wall.

Stepping away when you’ve had a breakthrough doesn’t interrupt the creativity, but can actually help to harness new ideas and creativity. The great work you’ve done now gets to stir around with your memories, experiences, and insights, which allow new and better ideas to come out of nowhere.

I like to call this the “Don Draper effect.” If you’ve watched Mad Men, you know the fictional character of Don would always tell his copywriters to work really hard when they needed to come up with an idea. He tells them to put all their energy into it, focus hard, and keep the momentum going — but then just step away. Go for a walk. Go see a movie. Do anything that distracts you from trying to find the idea because that’s when “poof,” the idea magically appears.

It’s like when you try really hard to remember the name of a song. The harder you focus on it, the less likely you are to remember. It’s when you walk away and do something else that it magically pops into your head.

You might not think this is a practical approach, but I encourage you to give it a shot. It really can transform the creative process. When you hit a block or dead-end while writing, it just leaves you frustrated and unmotivated. Before it gets to that point, step away when you’ve hit a breakthrough. This helps to open up a world of new possibilities.

Key Takeaways

Hopefully, at least one of these tips is new to you and can help boost your own writing process. To sum it up, I’ve found that:

1. Editing as you go ruins the creative flow. This distracts me from the task at hand. Writing and editing need to be two separate things and can’t be done at the same time. When you write: write. That needs to be the priority. I’m impatient, but there will be time to edit.

2. Wait at least a day until you edit. Again, this can be tough, but can transform your writing. I started his article two days ago and had to let it sit. It’s not that our first drafts are always terrible, it’s just that we have trouble looking at them objectively when we’re in the middle of them. That first draft feels like our baby and how could you improve on what appear to be great ideas? This is where you need some time away. When you spread out the time between writing and editing: significant improvements can begin.

3. Quit while you’re ahead. This was the most unorthodox tip I ever got — but may have been the most helpful. I always thought I had to write until complete burnout. It turns out this isn’t an ideal approach for optimal creativity. This tip may take you longer to implement, but try to step away when you reach a breakthrough. It helps to get the wheels spinning in your head, and when you get back to the piece; even greater ideas can develop.

We all need to develop our own process. I’ve found it’s best to not have too many things to focus on while writing, or I risk clogging my mind up with requirements. Instead, I like to focus on just these three things, and I hope you can use them to make your writing the best it can be.