The words are flowing and I’m feeling inspired. I can see the path forward. All of a sudden something I have written strikes me as wrong, flawed. I run through possible permutations before I stop myself.

Editing in the midst of writing has to be my worse characteristic as a writer. It dissipates the energy that causes the words to flow. I constantly have to tell myself to stop; just write the words down; editing is later. Because the energy dissipates, later could mean weeks or months down the line while I try to negotiate my way out of the writerly abyss the flaw put me in.

Lately, however, as I return to working on my current book, I find myself returning to past practices. I used to write on the laptop, print out the pages, edit by hand, input the changes ad infinitum. It’s a way, for me, to incorporate editing into the writing process without getting blocked by it. It’s dynamic to and for me.

What aspect of your writing acts as a block?