Body Quote by Will Self
“Don't look back until you've written an entire draft, just begin each day from the last sentence you wrote the preceeding day. This prevents those cringing feelings, and means that you have a substantial body of work before you get down to the real work which is all in . . . The edit.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Guardian, 2010
He advises writing continuously without editing, building a substantial draft before tackling the editing phase, to avoid self‑criticism and maintain momentum.
In simple terms: Write first, edit later.
Write continuously, edit later.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- academic papers
- blog posts
- creative projects
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does continuous writing affect your output?
- When is early editing beneficial?
May lead to unfocused drafts needing extensive revision.