I'm another one guilty of editing as I go along, rather than getting a complete draft done and then rewriting.

I know some wonderful writers who do just this - don't move on to the next page until the current one is absolutely right. But I think they're in the minority - they're the Mozarts of the writing world, having the whole thing in their heads so well that they can make the final decisions as they go. For me I know it's fiddling, partly because it's easier to pick at existing words than to spin the next page out of nothing. I try to make a note if I see something astray, and move on. Writing longhand is good for this - it's that bit less easy to see what's not right, and you're more aware that you're sticking where you are instead of moving forward.

Emma

I find the editing process the most enjoyable part of writing and my second draft is probably a good 25% different from the first.
I have never read a Barbara Cartland book ( please don't stop reading my post!) but she was notorious, having written hundreds of books, for simply dictating her prose straight into a dictaphone for her secretary to type up. However much an expert you are in your particular niche of the market, whatever it is, I couldn't ever imagine doing that.

Sammy

I have a long list:

Endless editing
Procrastination
Poetry - using words and images that sound nice but don't really move the story along

Not having a clue where I'm going before I start.

Leading to:

An impasse after four pages on every single thing I do.

Leading to:

Editing and fiddling and juggling instead of getting on with it.

Leading to:

Taking the life out of it.

(Not keeping first drafts.)

Being a bit crap.

Pete

Not being published enough.

JB

I have so many just thinking about them makes my head spin....

Another of mine is not being disciplined enough to keep a skelton of the characters and plot to refer to - how many times have I had to back-track through pages to remind myself of the specifics of a minor character - where i said they were born, their surname even - it's an infuriating waste of time.

Sammy

Sammy

You're lucky you've got pages to back-track through!

Pete

Another of mine is not being disciplined enough to keep a skelton of the characters and plot to refer to - how many times have I had to back-track through pages to remind myself of the specifics of a minor character - where i said they were born, their surname even - it's an infuriating waste of time. Sammy

I'm the opposite. I keep a sheet with information about each character. I'm quite anal. But I bet you're more prolific than me....

Cath

Oh yes, I forgot about the whole editing-as-I-go-along thing; that's got to be my worst on second thoughts. My Inner Editor is much bigger and stronger than my Inner Writer, who is very young and inexperienced and gets beaten up after school every day.

Myrtle

Using too many words. Using certain words too much.

Putting too much detail in.

Not knowing what the fuck I'm doing, generally, but hoping that it will work out somehow.

Being in too much of a hurry.

Using repetition too much in dialogue.

Oh, the list is endless and depressing...

I have many writing vices, but I think my worst one is over-use of ‘but’. I've cured myself of ‘just’, but ‘but’ keeps nudging in far too often… see, I've just done it again

Dee

I've JUST (see what you mean Dee!) noticed another one of mine - over-use of 'As...'

As she went downstairs, she saw...

As she entered the hall, she looked

etc, etc,

Sammy