Is there ever a case for not editing?

[Le Panda du Mal]

The more I write, the rougher my first drafts are and the more I rely on editing to make them better (in some cases, coherent). I think this is a matter of confidence, although it can lead to some odd problems. When I was editing God Emperor of Didcot before sending it to the publisher, I was surprised to find a blank space with the words "Fight scene here, Smith wins" which had to be filled.

I read a history book, printed by a serious academic publisher, that was clearly rushed to completion since there were a few places with brief notes just like this (e.g. King So-and-So --- may have been son of X--- built some monasteries --- married a Byzantine princess.--- avoided war with Seljuks) which the author forgot to convert into complete sentences.

 

[SaintJzearuth]

Jack Kerouac encouraged writing spontaneously and not editing. And he supposedly edited his writings to death in private.

The first writing technique I encountered, and really played with during my craft developmental years, was this spontaneous method. If focused only on writing from the hip, a creative process may be induced wherein spontaneity prevents the possibility of insecurity or (in theory) mistake. You're doing without having time to reflect on odds of success.

I edit my fiction and poetry, now, for what it is worth. Unless it is too experimental to benefit, or too pristine. A typo's a typo.

 

[jacksimmons]

If there's one thing Kerouac's On the Road shows us, it's that there is never a case for not editing.

 

[SaintJzearuth]

I haven't read On the Road: the Original Scroll to compare it to the version originally published. It has been a long time since I read On the Road (I was in high school), so I don't remember much about it now.

I wanted to say associates of Kerouac claimed he was editing constantly, so it isn't fair to use his works to justify the debunking of his method. I can't say that if the Original Scroll is substantially worse than the official version, because Original Scroll was edited far less than the official version.

I like the spontaneous writing technique. Even if it didn't work for Kerouac, maybe it works for others.