Following this practice aids in reading like a reader and not an author. It always amazes me when I don't really recognize my own writing in the same way after putting the manuscript away for 6-8 weeks....ignore the thing for awhile in order to gain some emotional distance and return for the final editing process, where I try to judge everything anew.
I think that's true for the most part. I fall in between outliner and discovery. I often have to update the outline as the story progresses. For that reason, I try to allow discovery during the actual writing while using the outline like a daily prompt.One consideration of methodology is, perhaps, whether you're an outliner or a discovery writer. I would tend to think that it would be easier for outliners to edit as they go. For a discovery writer, you don't know exactly what the tone or events of the beginning of your story should be until after you write the end.
As a new writer, I don't plan on doing any editing to my WIP until I've completed the first draft. Once I have a completed draft, then I'll go back and edit each chapter (or more than likely rewrite it). If I stopped to edit my writing as I went though I'd never get this thing done.
Exactly. This seems to be the most popular advice, and I suggest this too. If you think too much and try to edit when you're just writing the first draft, you'll seem to have to much on your plate, and you might slack off aftr a while.
There is definitely virtue to going along this route, as it also allows you to change your story the second time, as you get experienced and detached enough from the story to make the necessary tweak or even a significant plot change. If an idea for a plot change occurs when you're writing your first draft, shelve it and do something about it in your second draft, just my opinion.
I agree that there is merit to this approach in that it will propel you to the finish line much faster. However, there is a big downside in the form of a loss of efficiency.
I actually think finishing the first draft then editing is more efficient. For me, it avoids spending lots of time editing a section only to find out later that said section is no longer needed, or needs to be completely reworked, thus erasing all that hard work. I think knowing where things are going to end up lets you make better choices in your editing and gear it towards supporting what's to follow.
To me editing before finishing the first draft is like picking the paint and curtains to a room in a house that's still on the drawing board.
Still, as you said, what newbies generally turn out the first time is usually hogwash, and they would spend the second draft completely rewriting the unusable parts, right? So reediting and revising a first draft prior to finishing it seems a little redundant, doesn't it, considering that you might find something you completely rewrote during the first draft completely superfluous later on? Also sometimes writing without looking back creates this drive that encourages the writer to finish the draft.
Every method has its different merits, and every person has their different views.