One more trick for those who edit WHILE they write…

Reading time: Less than 1 minute

This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a tip from consultant Emily Agnew…

When my friend and colleague Emily Agnew (pictured above) gave me a tip some months ago, I promised myself I’d share it with you, my readers.

For years, Emily struggled with the problem of editing while she wrote. This bad habit, which plagues many of us (including me, for many years) slows down our writing and sets us to editing at the world’s worst time — when we’re overly familiar with our content and when we have the least amount of perspective.

My tips for breaking this habit help many people, but Emily has developed a new one for the list: she moves her mouse to her non-dominant hand (in her case, her left hand). This small-but-significant change reminds her she’s supposed to be writing and for that she needs only the keyboard — not the mouse.

While you’re thinking about this ingenious idea, take a couple of minutes to visit Emily’s site. She works with people who face anxiety and sensitivity coupled with creativity.

I think her site is beautiful and it offers a wealth of useful information for anyone who deals with sensitivity. Be sure to check out some of her helpful videos, like this one on how to overcome your anxiety.

An earlier version of this post first appeared on my blog on July 15/19.

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