How Your Inner Editor Kills Creativity & How to Gently Tell Them to Wait Their Turn

Picture this: You're finally in the zone, words flowing like magic onto the page, when suddenly, SCREECH!, your inner editor slams on the brakes. "That sentence is terrible!" it shrieks. "Fix it NOW!"

Sound familiar?

Your inner editor isn't just interrupting your flow, it's literally switching off your creative brain & turning on your rational brain the moment you start second-guessing your work. When you pause mid-sentence to fix a typo or recast a phrase, you've shut down the creative spigot & activated your editing mode. Getting back into that beautiful creative flow? Much harder than it may seem, if not entirely impossible (trust me, I know).  

But here's the thing, you don't have to be held hostage by this well-meaning saboteur anymore!

What's Really Happening in Your Brain When Your Inner Editor Takes Over

Ready for some mind-blowing science? Your brain literally changes when your inner editor butts in.

Research using MRI scans shows that during creative flow states, your prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for self-evaluation, judgment & behavior modification, powers down & becomes quiet. This allows other brain regions where ideas connect & combine to activate fully. It's like turning off the critic so the artist can play!

Your inner editor essentially reactivates that prefrontal cortex prematurely, blocking the creative power that should be flowing through you. No wonder it feels like hitting a brick wall when you're writing!

The damage goes way deeper than a simple interruption, though. Your inner editor transforms creative work into an anxiety-riddled performance where every single word must be perfect before moving forward. This leads to:

• Hours spent polishing opening paragraphs while the rest remains unwritten
• Complete creative paralysis
• That nasty voice whispering: "You're a lousy writer, no one will read this, people will think you're stupid"

Those fears? They're creativity killers.

The Truth About Your Inner Editor (It's Not the Villain You Think It Is!)

Here's what might surprise you: your inner editor genuinely wants to help. It's just showing up at the wrong time, like a dinner guest who arrives early & tries to tell you how to cook!

The solution isn't to banish this voice entirely (spoiler alert: that's impossible anyway) - take it from someone who's tried...more than once). The key is acknowledging its existence while firmly establishing boundaries.

Think of it this way, you need that analytical mind for the revision stage. Your inner editor has valuable insights about structure, clarity & flow. But during the drafting phase? It needs to take a seat & wait its turn.

How to Make Peace with Your Overeager Editor

Stop fighting your inner editor & start managing it instead. When that critical voice pipes up during your writing session, don't ignore it, acknowledge it! Make brief placeholder notes like [fix] or [better word?] instead of actually stopping to make changes.

This reassures your editor that you're listening & will address its concerns later, allowing you to continue writing without derailing your creative momentum. It's like saying, "I hear you & we'll deal with this in editing. Right now, we're just getting the story out."

Pro tip: Some writers even have full conversations with their inner editor! Try saying, "Thanks for the input, I'll make a note & we can discuss this later during revision time."

5 Practical Strategies to Keep Your Editor on the Bench

1. Create Physical Separation Between Writing & Editing

Designate specific time blocks for each activity. Spend a dedicated period writing, anywhere from thirty minutes to a full week, followed by a separate editing session. During writing time, your singular focus should be getting that rough first draft out of your system, no matter how imperfect.

Want to get really serious about this? Try writing for an entire week without looking back at what you've written. I know, I know, it sounds terrifying! But trust me on this one.

2. Make Your Writing Invisible While You Draft

Use distraction-free word processors that scroll text off the screen as you type, preventing you from seeing (& therefore editing) what you've already written. This forces you forward & eliminates the temptation to constantly revise.

Can't find a fancy app? Try writing in white text on a white background, or simply don't look at your screen while typing. Your fingers know where the keys are, let them do their thing!

3. Write Like Your Life Depends on It

Set a timer & challenge yourself to produce within strict time constraints. Writing as quickly as possible naturally prevents your inner editor from interrupting since you're moving too fast to second-guess yourself.

Some writers even use tools that delete your text if you stop typing, though this extreme approach isn't for everyone! (But wow, does it work for getting words on the page!)

4. Name Your Fears & Watch Them Shrink

Your inner editor is powered by fear of messing up. Write down what specifically scares you about the piece you're working on. Are you worried people will think you don't know what you're talking about? Afraid your writing isn't "good enough"?

Naming these fears explicitly transforms them from terrifying shadows into the "unlikely ridiculous thoughts" they usually are.

5. Talk to Yourself Differently

Try addressing your inner writer in second or third person rather than first person. Instead of "I need to fix this," think "The writer needs to keep going" or "You can clean this up later."

This creates psychological distance between your creative self & your critical self, making it easier to maintain boundaries between the two.

The Goal Isn't Perfection: It's Progress!

Remember, the goal isn't to eliminate your inner editor. You need that analytical mind for the revision stage! The goal is training it to wait its turn so your creativity can flow unimpeded during the drafting phase.

When you successfully separate drafting from editing, magical things happen:

• More ideas generated faster
• Easier access to that productive flow state where your best work emerges
• Less anxiety & more joy in the writing process
• Actually finishing projects instead of getting stuck in endless revision loops

Your inner editor will always be there: but now you know how to manage it like the pro you are! The next time it starts chattering during your writing time, gently remind it that its expertise will be needed later. Right now? It's time to create.

Your creativity is waiting. Don't let your inner editor keep it locked away any longer: those words want to come out & play! Give yourself permission to write imperfectly, knowing that revision time will come later.

Ready to tell your inner editor to take a back seat? Your next writing session is the perfect place to start practicing these techniques. Remember: messy first drafts lead to beautiful finished pieces, but only if you actually write them!