Do you have fun while you write?
The ideal process of writing really involves three distinct phases:
writing (creatively -- as in originating new material)
editing (looking for errors, missteps, omissions)
revising (taking action on a “To Do” list generated by editing)
What We Tend to Do
On any project, whether it's a technical manual an epistolary novel, or an atomic essay, we might go through the cycle multiple times.
What we tend to do, if we don't understand the importance of this discipline, is to conflate all three phases into a muddle: editing as we write, veering off into revisions, and then looping back to edit what we've just revised, perhaps squeezing in a fresh thought that just came to mind.
It's not terribly efficient -- and it has a way of stanching our creative juices instead of letting them bubble freely.
I'm as guilty of muddling as anyone.
For, it's very easy to lapse back into a Nike-esque "just do it" mode when you need to knock out some prose to meet a deadline. (Ahem! )
Try the Ideal Process: Be Intentional
Being intentional, however, about putting mental space between Writing, Editing, and Revising -- wearing a different hat for each, so to speak -- yields superior results.
Pre-Writing
Better still is to lead in with "pre-writing." This involves brainstorming and idea sketching through the technique of "clustering" or "mind-mapping." An early apostle of mind-mapping (which has applications far, far beyond writing) was an Englishman, Tony Buzan, author of the book, How to Use Both Sides of Your Brain.
Buzan's technique of “mind-mapping” is good for economically capturing information. Back in my pre-laptop days, I used the mapping technique for note-taking, and I could fit an entire lecture's worth of notes on one letter-sized page.
Why don’t you, dear reader, try Buzan’s technique? A free trial is available at his site: http://imindmap.com/.
Here’s wishing you fun with your writing - both while you write and when you hit 'Publish'!