Procrastinating

I used to think I was good at researching. I used to think finding the perfect name would make the story progress at a swifter pace. I used to think I the perfect title would allow the entire story to magically develop on the page.

It never occurred to me that every time I did my outstanding research I was not actually writing. It never occurred to me that I only did this research when my story was lagging. When I was stuck I would begin to obsess over things like a name, a last name, the title, a chapter title, the name of the store owner where the protagonist bought a soda. These things are not important.

I keep confusing writing with editing. Writing should be creative. The words should flow unabated. The perfect name or perfect title should come during the editing phase. Editing during writing is merely procrastination.