This is my system: 1. Take your time. Everything matters. If it feels wrong, it's not done. 2. Always finish a writing session with a complete version of

This is my system: 1. Take your time. Everything matters. If it feels wrong, it's not done. 2. Always finish a writing session with a complete version of what you set out to write (section, chapter, blog post, email to your landlord.) 3. Don't be afraid to start from scratch whenever you feel like it. Never keep around something you don't like "just in case." Throw it away. You'll feel some contradiction between these. If (1) everything is important and I should sweat every detail, how do I (2) make myself produce a complete version when so much about it will feel wrong and (3) it's probably going to get thrown out the next day? They're partly contradictory because they work together. (1) encourages you to pay attention to details, but keeping an eye on (2) keeps you in touch with the big picture and forces you to think about how the details contribute to the whole. (1) and (2) force you to work hard; (3) reminds you not to overvalue something because of the work you put into it. (1) and (3) pressure you to maintain high standards; (2) pushes you towards completion. They work together well enough that I feel justified in calling it a system. One thing I don't find myself doing, but which others might have a problem with, is rewriting the same section/chapter/email over and over again instead of moving on. At some point I reach a sufficient combination of bored and satisfied that I want to move on to the next thing. If you have a problem with that then you might need to add something to this system or create a new one.