I think bringing it into the first person, by removing the pronoun, is best: "to second guess while writing". I also think changing "to short circuit" to "of sh

I think bringing it into the first person, by removing the pronoun, is best: "to second guess while writing". I also think changing "to short circuit" to "of short circuiting" reads better, though if that change is made, additionally dropping "sort of" reads best. "The unprofessional look of it can have the same effect of short circuiting the tendency to second guess while writing." I can't comment on your grammatical critique. The technical aspects of grammar are taxing to me beyond the 'intuitive' level.