How Do You Turn Off Your Inner Editor?

[Karey]

We've all read, in various 'How To' books--'If you wait for the right 'mood', you'll never finish your book.'
Gah. Verra true!
When I lived in Germany, I had the PERFECT writing 'space' in our house. I could turn on appropriate music and light candles to set the 'mood' and slip into a writing-coma. I became the character. I was there, in the scene.
Now, here in this current house, I can't seem to find my writing spot. Darn it. And I can't shut off my inner editor.
Tonight, home from work and exhausted...I did it! I slipped into that writing-coma...ah HA! So, I need to be very tired, my brain nearly mush, in order to silence that bloody editor and just write. Feel the scene. See the scene. Hmmmm, I'd read once that a good glass or two of wine before writing awakens the author and lulls the editor.
This post is for those of you suffering the dreaded internal editor to share your tricks that put the red pen away, and enable your words to simply flow...
Humor encouraged :P

[Robert]

I am a nonfiction writer which might put a slightly different spin on how the problem is addressed, but I agree totally that we have changeable moods (one of the glories of the human condition). We should use these moods to our advantage. Creating moods via chemical means has been the downfall of many people, albeit many of these people have since earned a place in posterity as admirable writers.

The way I attack this is to have a list of tasks to do, a to-do list. Some of them are merely mechanical, like fact-checking, some are similarly more fact-based, like running down new leads to topics, often by searching on the internet or in books I have in my collection. Some tasks are more specific to structures, outlines, where the progression of thought is going, what I would call pure "think" work. And some are at the level of "what next"? How does the current piece of work fit in with what I want to accomplish before I write no more?

In this way I can choose the task for the day based on the mood and set of conditions that I find myself in. I strive for being so centered that I can do any type of work, but the reality is that if it's a busy and fragmented day, I'll have little luck with deep thinking. A busy and interrupted day is more suited to short bursts of energy and specific tasks which can be completed in short order. Favorite sorts of work for a busy day include editing some previous work for grammar, typos and so on. But, like you, I prefer the languorous type of day when all lies before: hours, ideas, and plenty of white pages to fill.

[Karey]

You know, Robert, you listed some keen ideas that I'm going to implement in my own scheduling. You're right--fragmented days WOULD be best for editing, researching, or working on 'where is this going' story-mapping.
Days off, or even the night before a day off (where one can stay up late and not pay dearly the next morning) might become more productive for writing, if I get all the 'tasks' out of the way. Maybe this will silence the inner editor??

[Regina]

I used to drink when I wrote, and that helped me focus. I had to quit for the most part because I am a migraineur. But it does seem to help.

[Karey]

I can't do the wine anymore either. The headaches just aren't worth it. But, I've found that the more tired I am, the more creative. I wonder if it's just being very relaxed?

[Ubiquitous]

When I'm very tired, the creative part of my brain pouts and I'm reduced to watching competition TV shows or playing games on my tablet. For me to be at my best, I need to be rested, fed, and distraction-free. When that fails, forcing myself to write usually jump starts my creative thoughts. Punishment is more effective than rewards in self-motivation, but my brain will rebel eventually. When that happens, pizzas are ordered.

[J]

I have to say drinking has never been helpful in the long run for me, and for some others has just led to self destructive behavior.

Whenever my inner editor starts barking I listen for a moment then remind him that there is a time for editing...just not now. Then I usually can allow the creative voices to come back and play.

[Ken]

I really don't pay attention to the inner editor when writing. I get an idea and just spew it forth on the pages.
When next I come back to the ms, I go back to what I wrote before and even a page or two more. I read it and fix it. This also helps get me rolling when I get to the end of the corrected spew.