Should I edit as I go, or after I finish a first draft?

Finish your first draft and then start editing. Otherwise you're just interrupting your flow.

 

I just focus on putting down the rough draft first. I'm currently working hard on my draft and I've learned that editing on the go distracts me.
And I find it easier to edit something that is complete instead of doing it bit by bit.

But as you can see from all the responses It's highly personal.
Do what suits you best and don't care about the rest.

 

Write in scenes--not chapters--and edit/revise (or rewrite) then move on the the next scene. Then edit and revise after assembling those scenes onto chapters: then edit/revise one more time for perfection.

 

The key is to do whatever keeps you writing and moving forward. You need to get to the end of your first draft as soon as possible, but if going back and editing helps you get into your creative zone, then do it.

I recommend adding comments in word of things you want to change, and putting minor edits off until after you have your first draft.

 

I used to do it that way, but after noticing how drastically different the final drafts always ended up being from the first draft, I started looking at the "first draft" as merely the out-line. Which freed me to leave gaping plot holes while still moving forward. Those holes, I now know, are easily filled when you get to know your characters better. Because so many of the things we decide to do are based on what our personalities think is best at the time we need to make those decisions anyway, that it just makes things seem more integrated in the end.

 

Yeah, that way also works best for me.