I could see (hi, all--by the way, I've been off on my honeymoon and missed you all...most of you...anyways hello again) how this "pre-censoring" business could be troublesome in quantifiable doses; a scene easily becomes static, predictable, cardboard, etc. because the writer pre-packages the story into a concept rather than letting it breathe.
On the flip, aren't we constantly doing that? I would say pre-censoring does come in SOME shape or form, no matter how hard you try to let your story go everywhere at once.
What I mean is (hello I haven't written in over a week and some might see that as a good thing for the world...reacquainting myself with the ol' keyboard now...)--what I mean is--you have to choose SOME kind of direction, and though first drafts are sketchy rather than shiny and packaged, you're already thinking in terms of the whole. You're already making choices, thus silencing other possible scenes and ideas.
I think the bad kind is when you're too timid and afraid to let a scene go somewhere scary that may not work just to please your editor brain.
Maybe the love scene between the shark and the squid will get dumped on the fourth draft (it would take me that long to justify cutting an underwater interracial sex romp). So what? You've got that scene for something else. Expound it, send it to lit mags just to imagine the looks on their faces when they print out a rejection slip and shove it in the mailbox. They're trying to wash the thoughts out of their head with a brillo pad all night.
And isn't that an achievement in itself?
Note to readers: if anyone would be willing to send me on ANOTHER honeymoon, I will gladly keep my disturbed fingers away from the keyboard. Let's make a deal here.
