One cognitive mode per stage: draft = generate, review = evaluate structure, polish = refine language — never mix activities from different stages

Why This Is a Rule

Each pipeline stage requires a distinct cognitive mode, and mixing modes within a session produces interference that degrades both. Draft mode is generative: produce content freely, follow templates, tolerate imperfection, prioritize coverage over quality. The inner critic must be silent. Review mode is evaluative: assess structure, check argument flow, identify gaps. No sentence-level editing — that's premature when structure might change. Polish mode is refining: optimize language, smooth transitions, fix mechanics. No structural changes — that undoes review-stage decisions.

The interference pattern is specific: reviewing during drafting produces writer's block (the critic stops the generator). Polishing during review wastes effort (you refine a paragraph that gets deleted during structural reorganization). Restructuring during polish undoes refinement (you move a polished paragraph to a new location where it no longer fits the surrounding context).

This is Three sequential editing passes for high-polish outputs: structural (organization) → line (clarity) → copy (mechanics) — never optimize all simultaneously's three-pass editing principle extended to the entire production pipeline. Each stage is a complete cognitive mode with a defined focus and explicit exclusions. The exclusions ("without editing," "without wordsmithing," "without restructuring") are as important as the inclusions because they prevent the mode-mixing that destroys stage effectiveness.

When This Fires

• During any production session when you notice yourself doing activities from a different stage
• When drafting feels slow because you keep editing sentences as you write them
• When review turns into a rewriting session instead of a structural evaluation
• Complements Move outputs forward through pipeline stages (Draft → Review → Polish → Deliver) — no skipping, no backward oscillation without explicit regression decisions (pipeline stages) and Three sequential editing passes for high-polish outputs: structural (organization) → line (clarity) → copy (mechanics) — never optimize all simultaneously (three-pass editing) with the per-stage behavioral constraints

Common Failure Mode

"I'll just fix this one sentence" during drafting. The one sentence becomes a paragraph rewrite, which triggers rethinking the section structure, which derails the drafting momentum. Twenty minutes later, you've produced zero new content and improved one paragraph that might not survive the review stage anyway.

The Protocol

(1) Before starting a work session, declare which stage you're in: "This is a Draft session" or "This is a Review session." (2) Work only in that mode. Draft session: type new content, follow templates, leave [TODO] markers for things you'll fix later. Do not read back and edit. Review session: read the full output focusing on structure and argument. Mark problems with comments ("Move this section," "This argument needs evidence"). Do not rewrite sentences. Polish session: address each comment, refine sentences, fix grammar, check formatting. Do not reorganize sections. (3) If you catch yourself in the wrong mode, stop and redirect: "I'm editing during a draft session — stop, keep writing, fix it during review." (4) Keep sessions mode-pure even if they're short. A 30-minute pure-draft session produces more new content than a 90-minute mixed session where drafting, editing, and polishing compete for attention.