You need a date to finish a paragraph, but checking it would interrupt a productive writing session. A visible placeholder can preserve the question without turning a guess into a sentence that later looks verified.
Make the missing task specific
Write a distinctive marker such as CHECK-DATE followed by what needs confirming. For a scene, note the required function rather than “add something here”. A placeholder should tell your later self what work remains, not simply announce that the draft is incomplete.
Build a closing search into revision
Before sharing or publishing, search for the marker and resolve each occurrence. Confirm facts through appropriate sources; remove claims you cannot support. Do not merely delete the label while leaving an invented detail behind.
Keep unresolved items visible in any draft sent for feedback so the reader knows what they are evaluating. This habit separates composition from verification without abandoning either. It also helps prevent the surprisingly common problem of a temporary example surviving because it eventually looked familiar.