One strange observation I have had as I am doing a second read-through revision on my third novel is that all of my writing is not created equally.

It appears that sometimes I have the muse hanging directly over me, spoon-feeding me the words to say, while other times I feel like I’m just trying to pass my 12th grade grammar class.

Uneven, might be the right word.

So this means one thing: all writing sessions are not the same.

Some days the words flow flawlessly off the keys, coherent, relevant, interesting, and insightful. The grammar is impeccable and the word choice dead-on.

Then with other writing samples I scratch my head trying to figure out what in the world I was thinking when I wrote that. Wrong words, misspellings, missing words, repetition of words, unimaginative structures, blah, blah, blah …

What makes the difference?

Perhaps on some days I’m just more cognitively aware of things?

Perhaps on some days a certain part of the story is more interesting and I’m more engaged?

Perhaps on some days everything just ‘clicks’ for no particular reason?

It’s impossible to know.

I guess this is part of the ups-and-downs of being a writer. Some days it’s remarkably easy, and other days require massive revisions and re-writes.

But I’ve realized, the more that I can identify my own bad writing, the better it will ultimately make me. And that is exactly what I’m striving for. Not perfection – which is unattainable – but excellence.

Here’s to revision #3!