Reorganizing my portfolio forced me to reread old drafts—and cringe at a strange obsession. What I found made me go “by, by, by” to my current writing.

Literally. Because I discovered I loved starting sentences with independent clauses–particularly, “by.”

By reading past drafts, I realized this repetitive problem.

By fixing it now, I could improve my writing.

See what I did there?

Revision is a natural part of our processes. We go back, slash terrible sentences, reword poorly expressed ideas, put chunks of text in more logical places. Cut commas, add commas. Add hooks to introductions and requests to take action to the conclusion. 

In fast-paced journalism, revision often happens under deadline pressure. More emphasis is placed on factual accuracy, organization, and proofreading.

The patterns disappear when you’re close to something.

[Or, “when you’re close to something, the patterns disappear.”]

Even in revising this article, the love for the sentence pattern “independent clause, dependent clause” reappeared in the sentence above. I changed it for this final copy. 

That’s the beauty of revision. It reveals not just clunky sentences but hidden habits.

This is my quirk. It made my writing “me” and trended towards a conversational tone. It’s also less direct and active. Luckily, the quirk came to light at the same time I was reviewing copywriting for reading levels. Hitting that “grade 6” benchmark requires more short, punchy sentences. It’s not natural for me.

I challenge you to go find what quirks your writing has acquired. Take an hour one Friday afternoon and go back one year. Read your past writing with that keen editor’s eye. Pay attention to repeating words, sentence structures, metaphors, and allusions. 

Every writer has their unique tells. Mine just happened to be ‘by.’

By incorporating editing with intention, you’ll write with more clarity. Use those discoveries to elevate what you write today.