I was playing With or Without You by U2 on the bass guitar a few days ago. For a bassist it is quite a boring song, as it is repetitive, with only a little bit of variation towards the end. However, it taught me the importance of consistency. It is crucial not to lose focus and drift off the rhythm. My job is to underpin the rest of the instruments and to keep going. Self control is required.
With writing, consistency is key, especially if you are working on a longer project such as a novel, like I am. I noticed that maintaining my authentic voice is not always easy and, sometimes, upon rereading a part of the manuscript, I can see I have changed my style. Perhaps the narration sounds different, for example. I believe it is partly because I wrote some scenes out of sequence, as inspiration came. Part of the redrafting process will be to smooth out these tonal changes and aim for a consistent voice.
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