Have you read Marvin Olasky's column, "DQ Country," in the January 14 issue of World magazine?
http://www.worldmag.com/displayarticle.cfm?id=11433
It's about the importance of determination in writing, and he includes painfully convicting quotes such as this one from E.B. White:
"A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word to paper."
Ouch!
Much of the article focuses on the importance of revising your writing . . . through multiple drafts. This really can't be emphasized enough.
I've been editing professionally for nearly two decades now, and I can usually tell which of my clients have carefully revised their writing and which haven't. I've edited more than a few articles that surely must have been unrevised first drafts . . . at least I hope they were. I guess it would be even worse if they had actually been revised and still were so poorly written!
Many writers find that it works best to revise as a separate step, so that they can stay focused in creative, writing mode, then shift into self-editing mode later. I tend to revise a bit as I go along, then go back and revise the entire article or chapter several times after I have completed a first draft.
Sloppy writing sends a message that you don't really care about your readers, about making it easy for them to follow your reasoning, or about making reading your work a pleasant experience for them.
If you're writing for publication, take the time to revise and polish your work. Your readers will thank you!
Mary Jo Tate