Revision
Overview on Revision
Adapted from The Concise Guide to Writing
The
goal of revision is simple: to make your essay more accurately express
what is on your mind to another person. You’ll find that even though
you’ve spent hours planning and writing a first (or second, or third)
draft, your essay will still need work if your goal is (as it should
be) to fully communicate your ideas. You have two choices: 1) give up
and watch reruns of Happy Days, or 2) roll up your sleeves and get to
work. Surprisingly, experienced writers know that good writing takes
many drafts, and thus know that the real writing doesn’t begin until
the first drafts are out of the way. Then they discover ways to delete,
move, rephrase, and add material in order to say what they want to say
more clearly and thoughtfully.
While a first draft (or zero
draft) is a time for low expectations, when you shift from drafting to
revision, the times change: it’s now time for high expectations. Don’t
be satisfied with what’s written: keep pushing yourself to make it more
interesting and more specific. In fact, I’ve found that the students
who are sure that “this is the best paper I’ve written” often need more
work on their essays, while the students who aren’t fully satisfied
with their work often do well.
What these latter students have
is a positive attitude towards writing. They realize that essays aren’t
“born” (i.e. written in one or two sittings), but are “made” by
attention to details. This positive attitude is crucial when you look
in despair at your first draft and think “Uh oh!” Don't just give up if
you think most of your essay isn't any good (most writers feel this
way). The key is to divide the work into a series of steps: start with
just your organization, then rest, then work on individual paragraphs,
one at a time. This makes the revision process seem less onerous -- it
may even make it fun.
View the Draft Objectively
To
revise, you must read your draft objectively, to see if it actually
says what you intended it to say. If you can, put the draft aside for a
day or two. Getting critical comments from another reader (get them to
answer the specific revision questions in the textbook instead of just
reading it and then asking “well, whadda’ think?”) can also help you to
view the draft more objectively.
Reconsider Your Purpose and Audience
Take
another look at the assignment and its directions. Are you fulfilling
the purpose? Ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish. Does your
purpose still seem appropriate for these particular readers? How could
you modify the essay to make it more effective? Consider each problem
and possible solution in light of your overall writing strategy.
Revise in Stages
After
your organization is clear, focus on one paragraph at a time, make sure
it is focuses on one topic and logically moves from sentence to
sentence. Now’s the time to add those descriptive details that help the
reader “see” your point.
Look at Big Problems First
Organize,
organize, organize. Identify major problems that keep the draft from
achieving its purpose. Does the essay have a clear thesis, clear
divisions, and clear topic sentences? Are the ideas interesting and
well developed? Does the essay have all the features that readers will
expect?
Focus Next on Clarity and Coherence
Consider
the beginning. How well does it prepare readers for the essay? Look at
each section of the essay in turn. Do the paragraphs proceed in a
logical order? Are there appropriate transitions to help readers follow
from one point to the next? Are generalizations firmly and explicitly
connected to specific details, examples, or supporting evidence?
Save Stylistic Changes and Grammatical Corrections for Last
Do
not focus on word choice or sentence structure until you are generally
satisfied with what you have written. Then carefully consider your
style and diction. Focus primarily on key terms to be sure they are
appropriate and well defined.
Basic Revision Plan
- Outline what you’ve already written
- Revise introduction and title (see our handbook and suggestions on the course site for specifics on each of these)
- Revise context/overview
- For each body paragraph:
- Define any specific terms
- Provide more specific examples/details to help readers “see” what you’re talking about
- Clarify
argument with explanations of examples. Try making
analogies/comparisons to “real life” and/or historical/current events.
You need to let the reader “see” your thoughts and logic. Without this
- Smooth out transitions between sentences using repetition and transition words.
- Smooth out transitions between paragraphs using repetition and transition words
- Repeat step 4 several times
- Revise conclusion