Revise

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Plan ] [ Draft ] [ Revise ] [ Edit ] [ Publish ]

Writing a good multi-paragraph paper is a complex task requiring hard work. It is a truly gifted writer, indeed, who is so fluent and organized that he or she can accomplished all of these tasks at one sitting.

For most writers, preparing a first draft and then returning later to revise and edit it are essential stages in the writing process.

When revising, look at the "big picture."

Here are some questions to keep in mind when revising the content of your paper:

	What did you want to do in this draft? Did you accomplish that goal?
	Is the paper unified? Does it develop a clearly stated thesis which provides a clear focus for the supporting paragraphs? Is each supporting paragraph itself unified, and does it adequately support the topic idea?
	Is the paper coherent? Does it maintain a consistent point of view and effectively mix key word repetition and the use of pronoun substitutes? Is the logical scheme of the paper and its component paragraphs clear and understandable? Have you made good use of transitional words and sentences?
	Is the paper adequately developed? Have you included sufficient details/examples/illustrations/reasons? Have you defined any vague or ambiguous words? Have you explained any processes in a logical, sequential order? Are your comparisons and contrasts sharp and vivid?
	Is the paper interesting? Does the introduction grab the reader's attention and arouse interest? Have you sustained that interest, and then satisfied it with a good conclusion?
	What changes do you want to make in your next draft?

Most writers find it helpful to allow some time to pass between writing the first draft and starting revision. You are much more likely to notice your own gaps, inconsistencies and errors if you return to your original draft "fresh." Plan to do your writing assignments far enough in advance of their due dates to allow not only for revising and editing, but also for "cooling off" periods between. Ideally, these cooling off periods should be at least overnight.

Depending on your writing skills, you may discover the need to revise more than once. For example, you may revise once for content, once for audience, and once for purpose. Because multiple revisions can be complicated, you should make a plan for revision, deciding in advance what you will look at when revising and it what order you will do your revisions. Work on the more difficult problems in your paper first, and you may find that some of the smaller problems will take care of themselves. After each revision, see how it affects the whole paper; making one revision early in the paper may solve a few problems later on. Most importantly, rely on your intuition – if something seems out of place, it probably is.

Through practice, you will discover how often you need to revise. With further practice, you may actually find that your revisions become less and less extensive – and therefore less frequent – because you are becoming a more skillful writer. That's good!

Paradigm

Revising Your Writing

Luzerne County Community College makes this page available to members of the community
for possible use and enjoyment but does not necessarily endorse the items published here.