The Writing Process I.5 Second Drafts (Revising)

After your first draft, the next step is to revise. Revising serves one main purpose: To make your ideas clearer to the reader.

Revising is NOT Correcting Revising is Rethinking Enriching and Expanding Reorganizing

Reorganizing Four basic acts of reorganizing:  Find the grand design  Cluster  Sequence  Connect

Find the Grand Design See the essay as a whole. An essay is one thing: it makes one main point. Each bit plays a part. Know what part each bit is playing.

Cluster Put all the bits that belong together in a pile. Each pile is a paragraph.

Sequence: Put one cluster after another. One useful tool: outline to make sure the paragraphs follow logically. logically. ► Outline the thesis-topic sentence order to make sure the essay is logical. ► Outline the topic sentence-evidence order to make sure paragraphs are logical.

Connect Lead the reader from one cluster to the next with transitions.  Use transitions at the beginning of main body paragraphs to link ideas.  Use transitions within paragraphs to link your evidence and connect it to your point.

Revise Paragraphs for unity, coherence, and support Unity: everything makes a single, clear point. Support: enough evidence to make your point convincing and powerful. Coherence: clear relationships between sentences and between paragraphs.

Revise Sentences to make them clear, concise, fluent Clear sentences are direct and to the point. Concise sentences make their point in as few words as possible. Fluent sentences read smoothly

Add an introductory and a concluding paragraph to frame your essay

Introductory Paragraphs Purpose of an introductory paragraph: to lead the reader to your thesis.  What do we need to know?  How can you put this idea in context?  What’s the best context to put this idea in?

Introductions to Avoid  The one-sentence introduction  The empty introduction (wanders around without saying anything)  The assumption of knowledge introduction (assumes the reader already knows the subject)

Four Effective Ways to Introduce an Essay ► Start with a dramatic incident or story. ► Start by setting the scene. ► Start with a comparison or a contrast. ► Start with a description.

Four More Effective Introductions ► Start with a brief historical background. ► Start with unusual facts or figures. ► Start with a definition (your own, not Websters). ► Start with an idea to be refuted.

Concluding Paragraphs The main purpose of the conclusion is to explain the significance of the essay. Why should the reader care about this? Why should the reader agree with my conclusions?

Conclusions to Avoid The one-sentence ending The one-sentence ending The tacked-on moral or lesson The tacked-on moral or lesson Contrived endings Contrived endings Self-conscious or trite concluding phrases (such as, “In conclusion...”) Self-conscious or trite concluding phrases (such as, “In conclusion...”) Conclusions that introduce new problems or subjects Conclusions that introduce new problems or subjects

Four Effective Ways to Conclude an Essay  End with a prediction.  End by drawing a deduction from the facts.  End with a question.  End with a quotation that illustrates your point.

Four More Effective Conclusions  End with a strong contrast.  End by dismissing an opposing idea.  End with a final illustration.  End with a call for action.

Finishing the Second Draft When you finish this draft, put it aside for a day or two. When you come back to it, ask yourself the following: ► Can I make any sentences clearer? ► Are my paragraphs in a logical order? ► Are my sentences in a logical order? ► Can I use more precise, livelier words? When you answer no, yes, yes, no, you’re ready for the final draft.