1. Revision
English IV

2. What is revision?
A “looking again” – evaluating your work with a fresh eye.
NOT the same as editing or proofreading
“Revision is the single most important thing you can do for your work. In almost all cases, you’ll end up with a much stronger story.”
Nancy Kress, Beginnings, Middles and Endings
Nobody ever said it was going to be easy…

3. Why is revision important?
Revision is a chance for you to look critically at what you have written, and to ask yourself:
Was it really worth saying?
Does it say what you wanted to say?
Will a reader understand what you mean?

4. When to revise You can revise during the writing process…
…but you might want to put the essay away for a while – a few days, a week or a month.
When you no longer think it is absolutely (brilliant/stupid), you are ready to consider the manuscript dispassionately.

5. What to look for when revising
1). A short (1-2 sentence) summary of what the essay is about.
Read the essay through once just to get a sense of it.
Write down any initial opinions you have about the essay.
What does the essay promise the reader?
Is there a clear introduction, body and conclusion?

6. What to look for when revising
2). Does the introduction adequately address the topic?
Does the thesis make a sophisticated, provocative point?
Does the introduction clearly state what the author plans to do?
Is the author’s approach too broad or too narrow?

7. What to look for when revising
Does the introduction provide sufficient background for the reader?
Are the who, what, where, when, why and how questions addressed?
There are known unknowns, and then there are unknown knowns.

8. What to look for when revising
3). Is the essay well- balanced?
Are some parts out of proportion with others?
Do you provide a lot of detail in the beginning, and then let your points get thinner by the end?

9. What to look for when revising
4). Did the author keep his/her promises to the readers?
Did the paper follow through on what the thesis promises?
Does the author support all claims in the thesis?
Are the tone and formality of the language appropriate for the author’s audience?
This tone is probably inappropriate for most audiences.

10. What to look for when revising
5). Is the essay well-organized?
Does the essay follow a pattern that makes sense? For example, does the author move from general to specific?
Does it use transitions to move readers smoothly from one point to the next?
Does the writer avoid introducing new material in the conclusion, or switching subjects in the middle of a body paragraph?

11. What to look for when revising
Do the topic sentences of each paragraph appropriately introduce what the paragraph is about?
Would the essay work better if the author moved some things around?
Does every body paragraph address the subject matter of the thesis in some way?

12. What to look for when revising
6). Is the information presented in the essay correct?
Are all of the author’s facts accurate?
Are all of the author’s sources credible?
Are any of the author’s statements misleading?

13. What to look for when revising
Has the author cited all information appropriately? (Even when the source information was paraphrased or summarized)?
Has the author provided enough detail to satisfy the reader’s curiosity?

14. What to look for when revising
7). Does the writer conclude the essay effectively?
Does the last paragraph tie the paper together and end on a stimulating note…
…or does the paper just die a slow, redundant, lame or abrupt death?

15. What to look for when revising
8). Are the sentences clear, concise and engaging?
Read the paper out loud, and look for places where you stumble or get lost in the middle of a sentence.
Look for places where you (the reader) get distracted, confused or bored.
Cut through the extra words or vagueness or digression.
Peep this.

16. What to look for when revising
Use forceful verbs. Replace long verb phrases with a more specific verb. For example, replace “She argues for the importance of the idea” with “She defends the idea.”
Look for places where you’ve used the same word or phrase twice or more in consecutive sentences. Then look for alternative ways to say the same thing – or ways to combine the two sentences.
Avoid repeating yourself by saying the same thing again and again in repetition again.

17. What to look for when revising
Cut as many prepositional phrases as you can without losing the meaning. Rather than saying, “There are several examples of the issue of integrity in Huckleberry Finn,” say “Huckleberry Finn repeatedly addresses the issue of integrity.”
Aim for precision in word choice. Don’t settle for the best word you can think of at the moment. Use a thesaurus to say exactly what you mean.

18. What to look for when revising
Look for sentences that start with “It is” or “There are” and revise them to be more active and engaging.

19. But I don’t want to revise!
Something that seemed brilliant at 11 p.m. the night before an assignment was due may seem less so on further examination.
Revision doesn’t necessarily mean rewriting everything.
You need to be able to sacrifice your favorite bits of writing if they no longer serve to make your essay more effective.

20. Helpful hints It is easier to revise from hard copies.
Read the essay out loud. It helps to hear how well it flows.
Ask lots of questions, and don’t flinch from answering them truthfully.
The more you demand of yourself in terms of clarity and elegance, the more clear and elegant your writing will be.

21. Writers Be positive. Remember, you are NOT your work!
“Only the mediocre person is always at his best”
Somerset Maugham
Be prepared. Tell your reviewer what kind of help you need.
Be open to suggestions, but trust yourself.
Find the good, even in bad advice.

22. Reviewers
Develop a constructive attitude. Be honest, but be professional.
Be clear and specific.
Address important issues first.
Encourage the writer
Ask the kinds of questions a reader would ask

23. Sources: Roane State Online Writing Lab:
University of North Carolina Writing Center:
Writing-Center.pdf