English 1301 ONL / Skrabanek


REVISION

Revision means to see again. The revision process is a skill easily the equal of the writing process. To revise effectively, you must move from the writer's eyes that have created the writing to the reader's eyes that must objectively consider what has been written. You must be able to see your written work as the reader will see it, or you will not be able to overcome the problems that the writer's eyes are too lazy to see and fix.

One good way to bring the reader's eyes into play is to read the work aloud. Abraham Lincoln used this technique; he noted that reading aloud allowed him the ability to use two senses to consider the writing--sight and hearing. To overcome the writer's eyes, you can gain help from the reader's mouth.

Another revising trick is to put the work aside after the rough draft is complete. I call this the "take a shower" phase. As much as possible, forget about the writing. Find a diversion: mow the yard, wash the dishes, iron some clothes, go on a walk, go to sleep, take a shower. Allow the subconscious mind (that freeloader!) to do a little work while the conscious mind takes a break. You may discover upon returning to the written work that you will see it differently, with fresh eyes perhaps.

Anyway, let's say you have finished the rough draft of your paper and are ready to begin the revising process. The following guidelines may help you to locate problem areas and improve your work.



General Revisions

Before revising the specific details of an essay, you must edit the content or make general revisions. Ask yourself the following questions:


Specific Revisions

As soon as you complete the general revisions, you are ready to make specific revisions. Often these are based on the specific directions presented in the assignment. They may also be related to guidelines you are expected to follow.


When you are convinced the essay is finished, go back and read the assignment again. Make sure that your essay meets the requirements and that you have done all the things called for in the assignment. Then, turn it in and hope for the best.




Thanks to Becky Villarreal, English/ACC.

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English/Austin Community College
Last update: October 2012