Revising
When you have finished writing your draft, give it an honest appraisal. Focus on the large issues of thesis, purpose, content, organization, and paragraph structure that affect your entire composition. It would be counter-productive to look at grammar and punctuation, for example, if the elements that make an essay “go” need work. Suppose you inherit an old car. Anyone can see that it badly needs a new paint job, but should you spend the money to have the work done if you do not know whether the car runs? What if you discover after you have invested in a paint job that the engine needs extensive repairs or, worse yet, is not worth fixing at all? So it is with writing. First you revisework on the large issues that clarify your purpose and improve your organization-and then you edit-check for correctness and style.
No one-no one-produces perfect prose on the first draft. Be prepared to revise and, in the words of one Canadian critic, “be prepared to revise your revision, and when your revision is revised, prepare yourself for the final revision. Then revise it again.”
Revise the Largest Elements of your Composition First
Revision is best done by asking yourself questions about what you have written. Otherwise, you can stare at a draft for a good long time, wondering what you should be looking for. Begin by reading, preferably aloud, what you have written. Reading aloud forces you to pay attention to every single word; you are more likely to catch lapses in the logical flow of thought. Then ask yourself the following questions, using the cross-referenced sections for help.
- Is my topic well focused?
- Does my thesis statement clearly state the point of my composition?
- Do I have enough supporting details, and are my examples well chosen to support my thesis?
- Is my organizational pattern the best one given my purpose?
- Are my paragraphs effective?
- Do I accomplish my purpose?
In answering these questions you may discover that parts of your paper bear little or no relationship to your thesis and purpose. You may need to rearrange your examples for greater impact. Or, perhaps you need a transition between paragraphs. All this is good. Revision is a process, and effective writing is the result of thoughtful revision.
