THE ART OF REVISIONEnhancing your words with images, meaning, and voice

Revision creates order out of chaos.

Your objective when revising is to create a clearer expression of what you want to say.

It does not mean that you have written a bad paper, it simply means that you can make it even better.

Everyone, especially a person who writes professionally, needs to revise.

Revision is...

Revision is the process of "re-creating" your paper by taking what you already have and making it better. It is an attempt to see your essay in a whole new light.

Revision is not...

Revision is not simply proofreading and editing.

In other words, the act of revising is more than correcting surface errors or rearranging paragraphs. It requires a re-thinking of the ideas and organization of your paper as a whole.

The difference between editing and revision might seem minute. Just remember, editing deals with more technical information, while revision focuses on ideas and organization of those ideas.

GUIDELINES FOR YOUR REVISION

GRAB THE READER

Create a catchy, powerful first line to entice reader, and a catchy, powerful last line to leave an impact on the reader.

Try to incorporate a theme: a message, a lesson learned, or something that expresses the significance of the events.

Create a believable, clear voice.

CREATE SCENES, NOT SUMMARIES

Use the senses to pull reader into the scene. Create metaphors and similes - clever

comparisons make the reader visualize. Use specific concrete images that you could

photograph, not vague or abstract ones. Infuse writing with detailed adjectives and

adverbs. Use descriptive dialogue. Stay away from,

“said.”

KNOW YOUR CHARACTER

Be able to give a clear visual description - weave the details in through dialogue and narrative

If your story is about you, then remember to think of yourself as a CHARACTER.

Know what clothes your character would wear, what s/he would eat for breakfast, for a snack…

Know what your character’s strengths and weaknesses are.

USE FORESHADOWINGAND SYMBOLISM Think about clever names for characters

that might reveal something about them If something bad is going to happen,

give hints through weather, dialogue, use of color, etc.

Use seasons and weather symbolically Choose Biblical references: rains to wash

away sins or evil, gardens as innocent, etc.

USE EFFECTIVE WORD CHOICE

Have strong vocabulary at your side - use words when they are appropriate, not so that they stick out.

Use a thesaurus to avoid repetition, not to sound sophisticated.

Stay away from vague words that convey no image: happy, good, nice… Seek more specific words: ecstatic, sufficient, kindhearted .

Omit all boring verbs: went, come… Seek verbs that create images: trudge, clamber, undulate, grope, wriggle, simmer.

POINT OF VIEW

Consciously choose a point of view: first person, third person, or third person limited

Try changing it after you finish to see which point of view creates a stronger piece

ALTER SENTENCE STRUCTURE FOR FLUIDITY AND VARIETY

Look at all sentence beginnings. Start with prepositional phrases, adjectives, participial phrases, and adverbial clauses for changes in structure.

Change length of sentences: some complex, and some very short for emphasis.

Works Cited

“Revising Writing.” N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar 2012. http://www.teachingcompany.com/sensei/revising.ppt.

eds. "Revision." College of Arts & Letters. Old Dominion University, 05/17/06. Web. 10 Mar 2012. http://al.odu.edu/wts/students/process/revise.shtml