Editing and Editing and RevisingRevising

What is the difference in What is the difference in editing and revising? editing and revising?

-The Complete Idiots Guide to Writing Well-The Complete Idiots Guide to Writing Well

RevisingRevising• The word revise, means “to see again.”The word revise, means “to see again.”• Revision is evaluating your writing to find ways to Revision is evaluating your writing to find ways to

make it better. The process involves deleting, make it better. The process involves deleting, adding, replacing, and moving words, sentences, adding, replacing, and moving words, sentences, and passages in text. and passages in text.

Editing Editing • When you edit your draft, you are When you edit your draft, you are

looking for mechanical errors in looking for mechanical errors in your writing. Search for errors in your writing. Search for errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage. and usage.

Spit and Polish: Spit and Polish: Revising and EditingRevising and Editing

• You wouldn’t leave the house without You wouldn’t leave the house without glancing in the mirror and patting glancing in the mirror and patting that stray strand of hair in place. In that stray strand of hair in place. In the same way, you would never turn in the same way, you would never turn in a piece of writing that had not been a piece of writing that had not been carefully proofread for revisions and carefully proofread for revisions and edits. edits.

The Proof’s in the The Proof’s in the PuddingPudding• Your writing will always be better if you Your writing will always be better if you

go over it with a go over it with a criticalcritical eyeeye. Revise and . Revise and edit your draft by cutting material, edit your draft by cutting material, replacing material, adding material, and replacing material, adding material, and rearranging what’s already there. rearranging what’s already there.

• Don’t be shocked if your revised draft Don’t be shocked if your revised draft bears as much resemblance to the first bears as much resemblance to the first draft as Arnold Schwarzenegger and draft as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.Danny DeVito.

Judgment Judgment DayDay• Revising and editing are part of the Revising and editing are part of the

creative process of writing.creative process of writing.

• When you come to this step in the When you come to this step in the writing process, you evaluate your writing process, you evaluate your document to see what needs to be document to see what needs to be deleted, added, and moved to make deleted, added, and moved to make your message more effective. your message more effective.

Little Things Little Things MatterMatter• Revision isn’t one stop shopping Revision isn’t one stop shopping

because you must rethink your because you must rethink your writing several times before you writing several times before you are satisfied.are satisfied.

• As you make each round of As you make each round of improvements, you again assess improvements, you again assess your writing to see if it suits your writing to see if it suits youryour audience and purpose. audience and purpose.

Audience and PurposeAudience and Purpose• Audience is the people who will read your Audience is the people who will read your

writing. To meet their needs, ask yourself, writing. To meet their needs, ask yourself,

““What does my audience know about my What does my audience know about my topic?”topic?”

• Purpose is your reason for writing. To Purpose is your reason for writing. To focus on the purpose, ask yourself, “What focus on the purpose, ask yourself, “What am I trying to accomplish?” am I trying to accomplish?” There are four There are four main purposes:main purposes:

• 1. To entertain (narrative)1. To entertain (narrative)• 2. To prove a point (persuasive)2. To prove a point (persuasive)• 3. To explain an issue (expository)3. To explain an issue (expository)• 4. To describe something (descriptive)4. To describe something (descriptive)

Revising and Editing is like Revising and Editing is like Exercise Exercise

• Revising and editing, like exercise Revising and editing, like exercise and oat bran is good for you. and oat bran is good for you.

• It doesn’t mean you didn’t do a fine It doesn’t mean you didn’t do a fine job on your first draft or that you job on your first draft or that you are not a good writer. are not a good writer.

• In fact, just the opposite is the In fact, just the opposite is the case. The finest writers tend to do case. The finest writers tend to do the most revising. the most revising.

• The revision process involves The revision process involves judging and rethinking your first judging and rethinking your first thoughts to make improvements.thoughts to make improvements.

Revise for Form and Revise for Form and ContentContentAfter revising for audience and purpose, After revising for audience and purpose,

next revise for the next revise for the form and contentform and content of of your work. your work.

FormForm is the shape of your writing. For is the shape of your writing. For example, the form of your writing may be a example, the form of your writing may be a story, poem, or play. Adjust your draft until story, poem, or play. Adjust your draft until it meets the requirements for that specific it meets the requirements for that specific type of writingtype of writing. .

Content Content is what you’re saying. When you is what you’re saying. When you revise for content, you make sure that each revise for content, you make sure that each part of your draft is clear and logical. part of your draft is clear and logical.

Revising and Revising and EditingEditing• Once you understand how the Once you understand how the

revision and editing processrevision and editing process works, you’ll find the process works, you’ll find the process relatively painless and even relatively painless and even interesting. interesting. It’s actually my It’s actually my favorite part of writing because favorite part of writing because it’s like a puzzle, as I try to see it’s like a puzzle, as I try to see how each piece fits best. how each piece fits best.

Less Can Be Less Can Be MoreMore• As you learned earlier, As you learned earlier, revisionrevision

involves involves deleting material that’s off deleting material that’s off topictopic, or , or repeatsrepeats of what you’ve of what you’ve already said. As you revise, look for already said. As you revise, look for ways to tighten your sentences by ways to tighten your sentences by removing unnecessary material that removing unnecessary material that clogs your writing. clogs your writing.

• Good things often come in small Good things often come in small packages, but never fear: You don’t packages, but never fear: You don’t have to cut to the bone to improve have to cut to the bone to improve your writing, your writing,

Less Can Be Less Can Be MoreMoreLook for the following unnecessary words:Look for the following unnecessary words:

RepetitionRepetition RevisionRevisionBring it to final closure.Bring it to final closure. Bring it to closure.Bring it to closure.

FillerFiller Cut the fluffCut the fluff The point that I am tryingThe point that I am trying Never miss a good Never miss a good

to make is that you should to make is that you should chance to shut up.chance to shut up.

never miss a good chance tonever miss a good chance to

shut up.shut up.

Unnecessary ModifiersUnnecessary Modifiers Select the best modifierSelect the best modifierThe big, huge, massive cloudThe big, huge, massive cloud The massive cloud The massive cloud

covered covered

completely covered over the sun.completely covered over the sun. the sun. the sun.

All Dressed Up and All Dressed Up and Ready to GoReady to Go

• Effective writing uses Effective writing uses relevant supportrelevant support to to

bring your topic to life, prove your bring your topic to life, prove your point, and engage your readers. This point, and engage your readers. This “support”“support” can be details, facts, can be details, facts, definitions, examples, statistics, and definitions, examples, statistics, and quotations. Adding them to a draft is quotations. Adding them to a draft is called called elaboration.elaboration. As you revise your As you revise your draft, see where you need to draft, see where you need to add more add more detaildetail to make your writing come alive. to make your writing come alive.

Elaboration Elaboration && DeletionDeletion

• ElaborationElaborationThe girl cried. The girl cried.

• Mary,Mary, a 13-year-olda 13-year-old girl , girl ,weepedweeped hysterically hysterically because her mom died because her mom died in a car in a car accident.accident.

• Deletion of unnecessary words (fluff)Deletion of unnecessary words (fluff)As a matter of fact, in my personal opinion, As a matter of fact, in my personal opinion, I feel that students should be allowed to I feel that students should be allowed to carry personal cell phones, as long as they carry personal cell phones, as long as they store them in their lockers during school store them in their lockers during school hours. hours.

• Students should be allowed to possess cell Students should be allowed to possess cell phones, as long as they store them in their phones, as long as they store them in their lockers. lockers.

Revise by Revise by RewordingRewording

• Sometimes, you’ll need to select new Sometimes, you’ll need to select new words to get your meaning across. When words to get your meaning across. When you revise by rewording, you replace you revise by rewording, you replace words and revise sentences to make your words and revise sentences to make your writing accurate and fresh. writing accurate and fresh.

• Look for words you used too often. Look for words you used too often. • Replace repeated nouns with pronouns.Replace repeated nouns with pronouns.• Substitute other repeated words with Substitute other repeated words with

synonyms. synonyms. • Ditch empty, overused adjectives such as Ditch empty, overused adjectives such as

excellentexcellent and and nicenice. . • Sharpen your words by finding the precise Sharpen your words by finding the precise

word you want, not a close relative. word you want, not a close relative.

Crazy Glue Your Crazy Glue Your SentencesSentences

• If your ideas don’t cling together like If your ideas don’t cling together like toddler’s and chocolate, you can add toddler’s and chocolate, you can add transitionstransitions..

• A transition can be a word (such as A transition can be a word (such as alsoalso) or a phrase (such as ) or a phrase (such as for examplefor example) ) that shows how ideas are related. that shows how ideas are related. Each Each transitional word and phrase indicates transitional word and phrase indicates a slightly different shade of meaning, a slightly different shade of meaning, so choose your transitions as carefully so choose your transitions as carefully as you choose your peachesas you choose your peaches. .

TransitionsTransitions

• Addition of InformationAddition of Information: : and, also, and, also, besides, finally, further, furthermore, in besides, finally, further, furthermore, in addition, moreover, next, too, then addition, moreover, next, too, then

• Result:Result: accordingly, as a result, accordingly, as a result, consequently, due to this, so, thereforeconsequently, due to this, so, therefore

• Time Order: Time Order: after, at length, before, after, at length, before, currently, during, eventually, finally, currently, during, eventually, finally, first, immediately, in the future, later, first, immediately, in the future, later, meanwhile, next, now, second, secondly, meanwhile, next, now, second, secondly, soon, subsequently, then, thirdsoon, subsequently, then, third