Better Writing Through Revision
Some writers love the revision process; others think it’s a drag. Regardless of how you feel about revising your work, one thing is for certain: if you want to produce better writing (and become a better writer), then revision is absolutely essential.
Revise What?
We use the terms “first draft” or “rough draft” when we are composing a piece of writing because almost every single project is going to have to go through a revision (or two, or three, four, or more). But what does that mean? How is it done? And what are the benefits?
We’ve already discussed the difference between proofreading and editing. Where does revision fit into all of that?
To revise means to change or alter. In the world of writing, to revise means “to alter something already written or printed, in order to make corrections, improve, or update: to revise a manuscript.” (dictionary.com).
Generally speaking, revision involves making substantial changes to make the writing better. In fiction, this could involve changing characters’ names, realigning the plot, or re-sequencing the scenes. In other types of writing, revision might involve major structural changes (moving chapters around) or a content overhaul (adding, removing, or changing information). Sometimes, revision means rewriting a project entirely.
Editing and proofreading are part of the revision process. They are the polishing steps that you take to give your writing that extra shine.
Revision Matters
When I first started writing poetry, I believed that each poem was sacred in its original state. It seemed blasphemous to change a poem once I’d captured it and scrawled it into my notebook. Then, one day I was flipping through my poems and it became clear to me that they could be a lot better if I made a few minor changes.
I’m not sure why, but it felt all wrong at the time. I remember keeping the originals as well as every revision that I made. It seems ridiculous now to shy away from improving something that I created. Luckily, my desire to produce better writing was stronger than my silly, emotional attachment to my rough drafts.
I found that as I rewrote my poems, I noticed lots of little things that I could change to improve them. I tightened the rhyme scheme, sharpened the images, and chose more colorful language. I wasn’t always happy with the end result (in which case, I simply kept on revising), but did consistently improve each and every poem. And I learned something else — my first drafts were getting better too.
Better Writing
As you revise, you catch all the things in your writing that don’t work. We all have bad habits, and as you go through multiple revisions, you’ll start to notice patterns in your own writing habits. Maybe you have a tendency to leave words out. Perhaps you use too many words (or not enough). Maybe you repeat words too often or use obscure language that readers won’t comprehend. You could have grammar weaknesses, holes in your syntax, gaps in continuity, and a host of other problems that occur in writing.
Over time, revision teaches you what your weaknesses are. Early on, I realized that I had a problem with word repetition. I would notice a word used several times in a single poem. It didn’t sound right, so I fixed it. Then I saw the same problem in another poem, then another, and another. Eventually, I started catching myself not during the revision process, but during the initial writing.
And I realized that revising what I’d already written improved what I had yet to write.
Change is Good
We all want to achieve better writing, and there are many ways to do that. You can read books (and blogs) on writing (or just read — anything). You can study grammar, collect writing tips, and write every single day. All of these things (and many more) will make your writing better and will make you a better writer. But revision is where you truly grind your writing into something dazzling.
So keep on writing, and don’t forget to revise, revise, revise!
Homophones: Affect vs. Effect
Homophones can be confusing. Luckily, there’s an easy way to remember affect vs. effect.
I see it all the time: affect and effect mixed up as if they were completely interchangeable.
But they’re not.
These two homophones may sound exactly alike, but they don’t even belong to the same parts of speech! If you’ve ever been typing along and come to one of these words, and scrunched up your eyebrows wondering whether to spell it with an a or an e, then this grammar lesson is for you!
Affect vs. Effect
In the ongoing wars between homophones, affect vs. effect is one of the most brutal fights on the battlefield. One is usually a noun (but not always) and the other is usually a verb (but not always). So the war wages on, and in the meantime misspellings and typos run rampant whenever one of these two words appears in print.
To Affect
Affect is almost always a verb. It is something that happens. You are affected or you affect. This word is never preceded by an article such as an or the because it’s not a thing, it’s an action. When writing, or speaking for that matter, and unsure of the spelling, ask yourself if the word is being used as an action. If it is, then go with affect.
a = action
a = affect
An Effect
Effect is a noun, and that is a thing. It’s not something you do, it’s something you have, or give, or something that just is. We hear this word most commonly in reference to fancy film making — you know — special effects. “The special effects in that movie were groundbreaking!” Note the use of the article, the, as in the effect. See that? Easy!
the = article
effect = noun
Also note that if used with an adjective or noun phrase, it’s effect (with an e):
- After effect
- Special effect
- Greenhouse effect
- Sound effect
- Effects of alcohol
- In effect…
- Adverse effects
- Positive/negative effects
- Cause and effect
- Side effects
More Homophones?
That’s all for today! Do you think the battle of affect vs. effect can be won? Will we eventually learn how to spell these two homophones correctly or will they someday merge into a single word?
Do you have any homophones that you need clarified? Or are there any homophones out there that you just can’t seem to remember? Leave a comment and I’ll try to come up with a clever mnemonic device just for you! If you’re too shy to leave a comment, go ahead and use the contact form!
And if you have any tips or tricks for remembering how to spell affect vs. effect, then please share your knowledge. Or, if you are stuck on any homophones, drop a comment. There’s a good chance your grammar question will be answered in an upcoming post.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in January, 2008, but has been updated with new information and therefore republished for your reading pleasure.
Good Grammar Equals Better Writing
Have you ever read a piece of professionally published writing and found a grammatical mistake? I’ve seen it in novels, magazine articles, even in textbooks, and (especially) on blogs.
Now, a lot of these errors are typos. It’s not that the writers or editors didn’t know their way around the English language — they just let one (or two) mistakes slip past. I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but when mistakes appear to be more than mere typos and instead seem to be a deficiency in good grammar, then I find myself questioning the quality of the work.
There are many things that lead to better writing, and there are a few things that raise the red flag to signal poor writing. Bad grammar is one of those things.
Good Grammar and Professionalism
We’ve all heard about how diligently a resume should be proofread. This is basic advice you get in any book, article, or course that teaches you how to land a job. It makes sense, too. If the hiring manager finds mistakes in your application, that reflects poorly on you as a potential employee. It could indicate laziness, poor attention to detail, weak written communication skills, and a generally irresponsible attitude. After all, if you really wanted the job, you would have found a way to ensure your resume (and cover letter) were absolutely spotless.
I remember receiving this advice in high school. Years later, when I was a hiring manager at a video store, I put it into practice. My thinking was that if a college student couldn’t spell “Work Experience” or “Education,” then that student might not be a good worker. Sure, there are exceptions, but I was doing the hiring, and I’d rather be safe than sorry. Why not hire someone whose application reflects positive qualities and a solid skill set?
In other words, I can tell you from personal experience that good grammar matters and it can affect your career. Not that working at a video store is your life’s dream or anything. But we’re all writers here. So think about this: if I didn’t hire applicants to work at a video store due to poor grammar, then how do you think mature literary agents and editors respond to faulty grammar?
That’s right, they reject it and move on in search of better writing.
Better Writing
Of course there are exceptions. Some people are born poets or born storytellers and their ideas are so mesmerizing that nobody cares about a few grammar infractions. But most of us need all the help we can get to get our work noticed and (hopefully) published, and that means strong, comprehensive writing.
Learning the rules of grammar might be a drag (I happen to find grammar fun and interesting), but it’s a worthwhile pursuit if you want to get your work published and find a reading audience for your writing. Take a little time each week to study grammar and in no time, you’ll achieve better writing.
The best part is that once you nail down good grammar, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. It becomes a natural part of your writing process. Proofreading and editing become less of a chore, and your writing practices will feel more relaxed and less tense.
Acquiring Better Grammar Skills
To improve your grammar, you have to know where to look so you can get answers to all your nagging grammar questions. Sometimes you’ll find answers to questions you didn’t even know you had. Here are a few writing resources I recommend for learning grammar:
- Subscribe to Grammar Girl’s podcast and listen to a few quick and dirty grammar tips each week.
- Read the grammar section here at Writing Forward (all articles are carefully researched).
- Start collecting writing resources that touch on (or focus on) grammar and writing properly.
But don’t get too crazy. Remember that rules are made to be broken, and some old grammar rules just don’t fit modern language. As you study and expand your grammar skills, you’ll get a good sense of when bending the rules is sensible and when it makes you look senseless.
Do you think good grammar leads to better writing? Do you have any grammar resources to add to this list? Share your thoughts, questions, and suggestions by leaving a comment.
Professional Critiques FAQ
I’ve been providing professional critiques to writers and business professionals for over two years. In that time, many questions about critique services have arisen, and I thought the best way to address those questions would be to write up a frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) page.
If you’re interested in getting professional critiques on any of your writing projects, then you might want answers to these questions before you hire me (or anyone else) to review your work and provide feedback on it.
Professional Critiques Questions and Answers
- What are professional critiques?
- Professional critiques are written evaluations of a piece of writing. They include editing and proofreading, as well as a comprehensive write-up with feedback that is designed to help the writer improve the work.
- How is the critique formatted? Is it all done electronically?
- Yes, it’s all done electronically. You send your written project as a Word document. I will edit and critique it. You’ll get a copy of your document back, marked up with proofreading and editing as well as comments. In addition, you’ll get a written critique detailing the strengths and weaknesses of your piece along with suggestions for improving it. Your critique may also include book, magazine, or article recommendations to help you expand your writing skills.
- Can you edit or proofread too?
- All professional critiques include editing and proofreading. However, I do provide stand-alone editing and proofreading services. These services are available at lower rates than critiques.
- What’s the difference between editing, proofreading, and professional critiques?
- I’ve prepared an article outlining the differences between editing and proofreading. Critiques take editing and proofreading a step further with written feedback that includes recommendations for improving the piece.
- How long does it take for you to critique a piece of writing?
- It depends on the length of the piece that you submit. A page or two will probably turn around in a couple of days. A full-length manuscript could take several weeks. Expect a minimum turnaround of one week. Your quote and work agreement will include a time line, and I will stick to that time line.
- How will a critique help me?
- The editing and proofreading aspect of the critique will help immensely by catching mistakes and typos that you may have missed. The written critique will provide information about any consistent mistakes (for example, if there is a lot of word repetition). This is to help you identify and eliminate any detrimental writing habits. Finally, the critique will include suggestions for improvements that you can make to the piece. This could include anything from ideas for making a character more realistic to suggestions for better word choices.
- Do you critique any form or genre of writing?
- Probably not, although I haven’t turned down a critique project yet. If you send me a piece of writing that I’m not comfortable critiquing for any reason (including the reason that I’m simply not familiar with a particular genre or style), then I will politely (and apologetically) decline your request for services.
- How do you critique creative writing, which is so subjective in terms of quality?
- Creative writing is subjective, and this is a particular concern with poetry, which is highly artistic in nature and therefore the most subjective of all writing forms, in terms of critiques and opinions. However, when I do a critique, I’m looking at concrete aspects of the work: character, plot, themes, language, word choice, grammar, imagery, setting, musicality, rhyme, etc. I will not make suggestions that impact your voice or personal style. In fact, any suggestions about voice would be geared toward making your unique voice stronger and more prominent.
Get More Information About Critiques
If you want to learn more about critiques in general, there’s an entire thread you can read (here), which includes tips on giving and receiving critiques. If you’re interested in hiring me to do critiques on your writing, then visit my Professional Critiques page. Or, you can simply contact me and we can start discussing your project.
