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!
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Excellent article.
Personally, I tend to just write to get my ideas down, and then revise two or three times.
My tendency is to have word repetition also, as well as being too wordy.
.-= sefcug´s last blog ..Florida Fishing License Online =-.
I think word repetition is pretty common. It makes sense to use the most accessible words, which come to mind easily. Also, when writing about a particular subject, the same words, ideas, and themes come up again and again. It’s a bad habit but one that can be broken!
This is really well written; and it can’t be stressed enough. I have found that writing a single sentence about what I’m going to write helps with revision because I compare my product with the intent. I keeps my editor happy because my columns are rambling less and less.
.-= Deb´s last blog ..Biking forward and discovering a new you =-.
I love the idea of a single sentence (kind of like a thesis statement) to guide your writing project. I often use outlines to help me stay focused and on topic.
So, going through and removing every time I write the word “really” is okay?? But that just feels really wrong!
.-= –Deb´s last blog ..Writing Makes Everything Possible =-.
I know! Words and phrases like very, really, and um are ingrained in the way we speak so they leak over into our writing. I really find it, um, very annoying.
What I found is, sometimes I not only repeat the same words over and over, but also the same combination of words over and over, except in different order in different sentences. When that happens, it signals to me that some sentences can be re-written or cut altogether.
.-= Kelvin Kao´s last blog ..New Taiwanese Puppet Series =-.
I want to point out that sometimes repetition is a good thing. For example, if you’re trying to teach something, repetition is good (after all, that’s how we memorize). Also, when you’re writing about a particular subject, repetition is often necessary. If you’re writing about whales, then you’re probably going to use the word “whales” a lot. The key is to know what should be repeated and what shouldn’t.
Hi Melissa: This morning I published a post that’s approximately 2,000 words long. After hitting the “publish” button I realized that there was a spelling error in the very first sentence of the post. I quickly corrected it and made sure that there were no other spelling errors, but the people who are subscribed to my blog by email are going to get the version with the error. It certainly pays to do a really good revision job.
.-= Marelisa´s last blog ..The Future Belongs to Those Who are Intrinsically Motivated =-.
Marelisa, I’ve been there! I clearly remember just a few months after starting this blog, I published a post that had a word in the title misspelled. Talk about embarrassing! I learned the hard way to always proofread titles and subheadings — areas I previously had ignored during revision.
Hi Melissa .. re my blogs, which are written in a conversational style – so if someone takes them and reads them to others they will intercept with thoughts of their own and turn it into a mini discussion .. ie I do this with my mother, we discuss the ideas or thoughts as we go along, remembering other things – it brings the ‘story letter’ to life. I don’t like making mistakes, but my English is not that good, but my spelling isn’t bad .. but Ido hate making mistakes .. especially the mental drop into there instead of their .. typed straight out and not spotted til later – often in comments. & the your instead of you are .. or you’re ..
You and your readers are such excellent proponents of the correct ways – it’s interesting to be here and part of the comment/conversation ..
all the best Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
.-= Hilary´s last blog ..Gathering taxes by a Hedge? =-.
Hi Hilary, That’s exactly why I wrote this post. Most writers will catch errors with a simple revision. Yes, it’s common to make typos in comments and once you leave a comment, you probably can’t go back and edit (like you can with your own blog). I suggest reading over your comment once or twice after you’ve typed it but before you submit it. It only takes a minute and it’s worth it, especially since the comments you leave throughout the blogosphere are a reflection of you and your writing.
I’m a fan of iterate more, plan less. Sometimes I fall into edit mode, but I remind myself, do it, review it, then improve it.
.-= J.D. Meier´s last blog ..The Way Things Are, the Way Things Should Be, and the Way You Want Things to Be =-.
Sometimes I find myself going back and editing really old posts. If I make a few minor changes, then I leave the post alone, but lately, I’ve found some that really needed a good overhaul. I just republish those now, especially if I’ve added new and useful information. Editing is one of those things that you can just keep doing forever.
Truth is proofreading and editing is really boring for me but then again, as a writer, it is a must-do. What I hate the most is when I can’t detect any mistakes the first time checking or the second time but by the time I click ‘submit’, suddenly I noticed a spelling error and WTH? Why can’t I detect it in the first place and now I have to correct that.
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Writing Consultation Ranking for Google Malaysia =-.
Yesterday I was proofreading a page that I wrote and there were missing words every few paragraphs. Funny how our brains just plug in what is supposed to be there. I always try to let a piece sit overnight (or longer if possible) so I can get some distance from it and read it with a fresh perspective.
I can proof someone else’s work and find every mistake. I have trouble proofing mine because I know what I meant to say and, as you said, Melissa, the brain fills in the holes. I often have missing words (which actually comes from my word processor which has a tendency to sometimes delete more words than I mean to delete in editing and proofing) and repeated phrases. My biggest sin, however, is adverbs. The Writer in me uses them generously. My Inner Editor seeks them out and deletes them.
My solution is to revise — a lot. I try to write blog posts well in advance of publication, and revise them and proof them several times before I post them. Mistakes still get through, but they are not as bad as they would be. (To make matters worse: I suck as a typist.)
When I’m writing fiction I write, then revise it once or twice, after which I put it aside for several months. At that point I revise it again, perhaps several times before I submit it for consideration by an agency. The books I couldn’t get published that way, I revised two or three more times before I self-published them. I know there are still mistakes.
I refuse to beat myself up about it because I’ve found typos in professionally published books from major houses.
Meredith
For a long time, I was horrified whenever I saw a typo in a blog post that I had published. In time, I learned to be a little easier on myself. As you said, it’s extremely difficult to check your own work, and particularly on a blog, in which case a writer is often publishing shortly after the post is written. Still, those typos sure are annoying! Your process sounds similar to mine.