Exploring Writing - Gary Robert Muschla 2011

Skills in Revision
Part 3. Revision

Revision is detailed, demanding work. Not only must you work to improve specifics—for example, choose the best words to express an idea clearly and smoothly—you must also work to improve the piece as a whole. Each piece is different and has different strengths and weaknesses.

Although just about every article or story benefits from revision, the amount and type of revision vary. Some pieces require a lot of revision. Maybe you drifted off the topic, maybe you did not provide enough information to explain your ideas, or maybe your organization was weak. In other cases, a piece might require only some minor rewriting. During revision, you must recognize what needs to be reworked and what does not.

Being able to recognize what needs to be revised requires an understanding of the fundamentals of good writing (which were discussed in Part 2, Writing the Draft). The following elements are important to any piece and will provide you with direction as you revise your writing.

✵ Basic structure of opening, body, and closing

✵ Paragraphs

✵ Main ideas and details

✵ Order and sequence

✵ Varying sentence structure

✵ Subject-verb agreement

✵ Active constructions

✵ Strong verbs

✵ Showing and not telling

✵ Consistent tenses

✵ Consistent point of view

✵ Figurative language

Revision can be both puzzling and frustrating. It is an individual process, based on your purpose for the piece. Revision is the responsibility of every author.