Revision Strategies

1. Revision Strategies Writing Resources Center http://www.writing.uncc.edu/writing- resources-center Writing Resources Center

2. Writing Resources Center (WRC) Web: writing.uncc.edu/writing- resources-center Appointments: writing.uncc.edu/writing-resources- center/schedule-appointment Locations: 125 Cameron T1 Atkins Library (by Peet’s) Center for Graduate Life (CGL) 714 Center City Phone: 704-687-1899 E-mail: wrchelp@uncc.edu 2 Writing Resources Center

3. Workshop Objectives • Become familiar with • Reasons for revision • Discover resources for help with revision • Practice revision Writing Resources Center

4. What Is Revision? Revision is: • A stage in the writing process that is done before proofreading and editing • The careful examination of a paper for unity, coherence and adequate development Revision is not: • Editing, proofreading or just changing errors Writing Resources Center

5. Why Revise? Revision allows you to re-see your piece of writing in order to: • Fulfill your purpose • Review your focus • Address your audience • Generate additional ideas and information • Omit what is not necessary Writing Resources Center

6. Tips For Revision • Give yourself plenty of time to revise; set a special amount of time aside just for revision • Stay flexible with your writing; be ready to change anything at any time • Read the paper out loud and listen to it; read it into a tape recorder or to a friend • Read through your paper focusing on one thing at a time: • Read for content • Read for organization • Read for expressions Writing Resources Center

7. Reading for Content • Do you have a clear thesis that accurately presents your focus? • Are your points appropriate for your audience and purpose? • Does your conclusion wrap up all your points effectively? Information taken from Barbara Fine Clouse’s A Troubleshooting Guide for Writers Writing Resources Center

8. Reading for Organization • Do your ideas follow logically from one to the next? • Do your paragraphs follow logically from one to the next? • Do you transition smoothly between paragraphs relating your ideas to each other? Information taken from Barbara Fine Clouse’s A Troubleshooting Guide for Writers Writing Resources Center

9. Reading for Expression • Do you overuse any particular words? • Have you avoided wordiness? • Have you eliminated clichés? • Do you vary your sentence structure? Information taken from Barbara Fine Clouse’s A Troubleshooting Guide for Writers Writing Resources Center

10. Tips For Revision • Questions to ask while revising • Have I met the requirements of the assignments? • Did I focus on what I intended? • Have I achieved my purpose? • Have I written the paper so that audience and understands my purpose? • What is the main idea? • Have I answered important questions about the main idea? • Have I explored the subject fully? Writing Resources Center

11. Revision Practice Choose one of the following options, and try it out with your paper. • Write 2 new introductions • Write 2 new conclusions • Put your draft aside, and quickly write down all the points you want to make • In a paragraph, describe how your paper engages with the assignment topic Writing Resources Center