16 Chapter 10: Revising and Peer Review
At this point you have completed several of the prewriting and drafting steps. You have an introduction, a thesis, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You’re beginning to vary your syntax, and you’re feeling confident with your work. That’s wonderful, but the writing process is not over yet. What you have at this point is a rough draft, which is not a polished final draft.
The textbook Rhetoric and Composition explains that successful writers rely on revising as an integral part of the writing process, and it is important for authors to spend the majority of their time revising their texts. Revising and editing are two separate processes that are often used interchangeably by novice writers. Revising requires a significant alteration in a piece of writing, such as enriching the content, or giving the piece clarity; editing, however, is not as involved and includes fixing typos and grammatical errors. Although editing can be a part of this process, revising generally involves changes that concern bigger issues, such as content and organization. While revising, a writer might notice that one idea needs to be developed more thoroughly and another idea omitted. The writer might decide that rearranging paragraphs will provide clarity and support for their argument, strengthening the paper as a whole. Writers should also change grammar and punctuation while revising, but if that is all they are doing, then they are simply editing.
Differences Between Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Writers should note that revising, editing, and proofreading are considerably different processes. Despite the differences, however, they often overlap. They are being separated here for ease of explanation.
Revising
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Revising is done throughout the writing process, with special emphasis on the first few drafts.
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Focus = big issues
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Audience
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Organization
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Content
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Evidence
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Conclusion
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Editing
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Editing is done throughout the writing process, with special emphasis on the middle and final drafts
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Focus = technical issues
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Usage
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Word choice
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Transitions
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Mechanics
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Proofreading
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Proofreading is reserved for the final draft
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Focus = mechanics and presentation
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Spelling
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Punctuation
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Format
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Typographical errors
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Textual inconsistencies
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A Change for the Better
Writing well is an intellectually challenging, and draining, activity. Jotting down ideas on paper is a good start, but revising those ideas so that they are persuasive, cogent, and form a solid argument is the real work of writing. As you review what you have written, you will undoubtedly see holes in your logic, sentences that confuse rather than clarify, and sentences and paragraphs out of place. Below are some helpful hints to consider as you analyze and transform your paper.
After doing all this by yourself, seek help from others. First, find an individual who knows about the assignment, your intended audience, and the purpose of the essay. This perso