Revising Copy Objectively and Efficiently
Tips and Guidelines to Make the Most of Your Editing Time
Jul 21, 2009
Maybe your draft has precise details but could use vivid descriptions. Maybe your language is strong but lacks organization. Whatever the issue, revision can correct it.
Never turn in an article without first editing it. Editing is far more than proofreading for technical and grammatical mistakes. Editing involves reevaluating, rewriting, and reworking the entire piece to make it the best it can be.
- Walk Away from Your Work: Because the writing process demands closeness between the writer and the work, it is crucial to separate yourself from your writing before beginning the revision process.
- Change the Format When Reading Your Article: You might be blinded of errors in your work when solely viewing the text on screen. Try reading on the computer, reading a hard copy, and reading the work aloud. The different formats help you see the piece more clearly.
- Talk About Your Writing with a Friend: By talking to a friend, peer, or coworker, you indirectly analyze your work and brainstorm new ideas and approaches. Listening to others' opinions also helps you see an outsider's perspective on your piece.
- Allow the Ideas to Simmer in Your Subconscious Mind: When you're stuck or unsure of an idea, forget about it for a while and let your subconscious mind deal with it for a bit. Soon, sheer inspiration will overcome your problems.
- Don't Commit to One Outline or Structure: Outlining and planning are important, but they are only preliminary steps to the overall piece. Never be scared to go back and change the structure, order, or presentation of the piece. Sometimes the problem with the piece is lack of focus that can be resolved by reinterviewing or restructuring the article.
- Spend Time Wisely: Under tight deadlines writers cannot always rewrite or restructure a piece, so spend time on the parts creating the most problems. Spending a lot of time reworking the lead might help the rest of the article fall into place.
- Experiment: Try different angles, openings, closings, quotes, and wording. Don't be afraid to try something new or try something simple.
- Identify Troublesome Areas: Read through your article and highlight any word that seems unclear or cliche, any phrase that sounds awkward, and any paragraph or quote that seems out of place. Try to find better words, phrases, and places for these problem areas.
- Fill in the Gaps: Look for missing evidence and sources throughout your work. Add anything that is missing to add to the readability of your article.
- Cut Out Clutter: Read, read, and reread each paragraph and page of your article and try rephrasing and cutting anything that does not directly add to the piece as a whole. Clear, concise prose is the goal, so delete anything flowery or unrelated. Don't keep a sentence just because it "sounds good."
Remember that revision provides results. Every first or second draft has its strong points. Maybe your draft has precise details and quotes but could use vivid descriptions. Maybe your language is strong but lacks focus and organization. Revising in each category will improve your overall story and create a meaningful article to readers.
The copyright of the article Revising Copy Objectively and Efficiently in Copyediting/Grammar & Style is owned by Megan B. Wyatt. Permission to republish Revising Copy Objectively and Efficiently in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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