A Conservative Approach To The Revision Process
You might ask what a conservative approach in a revision process is and does it really exist? In many ways, writing is a process of discovery.
That's why you rarely produce your best material the first try.
If you want to truly put out the best work you can manage, you'll need to devote ample time to revision.
A lot of students tend to underestimate the revision process.
As a result, they rarely have enough time for it.
For these situations, we recommend being extremely conservative in what you revise, making sure you change just enough to still make your deadlines.
With that said, you'll still need to revise.
Never ever trust your first draft to do the work for you.
1.
Put the draft aside for a couple of hours.
Since you don't have the luxury of time, an hour or two of distance should suffice.
Try to do something that gets you out of your head during that time, such as engaging in team sports, chatting with friends or working out.
2.
Stick to key areas during your revision, such as: o Focus.
You really can't do much if it's too wide or too narrow, so concentrate on whether you stay on track throughout the duration of the paper.
o Main argument.
Given your assumptions, evidence and logical reasoning, is it as sound as you initially thought? If not, don't change it.
Instead, try to find more ways to convince the reader of your position's merits.
o Introduction and conclusion.
These are the frames that hold your paper together.
Do they work as intended? Does the introduction successfully hook the reader into your discussion? Does the conclusion allow the reader to put down the piece completely satisfied with your answers? o Main points.
Do you give more time to the main points than accessory issues? You can cut down discussion on unimportant matter if you dwell in them excessively.
o Flow.
Does it flow smoothly from section to section, paragraph to paragraph.
Add transitions in case you sense any awkwardness.
3.
Put your writing software to use.
Sticking to key areas let you get the most revision done in limited time.
How about the small stuff? Most of the advanced writing programs out there can help you with that.
Specifically, seek out ones that do more than your standard spelling and grammar checks, crossing into suggesting changes for improving overall readability.
That's why you rarely produce your best material the first try.
If you want to truly put out the best work you can manage, you'll need to devote ample time to revision.
A lot of students tend to underestimate the revision process.
As a result, they rarely have enough time for it.
For these situations, we recommend being extremely conservative in what you revise, making sure you change just enough to still make your deadlines.
With that said, you'll still need to revise.
Never ever trust your first draft to do the work for you.
1.
Put the draft aside for a couple of hours.
Since you don't have the luxury of time, an hour or two of distance should suffice.
Try to do something that gets you out of your head during that time, such as engaging in team sports, chatting with friends or working out.
2.
Stick to key areas during your revision, such as: o Focus.
You really can't do much if it's too wide or too narrow, so concentrate on whether you stay on track throughout the duration of the paper.
o Main argument.
Given your assumptions, evidence and logical reasoning, is it as sound as you initially thought? If not, don't change it.
Instead, try to find more ways to convince the reader of your position's merits.
o Introduction and conclusion.
These are the frames that hold your paper together.
Do they work as intended? Does the introduction successfully hook the reader into your discussion? Does the conclusion allow the reader to put down the piece completely satisfied with your answers? o Main points.
Do you give more time to the main points than accessory issues? You can cut down discussion on unimportant matter if you dwell in them excessively.
o Flow.
Does it flow smoothly from section to section, paragraph to paragraph.
Add transitions in case you sense any awkwardness.
3.
Put your writing software to use.
Sticking to key areas let you get the most revision done in limited time.
How about the small stuff? Most of the advanced writing programs out there can help you with that.
Specifically, seek out ones that do more than your standard spelling and grammar checks, crossing into suggesting changes for improving overall readability.
