Module 4, Lesson 4 Notes

1. THE ART OF REVISION
Enhancing your words with images, meaning, and
voice

2. Revision creates order out of chaos.
 Your objective when revising is to create a clearer
expression of what you want to say.
 It does not mean that you have written a bad
paper, it simply means that you can make it even
better.
 Everyone, especially a person who writes
professionally, needs to revise.

3. Revision is...
 Revision is the process of "re-creating" your paper
by taking what you already have and making it
better. It is an attempt to see your essay in a whole
new light.

4. Revision is not...
 Revision is not simply proofreading and editing.
 In other words, the act of revising is more than
correcting surface errors or rearranging paragraphs.
It requires a re-thinking of the ideas and
organization of your paper as a whole.
 The difference between editing and revision might
seem minute. Just remember, editing deals with more
technical information, while revision focuses on ideas
and organization of those ideas.

5. GUIDELINES FOR YOUR
REVISION

6. GRAB THE READER
 Create a catchy, powerful first line to entice
reader, and a catchy, powerful last line to leave an
impact on the reader.
 Try to incorporate a theme: a message, a lesson
learned, or something that expresses the
significance of the events.
 Create a believable, clear voice.

7. CREATE SCENES, NOT SUMMARIES
 Use the senses to pull reader into the scene.
 Create metaphors and similes - clever comparisons
make the reader visualize.
 Use specific concrete images that you could
photograph, not vague or abstract ones.
 Infuse writing with detailed adjectives and adverbs.
 Use descriptive dialogue. Stay away from, “said.”

8. KNOW YOUR CHARACTER
 Be able to give a clear visual description - weave
the details in through dialogue and narrative
 If your story is about you, then remember to think of
yourself as a CHARACTER.
 Know what clothes your character would wear,
what s/he would eat for breakfast, for a snack…
 Know what your character’s strengths and
weaknesses are.

9. USE FORESHADOWING
AND SYMBOLISM
 Think about clever names for characters that might
reveal something about them
 If something bad is going to happen, give hints
through weather, dialogue, use of color, etc.
 Use seasons and weather symbolically
 Choose Biblical references: rains to wash away sins
or evil, gardens as innocent, etc.

10. USE EFFECTIVE WORD CHOICE
 Have strong vocabulary at your side - use words when
they are appropriate, not so that they stick out.
 Use a thesaurus to avoid repetition, not to sound
sophisticated.
 Stay away from vague words that convey no image:
happy, good, nice… Seek more specific words:
ecstatic, sufficient, kindhearted .
 Omit all boring verbs: went, come… Seek verbs that
create images: trudge, clamber, undulate, grope,
wriggle, simmer.

11. POINT OF VIEW
 Consciously choose a point of view: first person,
third person, or third person limited
 Try changing it after you finish to see which point of
view creates a stronger piece

12. ALTER SENTENCE STRUCTURE FOR
FLUIDITY AND VARIETY
 Look at all sentence beginnings. Start with
prepositional phrases, adjectives, participial
phrases, and adverbial clauses for changes in
structure.
 Change length of sentences: some complex, and
some very short for emphasis.

13. Works Cited
“Revising Writing.” N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar 2012.
http://www.teachingcompany.com/sensei/revising.ppt.
eds. "Revision." College of Arts & Letters. Old Dominion University,
05/17/06. Web. 10 Mar 2012.
http://al.odu.edu/wts/students/process/revise.shtml