Chapter 11: Revising Your Work
Create a Revision Plan
This activity will help you create a revision plan for a writing project. First, pick a writing project that you care about. You could pick writing you’ve done in this class, another class, or in the workplace. Then, follow the steps to come up with a revision plan.
Step 1: Read your document. Then, write 1-2 sentences that describes what you’re most proud of about this document. This will help you be aware of what’s good about the document, so you don’t lose any positive qualities in the revision.
Step 2: Now, consider the purpose of the document. What do you want to happen after the reader reads the document? For example, if you were working on an essay for your history class, your goal might be to convince your teacher that you have created an original thesis and supported it with evidence. After the teacher reads your essay, you want them to give you an A. If you’re working on a poster to advertise a speaker coming to your campus, your purpose might be to spark people’s interest in the speaker. After they read the poster, you want them to go online to search for more information and attend the event.
Write 1 – 2 sentences explaining the purpose of the document and what you want the reader to do after reading it.
Step 3: Now, see if you can identify any factors preventing the reader from doing what you want them to do. You might consider:
- Organization.
- Tone.
- Level of detail.
- Use of evidence.
- Length of paragraphs.
- Headings and other organizational aids.
- Use of visuals.
- Spelling and grammar
From here, identify the top 3 changes you want to make to help your audience understand your message and do what you want them to do. Be as specific as you can. For example, it’s more helpful to say “I want to move my thesis statement to the beginning of my essay and do a reverse outline to help me focus my essay” than to say “I want to improve the organization.”
Congratulations! You have created a revision plan for your document. Now, it’s time to revise and make your document achieve its purpose.
