2. 1 The Importance of Editing and Revising
Think of writing like building something with blocks. Your first draft is like putting all the blocks together to get the basic shape. But you're not finished yet! Revising and editing are the next steps where you make your creation stronger, clearer, and much better.
These two steps are a very important part of the writing process for everyone, even professional writers.
Practice Makes Perfect
Just like athletes, dancers, or designers, writers get better with practice.
An athlete might miss a catch or fumble a ball. They practice to get better for the next game.
A dancer might forget a step or miss a beat. They practice to make their performance perfect.
Writing is the same. Your first draft will not be perfect, and that is okay! Revising and editing are how you practice your writing. It is how you turn a good paragraph into a great one.
What is Revising? (The Big Picture)
When you revise, you look at the "big picture" of your writing. You are not worried about spelling or commas yet. Instead, you ask yourself questions about your main ideas and how they are organized.
Ask yourself:
Main Idea: Is my main point clear? Will my reader understand what I am trying to say?
Support: Do I have enough details or examples to support my main idea?
Order: Are my sentences in an order that makes sense? Does my paragraph flow smoothly from one idea to the next?
Clarity: Is there anything that might be confusing to my reader?
What is Editing? (The Small Details)
After you are happy with the big picture, it is time to edit. Editing is when you zoom in and look for smaller mistakes. This is also called "proofreading." You are fixing errors that can distract your reader.
Look for:
Spelling: Are all the words spelled correctly?
Punctuation: Did I use periods, commas, and question marks in the right places?
Grammar: Do my sentences follow grammar rules? Do my subjects and verbs agree?
Word Choice: Could I use a better or more interesting word here?
Let's Look at an Example
Here is a first draft of a paragraph. It's a good start, but it can be better.
First Draft:
My favorite season is winter. It gets cold. It snows and you can build a snowman. I like wearing sweaters and drinking hot chocolate. Holidays are in the winter.
Now, let's revise it to make the ideas clearer and more organized.
Revised Draft:
My favorite season is winter for many reasons. First, I love when it snows because my friends and I can build snowmen and have snowball fights. Winter is also a cozy season. There is nothing better than wearing a warm sweater and drinking a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. Finally, I enjoy the winter holidays because I get to spend extra time with my family.
See how the ideas are now connected better? Now, let's edit the revised draft to fix any small mistakes. In this case, the revised draft is already in good shape with no errors! The process still matters. By checking for spelling, punctuation, and grammar, we make sure the final version is polished and easy to read.
Final, Edited Paragraph:
My favorite season is winter for many reasons. First, I love when it snows because my friends and I can build snowmen and have snowball fights. Winter is also a cozy season. There is nothing better than wearing a warm sweater and drinking a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. Finally, I enjoy the winter holidays because I get to spend extra time with my family.
By taking the time to revise and then edit, you can make sure your writing is clear, organized, and correct.