Revision: What Does it Really Mean?

If someone asks you the steps of the writing process, you might say something like this: “Brainstorm, outline, draft, revise, and proofread.”

 

Writing sometimes happens in a nice, linear line like this, but it often doesn’t. It’s okay if your writing process is messier than this.

As we know, this version of the writing process doesn’t always work out. Sometimes we just dive right in to drafting and then come back and brainstorm when we run out of ideas. Other times, we skip outlining entirely. Writing is a recursive process, which means that it loops back on its self and doesn’t have one set beginning and end point.

One thing that all writing processes have in common, though, is that they will include revision at some point. Revision is a key part of having a strong, adaptive writing process that will grow with you as you learn new things and face more difficult writing tasks. Revision is what allows you to improve your writing and meet new challenges.

Let’s take a moment to think about what revision really means. 

Watch the Video

Reflect on It

The most important part of revision is reflecting on your goals, what you’ve done to accomplish them so far, and what you still want to achieve. Reflection is the key to successful revision. 

Think about other times in your life when you’ve used reflection to learn, make changes, and grow: 

  • When have you reflected on your progress and made changes? (Tip: Think of things like sports, building something, a long-term project, etc.)
  • When have you felt most successful? What steps did you take to get there? 
  • When you get frustrated because something isn’t working the way you want, how do you handle it?

You’ll notice that these questions aren’t specific to writing. They’re questions you can use to reflect on anything that you want to do better over time. Revision isn’t about making perfect sentences or knowing when to use a semicolon. Revision is about understanding your own writing goals, being honest with yourself about when you’re meeting them and when you’re not, and taking steps to improve over time. 

Key Points to Remember

Remember, writing is a lifelong process. There’s no such thing as a perfect writer. We all continue to practice, learn, grow, and change as writers. Revision is the process that lets us do that. 

Here are some things to remember about revision: 

  • It’s your work. At the end of the day, you’re the one who gets to decide if and how you change it. 
  •  Revise first; proofread later. Revision is about making big changes to ideas and how you express them. Proofreading is polishing up little details in your writing. They’re different steps in the process. 
  • Give yourself time. When students tell me they don’t know how to revise or that revision doesn’t work for them, it’s almost always because they haven’t given themselves enough time between drafts. 
  • Read it aloud. Reading your work out loud — for real, out loud — is a great way to revisit it. 
  • Don’t try for perfection. It will never be a perfect paper. There’s no such thing. Let go of the expectation that you can achieve perfection and instead work toward improving and being happy with the work you’ve done.
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