What You Revise During Editing
Every draft you edit will have a variety of areas you can focus on. Ideally, if you want to produce the best writing possible, you’ll give ample time to all of them.
- Editing for content. Here, you verify whether you have complied with all of the writing assignment’s requirements and have done so in a complete manner. Will your argument fulfill the reader’s expectations? Are your claims consistent and sufficiently supported with adequate evidence?
- Editing for structure. The development of your ideas can be just as important as the ideas themselves, making overall structure a critical element of writing. Do you have an appropriate introduction and conclusion? Is there a logical flow to the way your ideas are presented from paragraph to paragraph, section to section?
- Paragraphs and sentences. Your paragraphs should focus on one controlling idea and discuss it adequately using a logical structure, while sentences should aspire to convey thoughts concisely and clearly.
- Clarity. How clear is the main thesis to the reader? Can they understand the various arguments you have presented for it? Do you use the terms that aid understanding or lead to confusion?
- Style. Here, you check for tone and general voice. Do you have a consistent approach to writing throughout the piece or do you change levels at various times? Obviously, a consistent style will help readers settle into your discussion, while a discrepant one can feel awkward.
Some of the more advanced writing software will aid you in the editing process too, so make sure to explore that option if it’s available. As you can tell, we left off grammar, spelling and other mechanical issues off the editing. That’s because you can do them later in the proofreading stages – one where an automated grammar software can really shine.