Revision

With writing comes revision. Occasionally, we achieve solid organization or write an accurate thesis statement in the first draft, but it usually takes a few tries. 

There are a number of ways and reasons to revise. Often, a draft will need some structural revision—changing the order of ideas or adding or deleting paragraphs. If you can't see the forest for the trees, if you sense that your paper doesn't flow, or if you think you don't have enough information or it's not in the right order, we recommend a topic-sentence reverse outline. (See the handout on "Reorganizing Drafts" for information on that technique.)

Once you arrive at a suitable structure, you will want to perform a different type of revision: editing, also known as "polishing," where you work to correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation while ensuring that you are being as clear and concise as possible.

For a more detailed overview and plenty of revising strategies, see our links.

Revision Links

• Handout (printable): "Reorganizing Drafts," UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center
• Handout (printable): "Revising Drafts," UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center
• Handout (printable): "Revision in Business Writing," Purdue OWL
• Video (12:13): "The Magic of Revision," TEDTalk by Obert Skye