Revision is what writers do. It is at the very core of writing a text of any kind. Oh, there are a few occasions where a writer seems to spill perfect words in perfect places onto a blank page and there is nothing to change – like the way my grandma made her apple pie with a delicious cookie crust. Grandma didn’t need a recipe; instead she created her masterpiece every day, using the “feel” of the pie dough and adding a pinch of this and that. But the truth of the matter is this: writers only stop revising because there is a deadline to meet!
I remember when Rose and I were finishing up Nonfiction Mentor Texts. I kept bringing more books to add to our final chapter. Rose had to tell me: “Enough! I am not adding one more book to the Treasure Chest!” Rose knew it was time to polish what we had and not continue to add to it. While adding to a piece of writing is one way to revise, there are many other possibilities. Here are some suggestions:
Ø Reread to discover the “inside story.”
Ø Write a different ending.
Ø Write the piece in a different tense.
Ø Use a multigenre approach.
Ø Write in the third person instead of the first person.
Ø Write for a different audience.
Ø Find your center of gravity and begin there.
Ø Write the piece in a different format (a poem, letter, or feature article).
Ø Try to collaborate with a peer who is writing on the same theme or subject.
Ø Move words, phrase, sentences, or even whole paragraphs to a different location if it improves the piece.
Ø Substitute: find nouns and verbs that are weak and replace them with stronger ones!
I remember when Rose and I were finishing up Nonfiction Mentor Texts. I kept bringing more books to add to our final chapter. Rose had to tell me: “Enough! I am not adding one more book to the Treasure Chest!” Rose knew it was time to polish what we had and not continue to add to it. While adding to a piece of writing is one way to revise, there are many other possibilities. Here are some suggestions:
Ø Reread to discover the “inside story.”
Ø Write a different ending.
Ø Write the piece in a different tense.
Ø Use a multigenre approach.
Ø Write in the third person instead of the first person.
Ø Write for a different audience.
Ø Find your center of gravity and begin there.
Ø Write the piece in a different format (a poem, letter, or feature article).
Ø Try to collaborate with a peer who is writing on the same theme or subject.
Ø Move words, phrase, sentences, or even whole paragraphs to a different location if it improves the piece.
Ø Substitute: find nouns and verbs that are weak and replace them with stronger ones!
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