Summary

It has been said that writing is revision. Though you may think the writing task is finished when you've completed the first draft of your essay, your work has really just begun. There are global and local considerations when you start the revising/editing process. Global considerations have you ponder elements of the essay as a whole, while local considerations ask you to work on the smaller components of the essay, including paragraphs, sentences, and individual words. Like the drafting task, the revision and editing tasks can be approached as a process, whether you are revising and editing your own work or the work of your peers or collaborative group members.

By the end of this chapter you will learn various strategies related to:

• Preparing to revise
• Considering the whole essay
• Strengthening the development
• Sharpening sentences and words
• Proofreading your draft
• Writing the introduction and conclusion
• Revising with a word processor
• Peer-evaluation of drafts
• Collaborative writing
• Maintaining and reviewing a portfolio