Chapter 13 of Craft of Research discusses the organization and essay revision. Though I typically did many of the revising tips, one piece of advice that helped me greatly for my recent essay was keeping the reader in mind. Re-reading my essay, and thinking of it from my reader’s perspective rather than mine forced me to spot holes in my argument. For example, I did not provide enough context for one piece of my evidence, and it led to the whole paragraph not making sense. Most writing advice dictates that it is imperative that you “relate back to your thesis” but I did not realize how truly important it was to do so until I thought of it from the reader’s perspective. Because I am the one writing the essay, I always know what my argument is; however, I have to convince the reader, so I must keep reminding them.
From the tips that I gathered from chapter 13, I have made my own process of revising.
- Consider what kind of essay you are writing.
- Argumentative – is there a way to make this essay more convincing? Personal anecdote?
- Analytical – have you removed all your personal opinion out of the analysis? Gather your evidence on how/what person wrote, not how you feel (feeling = your own analysis)
- Narrative – is there enough detail?
- Grammar and spelling check
- Tip: read the essay out loud to see if it sounds “weird.” Shifts in tense and passive voice are easier to catch this way
- If you automatically correct things while you read, you can also have google translate read your essay back to you in a monotone voice
//The rest of these tips are related only to type argumentative and analytical essays
- Make sure your introductory sentences relate back to the thesis – concise
- Think of each paragraph as soldier in the army – delegate one segment of your thesis to the paragraph, and prove it within. All your paragraphs come together to prove your argument
- Make sure that your thesis and your argument are still the same
- A problem I often make: I have a thesis, but as I continue to write and analyze evidence, my argument evolves but my thesis does not reflect the change
- So what factor – why is your essay worth reading? What’s the point of your reader reading it? What should they know?