Self-Conference Sheet
To get us started thinking about what revision can accomplish, here is a general list. Good writing is:
- Clear. Instantly understandable.
- Unobtrusive. A good writer tries to be invisible. Good writing is writing that seems not to have been written at all. It's like a window. You see through the words to grasp the meaning. You're unaware of the language.
- Grammatical. Almost invariably. A truly good writer is not hide-bound by grammatical rules. But students must know the rules before they can ignore them.
- Well-organized. Structure--what you say where in a piece of writing--is as important as the language you use. Some people have said it's more important (Hemingway: `Prose is architecture, not interior decoration').
Specific things to emphasize:
- Use active verbs (not passive ones).
- Be wary of adverbs. Don't use them to shore up weak verbs.
- Be wary of adjectives. Don't use one because you can't find the right noun.
- Keep subject and verb close together.
- Anticipate the reader's questions and answer them promptly.
- Don't use two words when one will do.
- Don't use unfamiliar words.
- Read your prose aloud before you edit (the ear often picks up problems that the eye misses. It's also important to hear the voice of your prose)
- Remember that rhythm in writing isn't there only for beauty. It facilitates understanding.
- Remember that any good writing --fiction, essay, term paper--any type of writing, begins with good reporting, meaning good observation, good analysis, good study.
If you are not yet convinced about the importance of taking time with your writing, here's a last word on cramming everything into a single sitting from a higher authority, the Book of Ecclesiastes:
There is one that toileth, and laboreth, and maketh haste, and is so much the more behind.