Little White Lines

When thinking of the term “Revision”, we more often than not are told to think of how we can state things in a higher manner, use specific words less frequently, or completely eliminate them from our work. As children, we grew used to seeing teachers cross out words and entire sentences from our work. They hand you a bottle of white out, hand you a thesaurus, and say “find a smarter word”. According to Sommer’s study, “Too often as composition teachers we conclude that students do not willingly revise” (pg. 6). Rather than be an integral feature of our work, revision is more often than not assigned separately, like an additional task. Therefore, it is presented as this tedious attachment to the writing process.

The Interpretation of Experienced Writers

However, “experienced” writers seem to have an entirely different approach on revision. They often look for a central theme to their argument and work to build subsections and explanatory features which connect them to that original point. These writers tend to steer away from the linear method described in the first few pages. Instead, the metaphorical process which it is related to is seed growth, a process which can go one without end and often allows for confusion between the beginning and the end of the revision process. The act of having one read your work in between revision processes allows for new perspective which permits the writer to shape their work in a manner which it may most effectively be conveyed.

The entire purpose is to create meaning out of their work rather than explain a predefined one. To truly revise in an effective manner, one must recognize the distinction between written and verbal language and understand that they cannot be conveyed in a direct replication of the other. “The experienced writers see their revision process as a recursive process-a process with significant recurring activities-with different levels of attention and different agenda for each cycle” (pg. 9). Rather than attempted to appease the standardized version of “good writing”, one should seek to appease what they believe their writing should look like.