Revision Strategy #6: Cut and Paste Revision
- You need a draft printed on one side only. Make sure this isn't your only copy.
- Cut apart the essay by paragraph, then shuffle.
- Go through stack and find the "core" paragraph. That's the one that gets to the heart of what you're trying to say. If you don't have a paragraph like that, take a moment to finish this sentence: "The most important thing I want my readers to understand is..." This will act as your core sentence.
- With core paragraph (or sentence) in front of you, make two new stacks of remaining paragraphs: those relevant to core and those that don't seem relevant. Make sure every piece of information is there for a reason. Ask yourself these questions as you examine each
paragraph:
- Does it develop thesis or further purpose of paper, or is might it be an unnecessary tangent or part of paper with different focus?
- Does it provide important evidence to support what I'm trying to say?
- Does it explain something that is key to understanding what I'm trying to say, or is it possible unnecessary information?
- Does it illustrate a key concept?
- Does it help establish the importance of what I'm trying to say?
- Does it raise or answer a question that I must explore given what I'm trying to say?
- If necessary, cut away parts of paragraphs that have information that doesn't seem necessary.
- Reassemble relevant paragraphs. Try new order (new leads, ends, middles). Splice in ideas for new material. Tape together pieces when you like the order.
From: Bruce Ballenger, Boise State University