I thought, I wrote, I revised
201202968 Lim Jung Yun / 임정연
The most important part of the writing process starts after the final word has been written. It might seem odd but it is true. Editing one's work after writing is something that is commonly neglected among people. However, if one wishes to be a competent and acknowledged writer, revising one's work is a must not a choice.
Why is revising one's own work important? There are many reasons why. Through revision of one's own work, one can check if there are any logical inconsistencies or loopholes in their work. What might have made sense when written at that moment might not seem as convincing when read later. There might be irrelevant minor details or not enough supporting arguments making it a weak essay. Also, even if all the arguments within an essay are fully supported and logically consistent, it still cannot suffice as a well written essay if it is not well proportioned. If one thesis has three supporting paragraphs while the following thesis statement only has one supporting paragraphs, the balance of the whole essay will be tilted making it an overall mediocre essay. By rereading one's essay, such mistakes can be fixed improving its quality.
So, what are some steps that should be taken to revise one's essay? First of all, it is important that one does not attempt to revise one's essay right after finishing it. Because the material is still fresh inside the mind, it will be easy to overlook any mistakes and view the work with an objective perspective. One should wait a while until the finished work seems less familiar. Asking another acquaintance or colleague to proofread together is also a good idea. Now, check the overall flow of the paper. Does the introduction, body paragraph and conclusion all function as a whole or does it seem like random pieces brutally sewn together? Do not forget to look out for any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors as well. Such errors could lessen the credibility of an essay no matter how logically flawless it may be.
The revision process is not an easy or quick task. It may involve rewriting large portions of one's essay and it may even take up as much time as it did writing it in the first place. It is tedious and frustrating and tempts omission. However, as mentioned before, the revising one's essay is the most essential part of writing. Although it is possible to write an okay essay without revision, one cannot achieve the highest level of academic writing whilst skipping this process. For those who wish to excel as a writer, revision is an absolute must.
Hello, I'm Ji Woon in the same class as you. I think your idea is both similar and different with my own. While I thought that revision is important for writing, I only thought about the contents of it, not about the construction. I think I should keep your opinion in my mind and try to follow it whenever I write something.
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