Structural Revision Redux

Structure is the order in which you present your ideas, and the relationship you build between them.

Here's the structural revision process we'll be following in 102:

1. Write a precis of your current draft, trying to look at it with "fresh eyes". Make sure to write your precis of the draft as it IS, not as you WANT IT TO BE.

2. Write a one-sentence summary of each paragraph or chunk of the essay.

3. The above is your reverse outline. Review it, and ask yourself:

• What's missing?
• What can you cut out?
• Is this the best order for your ideas? Should you rearrange the paragraphs in any way?

4. Identify the five most important words in your essay. Write them down in your notes. These are your keywords!

5. Compare you paragraphs, one at a time, to the paragraph sandwich model. For each paragraph, ask yourself:

• What's missing?
• What can you cut out?
• Is this the best order for the paragraph?

6. Try to DOUBLE the number of times you are using your keywords in the paper. Pay special attention to weaving the keywords into the beginnings and ends of paragraphs.

Use your notes from steps 1-6 as a structural revision checklist. Make the changes you've identified one at a time, checking them off as you go. Boom! New draft.