Keeping It Simple: Two Steps to Better Writing

By Rebecca Steele

Revising your entire piece at once can make you miss problem areas. Instead, take it easy, and tackle one issue at a time.

I don't think I've ever met a writer who actually enjoys the revision process. It's a dirty, frustrating job that keeps your work in limbo for days, weeks, or even months. Sometimes, in spite of your most Herculean effort, typos, silly errors, or wordiness remain in the piece like a stubborn blood stain. I can't tell you how many times I used to bang my head into the wall over pesky blemishes that seemingly appeared out of nowhere-- usually AFTER I submitted the piece.

During my college years, I precariously balanced a full-time job with a full-time course load. I was an English major, so concurrent writing assignments naturally abounded. If I wasn't writing an essay, I was either fixing one, or slaving over a hot stove for peanuts.

I found that when I worked on multiple pieces simultaneously, I often missed a few of the most elementary errors. Staring at a computer screen for hours on end, the words would eventually blend into each other like a psychedelic trip. The first time I passed in a paper with an undetected sentence fragment, I wanted to kick myself.

I thought if I tried breaking my revision process into manageable steps, I'd catch more problems while managing my time more effectively.

So, I tried to chill out a bit. I assured myself that the sun would not supernova if I didn't completely polish six rough drafts in one sitting.

I stopped laboring over every conceivable malady in one draft. Instead, I put my work through two basic filters, starting with wordiness and concluding with grammar. Working from hard copies, I examined and revised each area separately, using a fresh draft for each filter. When I finished, I focused on the entire piece, editing for content, clarity, tone, etc. Since I broke the process down into two steps, I always felt like I'd accomplished something, even if I spent only fifteen minutes on revision that day.

Some experts believe writers should take the opposite approach, reworking and rewriting content before cleaning up the syntax. However, grammar and sentence structure serve as the groundwork of all written communications; I cannot fathom why one would build a house before the foundation is fully sound.

At any rate, the technique worked very well for me, and it forms the backbone of my editorial routine today.

I encourage you to give my method a try the next time you revise. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned writer, I'm confident you'll find it helpful.

Step 1: Tighten Those Sentences

Grammar woes often stem from wordy sentences; getting concise in the beginning will make your grammar checks easier and more productive.

1. Use the "find" feature in Word to select all forms of the passive verb "to be" (be, are, am, is, was, did, being, been).

Once the verbs are selected, use the highlight button to shade them.

2. Now, select all prepositions (at, by, for, from, in, of, on, to, with, etc.) and shade them a different color.

3. Replace as many "to be" verbs as you can with action verbs, and tighten up any prepositional phrases that look wordy:

Example:  I am responsible for maintaining the computer networks of the company.

 

Fix:  I maintain the company's computer networks.

4. Give the work a final read-through, checking for passive voice. Passive sentences always contain "be" verbs, and prepositional phrases often accompany them.

5. Print out a clean, revised draft.

Step 2: Clean Up

1. Check your work for basic grammatical errors. If you make a lot of corrections, print out a clean copy afterward.

2. Highlight ALL commas. Often overused, commas frequently cause grammatical and stylistic problems.

3. Zero in on sentences containing more than two commas (serial commas aside). Most comma-laden sentences flow better when broken up.

4. Look over the whole thing again, this time hunting for comma splices.

If you need a refresher, a spliced sentence contains two or more independent clauses (complete thoughts) that are connected together without a coordinating conjunction (nor, for, and, or, but, yet, and so).

You can fix most splices by replacing the comma with a semicolon or colon:

Example:  I loved the book, it is very well written.

 

Fix:  I loved the book; it is very well written.

Frequently, writers use transitional words in lieu of coordinating conjunctions:

Example:  I loved the book, plus, it is very well written.

Simply replace the transition word with a coordinating conjunction:

Fix:  I loved the book, for it was very well written.

It's a good idea to repeat the cycle at least twice before beginning your rewrites.

Feel free to customize this process to suit your own needs; everyone has his or her specific problem areas. For example, if you struggle with homonyms (example: your vs. you're, its vs. it's), scan for apostrophes. Use the Microsoft Word "find" feature to your advantage; it's a great tool, and often overlooked. Between revisions, set your work aside for a few hours, or a day if possible.

Good luck!

Rebecca is a freelance writer from Providence, Rhode Island. Eccentric and esoteric, she has a warm, fuzzy place in her heart for dry humor, satire, the arcane, and Effexor. In her spare time, she enjoys tinkering with computers, killing plants, and eating too much chocolate. Read more of her writings at www.ladydragonfyre.com.

This article first published by BlogCritics.org.

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