It is impossible to write about all the wonderful strategies for revision, but I do have some more that I wanted to add. We have discussed revising for organization, word choice, and for a different audience (voice), but I haven’t really mentioned much about revising with details that appeal to the senses. It is very important for students to show, and not just tell, in their writing.

Also, when helping to delete parts of their papers (that they will swear are set in stone), tell them that you are just helping them cut clutter. Just tell them like it is.

When working on slotting and word choice, encourage students to use specific action verbs and not to rely on weak helping  and linking verbs.

I discussed using M-E-S-S when revising, but there are other acronyms that you might want to keep in mind.

ARRR: adding, rearranging, removing, replacing

ARMS: add, remove, move around, substitute

Coming soon: Writing the final copy and publishing student writing