Monday, November 7, 2011

Revision

Question: Why should students revise their writing?

Answer/Quote: “Revise? Of course. But revise to a purpose. I have learned to enjoy revising, sometimes even more than writing the original draft, but I still don’t revise because I enjoy doing it. (My journals, written for my eyes only, are never revised.) I revise in order to communicate more effectively with editors, reviewers, the librarians and classroom teachers who will share my books, the young readers whom I want to enjoy them. I revise in short, because revising serves a purpose that is important to me. Given such a purpose, perhaps your student will do the same.” Pp. 134-135.

Comment: I recall a comment by James Thurber when asked why he worked on revision so much. He said that he revised in order to make his writing seem effortless. That’s about as good a purpose as I can think of. RayS.

Title: “Have Students Revise Only Their Best Writing.” Marion Dane Bauer. Journal of Reading (October 1993), 134-135.

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