It is said that a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step, and this is quite true when it comes to the drafting process. One helpful document I used during the drafting and revision process is by the Center for Educational Partnerships at Berkeley University. The document notes that a first draft is by no means a final draft and that a writer should not be afraid to make mistakes. The first draft is primarily used to create structure (Berkeley, 2007). In future revisions, more vivid language can be used or previously unknown details can be added. In the revision process, there are three subjects which should receive improvement: focus, clarity and depth (Berkeley, 2007).
Conventions and proper styling should also be used in later drafts. Some of the tips which were presented in the document included:
- When possible, use a more simple word in place of an obscure word.
- Double-check word meanings if you are unsure
- Avoid empty words
- Use active verbs
- Avoid clichés and widely-used idioms
As far as proofreading, the source suggested leaving the paper aside for several days and then revising it again. Errors in the paper may be caught when in a fresh state of mind than when under fatigue. Additionally, try to read the paper backwards or in sections to catch sentence fragments or run-ons. One of the suggestions that is made that was also made in class is to have someone else read the paper. What makes sense to one person may not always make sense to another person.
Some of this advice I actively used in my own revision process, however my writing process is somewhat different, but effective. I generally followed guidelines on style and convention, using active verbs, engaging vocabulary, and using processes meant to catch errors. I had my paper proofread by others, to varying degrees of effectiveness. I also set my paper aside for several days to get a fresh state of mind. However, I did not always follow recommendations. I used what I thought was seemingly normal vocabulary in my paper, however many people found the vocabulary obscure or difficult to understand. However, when I tried to revise the vocabulary usage, the paper was not as effective and sounded elementary. It was my intention for this to be a paper read by sociologists and those interested in social media, an audience which is not accurate of peer reviewers. If I was writing a simplified version for readers of the USA today, I would have made the vocabulary much different. Another way I violated recommendations was that in my first draft, I typically did use more bombastic vocabulary and did not write the paper as a wireframe; I instead wrote it in sequential order, accounting for flow and transitions. However, I was told by all of the peer reviewers that the paper flowed well.
In conclusion, the drafting and revising process is a continuous cycle, but one must eventually decide that a work is finished, at least for that moment in time. If guidelines and recommendations are followed, it is much easier and faster to create a final document that is engaging, organized, and presented in a logical fashion.
Center for Educational Partnerships, University of Berkeley. (November 17, 2007). Drafting & Revising. Retrieved May 3, 2010 from http://students.berkeley.edu/apa/personalstatement/proofreading.html.
