When you think of the process of addressing clarity and mechanics in a paper, do you think of those two tasks clumped together? Well, I do! When I revise, I just sit down and truck through it. I fix the content and the mechanics all as I go. However, after reading "Clearing the Way" (Chapter 5) by Tom Romano, I'm beginning to re-think the logistics of how the revision process works. I'm sure many writers, like myself, see the revision process as just an ongoing process of correcting general mistakes. Romano, on the other hand, sees the "Revision" step as needing to come before the "Editing" step.
You may ask, "What's the difference between revision and editing? Understandable! I really didn't know the difference until I read this text by Tom Romano. In short, revision focuses on clarity, and editing focuses on grammar, spelling, and mechanics. The fact that revision comes before editing is actually incredibly logical. So many people simply read their own writing, and because of that, only the grammatical and mechanical issues stand out. However, when you read it aloud, clarity comes first. It just makes sense.
While mulling this whole idea over, I thought of a painting. The content, on which you focus during revision, is the paint. The grammar and mechanics, which you address during editing, is the canvas. Without the paint (clear content), you have no painting; it's the substance that makes the painting a masterpiece. However, if you have a hole in the canvas (grammar/mechanics), it impedes people's ability to understand and admire the painting.
Chelsea,
ReplyDeleteI like the venn diagram you posted here! It does a nice job of actually showing the difference between the revision and editing processes :)