Writing Help

As student authors, we are typically asked to revise, edit, and proofread our writing assignments. Although these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are some subtle differences. 

The resources on this page will help you understand the differences between these important stages in writing. 

1. Revising: In a sense, every time you open a document and continue working on it, you are in the process of revising it. Thus, there are several revisions made during every writing project (or at least there should be). We always want to leave ample time to make numerous revisions to our work.  Revisions should occur after you submit a project to a professor and/or peer advisor for review and receive feedback.  Revising includes changing the structure of an essay, adding more research when necessary, and even making cuts to a project when sections are off-topic. Revising includes large-scale changes to a project. 

2. Editing: An editor--whether a peer or someone working at a publication--typically suggests changes that an author should make. This stage is quite similar to revision, but whereas revision can occur during multiple stages of writing, you don't typically edit something until you have a full draft complete. Again, editing may include substantial changes to a project (not small typos, but large structural changes). 

3. Proofreading: The term proofreading suggests that a writer has fine-tuned the organization, structure, and major discussion present in the writing project and is now reviewing the essay for very small errors such as missing punctuation, incorrect spelling, or poor choices in punctuation. Proofreading is typically the final stage of the writing process and occurs before a project is submitted. This means the essay is essentially complete except for needing a few small changes.

PRO-TIP: Always allow ample time for proofreading. It is very helpful to finish a writing project, step away from it, and come back to review it the next day. Editors call this putting a fresh set of eyes on the project, and it helps. Beginning the proofreading process too close to when the project is submitted is never a good idea. 

In life, there are times when you wish you could have "do-overs."  Writing provides that opportunity. Please keep the following ideas in mind:

• The first draft is not the final draft.
• Many view writing as a continual process--one that sometimes is recursive as opposed to linear.
• You may go back and change a sentence or a paragraph when you have written only a page. 
• You may find yourself deleting full paragraphs or pages once you have completed a draft and going back to change the content or organization. 
• You may discover you have written sections of your essay that are off-topic. If so, remove these from your essay and copy and paste them into a new document. You may be able to use this "off-topic" idea in the future for a different writing assignment. 
• Most professional writing projects include numerous rounds of editing and revision. Engaging in revision will prepare you for work in the professional world. 

Outlining Basics:

Many will associate outlining with the planning/invention phase of writing, however, outlining also can prove to be an effective tool when revising your writing. You may consider preparing an outline of your draft by following these directions: 

• Include each topic sentence for each paragraph in the outline.
• As you review your paragraphs, think about whether you have introduced new topics within the paragraph.
• As you develop your outline, question your organization.
• View outlining post-writing as an opportunity to review your content and organization.

• As the process of revising nears an end, and you are happy with the content, organization, and unity of your essay, you want to begin proofreading. 
• Read your writing closely, or possibly have others read your writing, to ensure that English usage issues including grammar, spelling, and punctuation are resolved.
• Many writers find it helpful to read their papers out loud. This helps to discover errors and mistakes. Microsoft Word and other word processing programs also feature a READ ALOUD function. This can be an incredibly helpful mode of reviewing your work.
• Print out a hard copy of your writing project so you can look for errors and make notations. 
• Share your project with a friend, classmate, or family member.
• Become familiar with the type of grammar errors you frequently make. Research what these errors are and how to remedy them.
• Some instructors suggest you re-read your essay from the last page to the first, arguing that reading the essay out of order will provide new insights. 
• As you proofread, review the assignment directions as well as the rubric to make sure you have not forgotten any important components.