Why is revision important in writing?

Revision is vital to the writing process. You will never get it right the first time…

Revision is vital to the writing process. You will never get it right the first time… There will always be errors in spelling and punctuation.

Revision is vital to the writing process. You will never get it right the first time… There will always be errors in spelling and punctuation. There will always be room for improvement.

Revision is vital to the writing process. You will never get it right the first time… There will always be errors in spelling and punctuation. There will always be room for improvement. Even if there aren’t any errors, you would have to read the draft carefully to know for sure.

Revision is vital to the writing process. You will never get it right the first time… There will always be errors in spelling and punctuation. There will always be room for improvement. Even if there aren’t any errors, you would have to read the draft carefully to know for sure. Writers of all skill levels use revision, even experts.

Does this poem look familiar to you?

This is the second draft of the poem “Ballad of Booker T.” by Langston Hughes

This is the second draft of the poem “Ballad of Booker T.” by Langston Hughes You can see that he made corrections on this draft while he was typing, but also…

This is the second draft of the poem “Ballad of Booker T.” by Langston Hughes You can see that he made corrections on this draft while he was typing, but also… he made handwritten corrections and notes after he pulled it out of his typewriter.

What kind of revisions did Hughes make in this draft?

Was he simply correcting spelling and punctuation?

What kind of revisions did Hughes make in this draft? Was he simply correcting spelling and punctuation? What other reasons did he have to revise this draft?

Hughes was revising this draft because he wanted to improve…

The overall quality of the poem.

Hughes was revising this draft because he wanted to improve… The overall quality of the poem. The effectiveness of the poem.

Hughes was revising this draft because he wanted to improve… The overall quality of the poem. The effectiveness of the poem. There was more about Booker T. that he wanted to say, but hadn’t put into the draft yet.

Why do you think Hughes wrote out this list of words?

This is a list of rhyming words.

Hughes was brainstorming words that he could use to expand his draft.

This is a list of rhyming words. Hughes was brainstorming words that he could use to expand his draft. They are not important to his message, he wanted to have them so he could think less about rhyming when he thought of new ideas to put into his draft.

This is a list of rhyming words. Hughes was brainstorming words that he could use to expand his draft. They are not important to his message, he wanted to have them so he could think less about rhyming when he thought of new ideas to put into his draft. BRAINSTORMING NEVER STOPS!

Langston Hughes was a respected, published, professional writer. However, for this short poem there are five drafts that we know of. There may have been more drafts and handwritten notes that were not saved.

Time and Revision

What is a final draft?

Time and Revision What is a final draft? How long does it take to get to a final draft?

Time and Revision What is a final draft? How long does it take to get to a final draft? When is a draft “done”?

Time and Revision Hughes five drafts for “Ballad of Booker T.” are dated over the course of only three days.

Time and Revision Hughes five drafts for “Ballad of Booker T.” are dated over the course of only three days. However, Walt Whitman revised his book, Leaves of Grass, nine times over the course of his life.

Time and Revision Hughes five drafts for “Ballad of Booker T.” are dated over the course of only three days. However, Walt Whitman revised his book, Leaves of Grass, nine times over the course of his life. He was writing about America. He kept revising his book because he wanted to accommodate the changes in his country that he saw during his lifetime.

Time and Revision No matter how much you revise, there will be room for improvement.

Time and Revision No matter how much you revise, there will be room for improvement. A “final draft” is what you call the draft that you turn it to your teacher or send off to be published. There is always the possibility that you will want to alter it in the future for many different reasons.

Time and Revision No matter how much you revise, there will be room for improvement. A “final draft” is what you call the draft that you turn it to your teacher or send off to be published. There is always the possibility that you will want to alter it in the future for many different reasons. A draft is only final when you are dead.

Sloppy Work vs. Professional Work

A letter from Ernest Hemingway to Archibald MacLeish

Sloppy Work vs. Professional Work A letter from Ernest Hemingway to Archibald MacLeish Notice the corrections he made.

Sloppy Work vs. Professional Work A letter from Ernest Hemingway to Archibald MacLeish Notice the corrections he made.

Sloppy Work vs. Professional Work A letter from Ernest Hemingway to Archibald MacLeish Notice the corrections he made.

Sloppy Work vs. Professional Work A letter from Ernest Hemingway to Archibald MacLeish Notice the corrections he made. Why do you think he bothered to make these corrections to his letter?

Sloppy Work vs. Professional Work Revision affects not only your grade, but also how you appear to others. This includes family, friends, teachers, and colleagues.

Sloppy Work vs. Professional Work Revision affects not only your grade, but also how you appear to others. This includes family, friends, teachers, and colleagues. Good presentation is important. Your letters and s will reflect how intelligent and professional you are.

Sloppy Work vs. Professional Work Revision affects not only your grade, but also how you appear to others. This includes family, friends, teachers, and colleagues. Good presentation is important. Your letters and s will reflect how intelligent and professional you are. When you open an (even from a friend) and it has spelling and punctuation errors, do you assume it is just a mistake?

Sloppy Work vs. Professional Work Revision affects not only your grade, but also how you appear to others. This includes family, friends, teachers, and colleagues. Good presentation is important. Your letters and s will reflect how intelligent and professional you are. When you open an (even from a friend) and it has spelling and punctuation errors, do you assume it is just a mistake? Do you wonder if they just don’t know the correct way to do it?

Sloppy Work vs. Professional Work Revision affects not only your grade, but also how you appear to others. This includes family, friends, teachers, and colleagues. Good presentation is important. Your letters and s will reflect how intelligent and professional you are. When you open an (even from a friend) and it has spelling and punctuation errors, do you assume it is just a mistake? Do you wonder if they just don’t know the correct way to do it? People will wonder this about you too!

Famous Writers Probably every famous document you have ever read was revised over and over again until the author or authors thought that they had gotten it right. Here are a couple of examples…

“The Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln. This is Lincoln’s handwriting! Notice the numerous corrections that he made. This is one of the most famous speeches in American history. No wonder it was so great, Lincoln revised it until it said exactly what he wanted it to say!

The Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson wanted to get this important document just right, as you can see by the many corrections on this early draft. It wasn’t enough just to tell the British why America wanted to be independent, he wanted to say why with a clear and respectable argument.

Reference All manuscripts are taken from the Library of Congress website at…