Revision can be one of the most important, instructive, and even pleasurable parts of the writing process.
I agree with this, you can really see your progression in your writing. Each time I revise a draft there is always something to fix and that is really nice to see.
Focus on the Thesis
This is something I struggle with personally, I tend to loose track of the main idea because I have so many ideas flowing through my mind and I need to remember to always try to tie things back to the thesis.
mind map or cluster is a method of brainstorming that allows you to draw connections between ideas. To make a cluster, start with a big concept related to your assignment prompt. Write this in the center of a page or screen and circle it. Think of ideas that connect to the big concept or branch out of it. Write these around the big concept and draw connecting lines to the big concept. As you think of ideas that relate to any of the others, create more connections by writing those ideas around the one idea that connects them and draw connecting lines. Notice that you can use color, larger type, etc., to create organization and emphasis.
I have never tried this method of mapping but it looks really interesting and is something I definitely want to try!
Annotating can help us stay focused on, and emotionally and intellectually connected to, what we are reading. It suggests that we feel empowered to speak back to the text.
I really agree and resonate with this statement. I am the type of person where information (especially information I'm not particularly interested in) can go through one ear and out the other. However when I annotate and take notes it sticks in my brain more and I feel as though I can add my own thoughts and pieces of info that will help me better understand and retain.
Below are the common steps most writers follow to move through the early stages of murky thoughts. In general, the order of these steps makes sense, but we are not bound to it. We can customize the process to fit our own style and the particular assignment. The key is to notice what is challenging at each point and find the strategy that will help the most. Often, a question or problem will arise as we work, and returning to an earlier strategy in the writing process can help us resolve the difficulty. Studying the prompt: The instructor's guidance can help us focus our efforts from the start so we don't spend time writing something that doesn't fit the assignment. Reading and annotating: Reading, rereading, and making notes on other texts is often the first step toward coming up with our own contribution to the larger conversation. As we have seen, most college writing comments on or responds to the arguments of others. Generating ideas: Various prewriting strategies can help us decide what to write about and gather specifics to support or explain what we want to say. Planning how to organize the ideas: Outlines, formal or informal, can help us structure the essay. Drafting: Writing the first version of the essay, often called the rough draft. Most writers go through many drafts. Revising: Reconsidering the ideas and content of the essay as well as refining the style and structure of the paper. Editing: Correcting grammar, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics. We can also call this proofreading. Publishing: Sharing the final draft with others
These are the common steps people take when they are beginning their writing process. Although the order can be effective for some people, you do not have to follow each step in order. It may make more sense to someone to start differently. If you reach a point in your writing where you become stuck or there is a problem, it can help to go back through our steps and review.