Section 19.7 Revision Strategies
The principles in this chapter—given-new, end-focus, cohesion, concision, nominalization—are most useful when they become part of how you revise. Applying them while you draft is possible, but it tends to slow writing down. It is more practical to write a full draft, then return to it with specific questions: Where is new information arriving before given? Where does emphasis fall in the wrong place? Where are there nominalizations I could convert? What can be cut?
The following strategies give you systematic ways to apply that analytical lens during revision.
The Shrink Test.
Can you cut 10-20% of your draft without losing meaning? Most first drafts can be tightened significantly.
Read Aloud.
Wordy passages often sound awkward when read aloud. Trust your ear.
Ask "Do I need this word?".
For every word, ask whether removing it would change meaning. If not, consider cutting it.
Watch for Patterns.
If you frequently use certain wordy constructions (it is, there are, the fact that), search for them specifically during revision.
