VOICEOVER: Revising your writing. The word revise literally means see again. So before you start revising, take a step away from your writing, so that you can come back and see it with fresh eyes. Then you're going to want to look at the big picture, your ideas, your organization, and your voice. These traits affect the whole of your document. So if you can improve one of these, you can make a big improvement to your writing. 

You have four major moves that you can make. The first is to cut material. If you're a person who tends to write too much, trim down your writing, so that the reader gets only what he or she needs. The second major move is to add. Though readers don't need extra information, you may have left out something important. Make sure that you answer all of their major questions, who, what, where, when and why. 

The third major move is to reorganize. Often, details that you put down in your draft won't be in the right order for readers. Make sure you present steps in chronological order, reasons in order of importance, descriptions by order of location, and so on. Also, make sure that you have a clear beginning, middle, and ending, and that your main point appears where it ought to appear. 

The fourth major move when revising is to rewrite. Sometimes language doesn't come out the way that we hoped it would. Awkward phrasing, ambiguous wording, deadwood, and other problems impair our ability to communicate. As you revise, you can use a checklist to track your progress. Note how this revising checklist starts with the big three traits of ideas. Does my main point state my topic and express my purpose? 

Do I answer the reader's main questions, who, what, where, when, why, and how? Have I cut unnecessary details, providing readers just what they need to know? You'll also find guidance for revising for organization, revising for voice, and then getting into some of the more local traits, words and sentences. 

Remember, revising is about making big changes and big improvements to your writing. Use the four moves, cut, add, reorganize, and rewrite, and use your revising checklist.