So, you’ve got your essay ready and done and think you’ve created a masterpiece. You might be thinking, now what? Well, while you’re close to being done, you still have one more crucial step: editing. It is part of the process and something you should do right after finishing your first draft. You can find an essay editing service for your final draft, but you should take a look at your first one yourself. We’ve got the scoop with six easy to follow steps to edit your first draft in no time.
Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself
Before you start marking all over your paper or tearing out pages and throwing them away, stop and breathe. Don’t be hard on yourself when editing, realizing that you will make some silly mistakes along the way. Sometimes we’re so consumed by the story we tell that we forget about grammar, spelling, or even content, attempting to get all of our greatest ideas down on paper. Realize that this is normal and just start writing, using the editing process to clean up your mistakes and write more clearly.
Read it Over
One of the most effective ways to get a better idea about your essay is to read it. Don’t automatically start making marks and changing up the whole thing. Get comfy and read it. Pay attention to the language and the flow and take mental notes of things that don’t seem to make sense. Make sure it makes sense and that your writing conveys the message that you want it to. After you give it a read, follow these essay writing tips to clean up the areas you want to improve.
Print It Out
When it comes time to start making notes and crossing things out, print it out. Looking at a digital copy can get a little confusing. Printing out your first draft gives you a visual and helps you keep things organized. Play it up with different colors so that you can see which mistakes mean what. Highlight grammar corrections, misspellings, and write down ideas to clarify your ideas. If there is one section that you want to work on, in particular, note it and give your brain a break, letting your ideas fuse and connect. If you need multiple copies to stay organized, print them out, and keep track of them. Anything that helps you have a better visual over your entire paper will help, giving you a bigger picture to look at.
Organize your Thoughts
Once you’ve given your essay a good read and have a good idea about the parts that need a bit of fixing, it’s time to organize. It is helpful to take some essay writing tips and get to writing. Ensure that your essay structure makes sense and that you’re stating all of your ideas clearly. Also, look back at your notes and make sure you’re following your teacher’s instructions. Remember that writing and correcting an essay is a process you should do in several small steps. Start with the structure, change around paragraphs if needed, and then dive in deeper to tackle the more in-depth stuff.
Get to Work
With everything organized and ready to go, it’s time to start making edits. Try not to untangle your essay, saving all of the parts that you love and that you think represent you and your voice. Only tackle the parts of your essay that were c1.confusing or didn’t seem to match the content. Add parts if you need them; take out others if you don’t. This is your essay, and, in the end, it is your call what you keep and what you don’t. Sometimes the editing process takes a lot more work, so be patient and hang in there, knowing that everything will be alright.
Re-Read
After your changes, you always want to re-read your work. Some changes may sound impressive when you’re writing them, turning out different than expected when you read them repeatedly. You can still make marks if you need to, but you’ll notice that the number of edits is much less this time. In this round, you can be pickier and change individual words or cut or add phrases to help you emphasize specific points. When re-reading for the first time, repeat the process above, reading, editing, and then making changes, re-reading what you write as you go.
Get your Grammar Right
Once you have your essay exactly how you want it, it’s time to leave it to the pros. If you’re working on a Master’s degree, you could use the help of dissertation proofreading services to make sure it is tip-top shape before you turn it in. For other essays, take advantage of online correction tools to check your grammar and use of English. While it might sound perfect to you when you read it, it could be filled with grammar mistakes. As some are far from the way we speak, we all make them but leave that to the experts and sit back, letting the software take over.
Revise, Edit, Rewrite, and Repeat
The editing process is all about patience. The goal is to read, make notes, edit, and then repeat. You can always get your teacher’s help or ask friends or family to read over your essay for you. Sometimes it is helpful to get another perspective, using their insight to make more improvements to create a masterpiece. Throughout the entire process, stay patient and stay positive, knowing that you did your best work. The thing that professors are looking for during grading is that you followed the instruction and didn’t leave any obvious spelling and grammar mistakes.
Editing may seem redundant, but in fact, it often saves your grade. More importantly, a well-edited paper produces a better impression on the tutor who sees that you indeed went the extra mile to complete an assignment well. Thus, the cleaner and clearer you are in your final draft, the better your grade. Buckle up and start writing, reserving the editing part for the very end.