Revising vs. Editing

I find that my beginning writing students are fairly adept at editing their writing, but not so good at revising it. In other words, they know how to make the small changes such as changing or inserting a punctuation mark or switching to the correct form of a word, but they know little about true revision. Revision, in its latin roots, means "seeing again." To revise, you have to look at your writing through different eyes, the eyes of readers. It's only by looking through this lens that you are able to see what works and what doesn't work. Revision is rewriting and that means tearing into your writing, deleting and adding text, rearranging text, and starting all over if that's what needs to be done. It means making the big changes so that what you end up with bears very little resistance to what you started with. Revising is a writer's true work. This is where the craft and skill in writing are found. Anyone can write a first draft. It's the artist who can transform a first draft into something effective and memorable. There is an artist in each of us, but this artistry will never emerge if we're afraid to make the big changes. Dig into your work. Look at it with critical eyes. Accept what doesn't work well and don't be afraid to change it. It's hard, frustrating work, but learning to revise rather than just edit your writing will help you grow into an exceptional and polished writer. Embracing the revision process will allow you to re-envision your work, and through that effort, offer an unforgettable vision to your readers.