This is a presentation I made outlining revision and editing strategies based on the 6 Traits and other approaches. The workshop was part of the National High School Journalism Conference on 10 November 2016 in Indianapolis. Co-presented with Steve Peha. For more writing tips, download the companion packet at http://bit.ly/TWFReviseEdit, or buy Be a Better Writer (co-written by Steve and me) at www.babw.me.

1. 5&Big&Questions&&&Lots&of&Answers
Revising'&'Editing
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

2. Session'Overview
• Slug:&Better&writing&with&better&
revision&
• Story:&We&all&want&to&be&better&writers&
• News:&What&we&really&need&to&be&is&
better&revisers&
• So?:&5&questions&and&few&easyPtoPlearn&
revisions&significantly&improve&your&
writing

3. Look&at&it&again&and&make&it&better.
Revision'
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

4. We'Need'Revision
• We&all&overPwrite&
• Our&ideas&can&be&clearer&and&details&
stronger&
• We&can&tune&our&voice&
• Our&logic&can&be&stronger&&
• We&can&use&better&words,&fix&errors&
• Too&often,&feedback&isn’t&actionable
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

5. • To&revise&our&own&work&and&help&
others&revise&theirs&&
• To&provide&*actionable*&feedback&
that&everyone&understands&and&uses&&
• To&help&us&become&better&writers&
and&editors.
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com
We'Need'a'Process

6. The'5'Big'Questions
1. What&makes&this&writing&good?&
2. What&would&make&it&better?&
3. What’s&the&one&most&important&
thing&the&writer&wants&the&reader&to&
know?&
4. Why&did&the&writer&write&this?&
5. What&else&does&the&reader&need&to&
know?&&
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

7. The'5'Big'Questions
• Ask&and&(try&to)&answer&these&about&
your&own&writing,&and&when&
reviewing&someone&else’s&&
• Use&them&to&identify&how&to&spend&
revision&energy&
• Make&them&a&shared&part&of&your&
newsroom&work&flow.&&
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

8. The'5'Big'Questions
The&answers&to&these&questions&—&
those&actionable&revisions&—&fall&into&
two&categories:&
1.&&Big&Revisions&
2.&&Small&Revisions
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

9. Big'Revisions
• Fix&conceptual&elements&that&
have&a&huge&impact&on&your&
content&
• Must&be&done&first
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

10. Big'Revisions
• Voice:&Does&it&sound&appropriate&for&the&
audience&and&topic?&
• Main&Idea/Angle:&Can&you&easily&identify&
the&angle&or&most&important&takePaway?&
• Key&Details:&Is&there&sufficient&supporting&
information&of&different&types?
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

11. Big'Revisions
• Lede&&&Nut&Graf:&Is&the&top&of&your&story&
enticing,&engaging&and&relevant?&
• Organization:&Are&the&ideas&in&the&right&
order&to&lead&to&a&logical&conclusion?&
• Ending:&Do&you&end&with&a&clear&sense&of&
what's&important&and&why&to&care?
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

12. How'to'Revise'Voice
• Tightly&define&your&reader&and&
a&few&characteristics&of&the&
kind&of&person&they&trust.&&
• Write&in&a&tone&that&reflects&
characteristics
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

13. Small'Revisions
• Are&more&technical&changes&that&
improve&readability,&style&and&
engagement&
• Should&be&made&after&big&
revisions
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

14. Small'Revisions
• Concision&&&Clarity:&Is&the&writing&free&of&
unnecessary&words&and&phrases?&Are&the&
concepts&clear?&
• Word&Choice:&Are&verbs&precise&and&
words&appropriate&for&audience&&&topic?&
• Sentence&Fluency:&Does&copy&flow&with&
different&sentence&structures&&&lengths?
cc:'gastongaiduk'F'https://www.flickr.com/photos/105553134@N05
© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

15. Small'Revisions
• Heds&&&Subs:&Do&you&have&enough&to&
break&up&content,&assist&organization&and&
support&skimming&and&scanning?&&
• Word&Count:&Do&you&need&to&add&or&cut&
to&reach&length&requirements?&
• Formatting:&Does&the&format&make&the&
content&easy&to&consume?
cc:'gastongaiduk'F'https://www.flickr.com/photos/105553134@N05
© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

16. How'to'Revise'Sentences
• Delete&unnecessary&&&
introductory&phrases&
• Strike&qualifiers&&&superfluous&
modifiers&
• Combine&or&divide&sentences&to&
vary&fluency,improve&clarity
cc:'gastongaiduk'F'https://www.flickr.com/photos/105553134@N05
© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

17. How'to'Revise'Verbs
• Replace&weak&verbs&with&those&
that&convey&action&*and*&how&
it's&performed&to&increase&
clarity&and&concision&
• Example:&"dashed"&replaces&
"walked&quickly"
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

18. Fix&formatting&and&SPUG&errors.
Edits
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

19. Edits
• Focus&expressly&on&mechanics&
like&spelling,&punctuation,&usage&
and&grammar&(SPUG)&
• Only&done&after&revisions&are&
complete
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

20. The'Process
1. Draft&fast&
2. Make&Big&Revisions&on&your&own&work&
3. Check&them&off&with&your&editor&
4. Do&Small&Revisions&on&your&own&work&
5. Check&them&off&with&a&colleague&or&copy&
editor&
6. Edit&your&own&work&
7. Hand&off&to&a&copy&editor
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

21. Pressed'for'time?
1. Cut&15P20%&of&the&words&&&
phrases.&
2. Read&aloud&to&find&typos&and&
SPUG&errors&
*This&has&more&impact&than&you&think.*
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© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

22. cc:'shaire'productions'F'https://www.flickr.com/photos/9822107@N08
Questions?'
Observations?
© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

23. PresentaCon&slides&available&at&&
h3p://www.slideshare.net/Margot_Lester'
InformaCon&on&the&strategies&available&at:&
h3p://bit.ly/TWFReviseEdit

24. cc:'shaire'productions'F'https://www.flickr.com/photos/9822107@N08
Thank'you!
© 2016 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at margot@thewordfactory.com

25. CONNECT WITH US
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stevepeha@gmail.com
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