Chris Walsh October 23, 2002

Self-editing/Argumentative Writing Humanities

Experienced writers spend as much time reading and rereading their texts as they do writing them. (Do you?)

When self-editing, one thing we do with argumentative writing is find holes in our arguments, clear up any confusions, and make our ideas extremely explicit to the reader. That way they don’t have to guess what we think. Remember, you are attempting to persuade the reader. How effective you are depends on a variety of factors. When you self-edit, here’s a useful checklist:

q Do I have relevant and persuasive evidence?

q Are my arguments clear? (This is where the articles we read can be helpful. Site correctly).

q Do I use high modality?

q Does each paragraph have a clearly defined mini-argument with good evidence?

q Do my thesis and resolution support my mini-arguments?

q Do I stay on track? If you find that when you write, your mini arguments don’t relate to your thesis or resolution- be sure to edit, revise, or even change your thesis/resolution. This means you might have to totally scrap what you have written and start over.

Self- Editing can be difficult. After you’ve spent a lot of time working on your piece, it gets harder to check for errors and content. You may feel attached/ invested in your writing. Here are some questions about your own writing that can help you in the editing process. Answer them honestly and then revise your work.

q Does the thesis/ introduction set the tone I want for my readers? Does it engage them?

q How do I want the reader feel? Does my essay really do this? How?

q What is the strongest part of my argument and how can I build on it?

q Am I repeating myself (redundant) too much? Do I need another mini-argument to work with my thesis instead of the same argument worded differently?

q Does the resolution/ conclusion accomplish push the reader to think, speak, or act differently? How?

Highlight problem areas in your writing that you know or think need work. Try to re-write these sections first yourself, and then get advice from a peer or teacher. Depend on yourself first!