I am big into the idea of editing, but that hasn’t always been the case. For a while, I believed in some of the “resistances to revision” that Dethier pointed out. In high school I had the idea in my head that the first draft was basically the best and the most raw/original content I was to come up with, not understanding that yes, raw material is the basis of a paper but needs to be built upon to create a stronger structure. I also thought revisions were tedious. I hated taking the time to go back and reread my paper over and over again until I made myself sick. The thing was, I didn’t need to go that far into it. Like this piece shows, editing is supposed to enhance but not recreate something that’s already been created. I was the type of person who worked so hard and so carefully on their first draft, even, that little to no further editing was necessary. That was a lot of pressure, though, trying to write and gather all of my thoughts so beautifully in one shot. It would take me way too long to finish essays because of the fact that I thought it was my one and only chance to get it right. This mentality carried onto the beginning of my first semester at college. I struggled with writing with my own voice as I tried to fit it all in the first time around. But as time has carried on I’ve realized- and as thoughtfully as Dethier put it- just how valuable and important drafts really are. I can get all of my thoughts and ideas out of my head and onto paper without having to worry too much about it because I know I can and will go back to edit through later. A draft provides an easy entryway into writing. And, let me say, after the rhetorical analysis rough draft we just handed in I feel more confident about drafts than ever. I felt free writing what I had to say and every time I go back to take a look at what I’ve got down I know I have the opportunity to add to or take away from any part of it. I don’t need to change the whole piece, just parts of it. I am looking forward to fully editing my paper because I know it has great potential and I know how to work with it.
“If you trust in your ability to make it better later, you may be more willing to lower your standards on the first draft and accept that the draft will be (temporarily) awful. That willingness will keep you from getting hung up and blocked, as often happens to writers who feel that they must start with the perfect first paragraph. Think of how much time you could save, how much stress you could shed, if you could relax and spew forth a first draft, rather than agonize over every movement of the cursor.” This piece has made me better understand how to go about my revisions and I think it has great advice for those unsure about it.

Emily Weiss

03.15.2016