Best editing advice I've seen in a long time...

[f4f3]

Just followed a link from one of my friends on Twitter to this article in the Times Higher Education supplement by Tara Barbazon (a name made for musical comedy). It's mostly about the art of note taking, but it contains an absolutely brilliant section on editing an assignment, which I think holds true for almost any piece of writing you intend for publication:

How to edit an assignment

Draft one: Correct all spelling and grammatical issues

Draft two: Check that references are complete

Draft three: Verify that quotations are accurate

Draft four: Read the introduction. Does it map the trajectory of the paper?

Draft five: Read the conclusion. Is there an efficient and evocative ending to the assignment?

Draft six: Check the first sentence of each paragraph. Does it convey the content of the paragraph that follows it?

Draft seven: Check the last sentence of each paragraph. Does it create a transition to the next paragraph?

Draft eight: Read each word and sentence for meaning and clarity. Is each word required? When in doubt, chop it out

Draft nine: Ensure there is no fragmentation between sections of the argument

Draft ten: Have you answered the question? Return to the marking criteria. Are you addressing all the required elements in the assignment? What mark would you give the paper?

Comments

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

This is fascinating - I'd start with the presumption that I'd answered the question (why write the answer, otherwise?) and come back for a fresh look when I was sure of my structure.