Behind Every Writer

Grade Level: INTERMEDIATE

Behind every successful writer--or within one--is a competent editor. The editor casts an objective eye over the writer's manuscript, not merely to find and correct errors but to discover better ways to present the writer's work. Then the writer and editor work as a team to revise the manuscript. In this lesson students act as writers and editors. In the process, they'll analyze manuscripts and suggest revisions, then they'll compare and contrast the original and revised versions.

Learning Goals

Analyze a manuscript to find and correct errors and to look for better ways to present the material. Compare and contrast an original and revised version of a manuscript.

Materials

red pencils with erasers

Warm-Up

1. Explain to students that the first draft of a manuscript usually undergoes many changes before it is ready to be published. 2. Add that these changes are part of a process known as editing. 3. Explain that editing includes the following tasks: correcting grammar and spelling errors correcting errors of fact making sure cause and effect are clear making sure the tone is appropriate for the intended audience introducing appropriate transitions eliminating non sequiturs reorganizing sentences and paragraphs replacing words with other words that do a better job of telling the writer's story or involving the reader. 4. Make sure students understand that these changes are designed to make the book read better and can be made by an editor, writer, or both working together. 5. Provide examples for each of the above changes and tell students that they'll act as writers and editors.

Web Work

1.

Have students apply five revising principles to their editing chores. These are described at the Web site below, which students should access and print. Writing Techniques Handbook: Five Revising Principles http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/techniquesmenu.html Walk your students slowly and carefully through the five revising principles. Define and explain all unfamiliar terms. Provide additional examples that are more appropriate to the reading level of your students. Solicit and answer questions from the class.

2.	Group students into pairs. Have the members of each pair write two or more pages of fiction or nonfiction. Explain that each member should make two copies of his or her work. One copy, the original, should be set aside for now.

3.	Introduce some appropriate proofreaders' marks. Write the marks on the board and leave them for reference. Next to each mark, provide a few examples of how the mark is used.

4.

Let each pair of partners exchange their second copies, or "working manuscripts," for editing. Have students do their editing with red pencils. Changes should be made directly on the manuscript. Explain that if an "editor" is puzzled by something the "writer" has written, the "editor" should write a query in the margin of the manuscript. Provide an example of this.

5.	Invite each student-pair to discuss the editing and decide which revisions should be made. Stress that editing is a process designed to improve a writer's work, so it's a contribution rather than a criticism. Have students prepare a clean version of the edited manuscript.

Wrap-Up

Post the original and revised manuscripts for students to compare and contrast. Select one or two particularly good examples of revision. Use an overhead projector to project the original and revised versions side by side. Have students discuss the revisions line-by-line; identify the nature of each revision, that is, which of the five principles was involved; and evaluate the effectiveness of the revision.