Thoughts for Revision

Thoughts for revising creative writing (potentially academic writing as well):

1. “And” and “The”
   • Mark each one and consider its merits.
2. Look out for dangling modifiers.
3. Redundancy
   • Watch out for inadvertent repetition.
4. Diction (naming the world)
5. Lay out each sentence as its own paragraph on the page and ensure that your sentences are in the most effective order.
6. Circle each noun and verb and change flat verbs and dull nouns to stronger words.
   • Weak verbs may have the wrong subject.
7. Time check
   • Verb tense consistency
   • Ask yourself where you are in time.
8. Wordiness
   • Don’t say something you’ve already implied.
9. Adverbs
   • Make sure they’re in the right order in the sentence.
10. Metaphors
    • Look out for hidden metaphors
    • Make sure they work all the way down
11. Cliches
    • Anything you’re used to seeing in print is cliche.
12. Personification
    • Don’t do it quietly. Use it for a strong, outrageous result.
      • Dancing kitchenware
13. Possessive pronouns (can be overly precise)
    • Should it just be an article?
14. Move around the order of different elements of a sentence, seeking rhythm, effectiveness, etc.
15. Make sure that the subject is the agent
16. Who are you?
17. Who are we? (Audience)
    • What can we not possibly know unless you tell us?
18. Can your words and their implications pass a reality test?