Over the course of the semester I have worked on revising my work in my essays as well as reading responses. I have focused both on global revision which is big picture stuff such as organization, paragraph structure, arguments, and evidence as well as local revision which is the way you manage your sentences to enhance specificity or clarity. When revising globally I have focused on making my argument narrow focused and backing it up with substantial evidence. Using sources we use in class to make my argument not only more compelling to the reader but to add some weight behind my claim. On the local level, I have spent time adding specificity to my work, in the past I have found my writing to be bland. With a lack of specifics in the past, and really wanting to improve on that this semester I have been asking myself during revision, Why? What? Who? Trying to give the reader more information for their minds to paint a picture of what I am trying to get across. Throughout this process, I’ve learned how much revision actually shapes the meaning of my writing. Small writing decisions like the way I frame a sentence or explain a detail can change how the reader understands my point. I’ve also realized that slowing down and re-reading my work with intention helps me catch habits I didn’t even notice before. Revision has become less of a chore and more of a chance to refine what I want to say and how I want to say it, making my writing clearer, stronger, and more purposeful.

Introduction paragraph in Joy essay. Thesis Statement before Thesis Workshop and local revisions. Lacks specificity to my argument.
Introduction paragraph after thesis workshop and local revisions. Added more specificity to my thesis statement and introduced the key players of the essay.