EmpoWord - A Student-Centered Anthology & Handbook for College Writers, 2018a

Appendix A: Concepts and Strategies for Revision 463
9. Change tense: Narrate from a different vantage point by changing the grammar. For
example, instead of writing in past tense, write in present or future tense.
10. Change tone: Reimagine your writing in a different emotional register. For instance,
if your writing is predominantly nostalgic, try a bitter tone. If you seem regretful, try
to write as if you were proud.
Reverse Outlining
Have you ever written an outline before writing a draft? It can be a useful pre-writing strategy,
but it doesn’t work for all writers. If you’re like me, you prefer to brain-dump a bunch of ideas
on the paper, then come back to organize and refocus during the revision process. One strategy
that can help you here is reverse outlining.
Divide a blank piece of paper into three columns, as demonstrated below. Number each
paragraph of your draft, and write an equal numbered list down the left column of your blank
piece of paper. Write “Idea” at the top of the middle column and “Purpose” at the top of the
right column.
Idea
(What is the saying?)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
.
.
.
Purpose
(What is the doing?)
Now, wade back through your essay, identifying what each paragraph is saying and what each
paragraph is doing. Choose a few key words or phrases for each column to record on your sheet
of paper.
Try to use consistent language throughout the reverse outline so you can see where
your paragraphs are saying or doing similar things.
A paragraph might have too many different ideas or too many different functions for
you to concisely identify. This could be a sign that you need to divide that paragraph up.
Here’s a student’s model reverse outline: 136
Idea
(What is the saying?)
Purpose
(What is the doing?)