Editing a paper is a necessary step in the writing process, ensuring that your ideas come across clearly to the reader. It might seem difficult to motivate yourself to edit your own paper after staring at it for so long, and it might feel awkward to help edit a peer's work if you weren't involved in writing the paper. In either case, there are ways to make paper editing fun.
Instructions
Your Own Paper
1. Wait to begin the editing process at least an hour after you finish the paper, if time allows. Beginning to edit without giving yourself a break can lead to more frustration and less concentration.
2. Print out the paper so you can edit it by hand. This gives you the freedom to work away from a computer screen in a more comfortable environment. Try sitting in a cozy chair and use a sturdy book or clipboard to write on.
3. Use brightly colored markers or pens to make corrections. Avoid red ink, which has negative connotations from teachers using it to mark wrong answers. Instead, choose your favorite color.
4. Read your paper out loud. This will help you catch mistakes you might miss by skimming over the words in your head. Also, it is more enjoyable, as it seems to bring the paper to life.
5. Think of the paper you are reading not as your own work, but imagine it as your favorite author's that you happen to be reading for pleasure and taking notes on.
6. Mark places in the paper that you are particularly proud of and know you want to keep. Don't just focus on the negative.
Someone Else's Paper
7. Print out the paper so you are not confined to a computer screen.
8. Sit somewhere that is comfortable for both of you and that allows you to both see the paper.
9. Give the pen to the paper's author and let her be the one to write down any marks or changes on the paper. Letting the author hold the pen prevents plagiarism and allows her to feel more in control of the process.
10. Read the paper out loud to each other, taking turns. You could choose to read it sentence by sentence, have each read a paragraph or read "popcorn" style---one person starts reading and says "popcorn [name of other person]" when he wants to trade.
11. Allow your discussions about the editing to stay relaxed and sociable to promote a comfortable atmosphere. Take breaks if either party feels worn out or under too much pressure. Let your conversation wander a bit to permit engaging in friendly side conversations in addition to expanding on the paper topics.
Tags: computer screen, paper loud, Print paper, your favorite