Katy Kahla - CR RR

In this reading, Ballenger suggests different ways to reexamine and revise a paper. He especially emphasizes how we should be revising with a purpose and determining whether our paper’s purpose is clear with the supporting information surrounding it well organized. Ballenger also says that we can’t hold onto our first draft for dear life and say to ourselves that it is set in stone. Instead we have to remember that this is just a draft which requires us to let go of our preconceived notions of what we think our paper is like. Instead we should ask for feedback, whether it be feedback from a teacher or a fellow student, and use their advice to create a more polished paper. This concept sounds really easy, but as Ballenger points out this can sometimes require a major overhaul of your paper.

There are a few different reasons that a paper may need to have extensive revisions. One could be if all the supporting evidence in the paper does not support what your central idea is. In the example that Ballenger gave, a student’s thesis stated one idea yet his paper developed more into a tangent of that idea. Another reason for revision would be if there are too many facts and not enough analysis. Ballenger says that papers need to be a balance of both outside information and your own thoughts on the topic or it dry and boring to read. When examining problems that a paper may have, this can raise new questions that need to be answered which of course can lead to more research. This however is a good thing as it shows how knowledge of a source you are on your own topic.

Ballenger also suggests a few different ways to help revise a paper that I found useful. I really liked the idea of going through a paper with two different colored highlighters to see if there is too much source and not enough analysis or too much analysis and not enough sources. This really allows for me to be able to see where what I am saying could use some more backing or whether I am making side tangents at any point. Ballenger also suggest cutting up, cutting out, and re-stitching your essay. I think that this idea is great for when you don’t know where to go with revisions. This allows for you to do what you can’t do on a computer by allowing you to move around everything easier to create a better essay. Ballenger’s tips will be useful when taking a look at any of my drafts.