How to Revise a First Draft (of your journal article, dissertation chapter)

ByMushtaq Bilal

This strategy helped me finish my dissertation in 12 months.

Before you start revising your first draft, it's very important that you finish it.

What do I mean by finishing?

Suppose you're working on a dissertation chapter or a journal article that's supposed to be around 8,000 words.

Before you start revising, you should have an 8,000-words draft.

It doesn't matter if it's unorganized or if your argument is still nebulous.

Some folks revise as they write. I used to do it too, and that's why I don't recommend it. It slows the writing process down, which may cause you anxiety.

Start revising only once you have written the required number of words. Revision at the level of a first draft is primarily rewriting.

Here's a strategy that I have seen many academic writers use quite effectively.

Print your first draft. You can also use a tablet, but I'd recommend going old-school.

When you write on a paper with a pen, you don't have a delete button. This is important. Look at the pages and congratulate yourself.

Tell yourself you are this amazing scholar who has written a perfect first draft.

Pick a time with minimum distractions. If you have a family, communicate with them that you need an hour for work. Put the phone away. Disconnect the internet.

Set the timer for 25min, or 45min if you (like me) need some time to get into your groove.

Start reading through your first draft. Take notes in the margin on in a separate notebook. Open a new document in your word processor.

Name it: [Article Working Title] Draft 2 [Date].

As you read through the first draft, start rewriting the sentences one-by-one in the new document.

As you rewrite, you'll notice your mind is making new connections. Things that were unclear in the first draft will start getting clearer. Sentences that looked incoherent will start morphing into coherent paragraphs.

Keep at it. You're doing well.

Once the timer goes off, leave your desk. Celebrate. Reward yourself.

Forget about the writing and go on with your life and family. But if you have the time/stamina/inclination, go for another stint of 25 or 45 min.

Many successful (academic as well as creative) writers also use a strategy called "Parking Downhill."

This means that you end your work session when you know what is going to happen next. You still have a couple of good sentences waiting to be written.

The next day when you resume work, you'll have those two or three good sentences to start you off. Because you parked your "writing car" downhill the day prior, it will start moving on its own.

And that's what you want.

While revising your first draft, it is important that you give yourself a deadline. Allow yourself to miss it by a day or two, but you must have a deadline.

You don't want the revision process to go on endlessly. Start with an end date in mind and work your way backwards.

Once you've rewritten the whole first draft, you'll see your second draft is decently organized and has a reasonably clear argument.

Congratulate yourself. You've done well.