After you have completed your draft, you are ready to make the necessary revisions. At this point, it is time to turn to the guide post of clarity. All of your preparatory work means little, if your article does not follow a clear progression and do so in a very readable manner. As you read what you have written, check for any lapses in logic or missing details.
Also, make sure that the style and tone of your work are consistent. Style is the way your article is written. Is it formal, informal, technical or academic? The tone of an article indicates the emotional or intellectual “sound” of your writing to the reader. Is it authoritative, passionate, persuasive, or humorous?
It is important that your style and tone remain relatively consistent. Sudden jumps in these areas can undermine the effectiveness of an article. Jumping from humorous satire to an involved technical social analysis does not help you keep your audience engaged. It distracts the reader and undermines the continuity of your piece. As long as your style and tone suit the purpose, audience, and format of your article, you can easily maintain the consistency of your article and support the goal of clarity.
Keep in mind that writing is a process. You may find yourself going through several revisions of your text. In the most ideal situation, it is possible to go from draft to revision then straight to editing. However, this is not advised. The goal is to produce the best article that you can. Even if you’re working under a deadline, be sure to give the revision of your article the appropriate level of attention; the way an article is put together affects its chances of getting published almost as much as its factual and anecdotal contents.
Next Week: The Editing Process