Step 4 in my writing process

Decisions -Decisions was the title of the realistic fiction story that I wrote about. After writing my narrative piece there was a lot more work to be done before I could submit it. Most of the time I just read it a few times, then spell check it and hand it in. Not this time. I wanted to be sure it made sense and was perfect.

            Most of the time I usually read right over punctuation errors, repeated words etc. If you have a peer edit your paper than it is harder for them to miss the errors because they are not the ones who initially wrote it.  Last time we submitted an essay, we had the chance to work in groups and get feedback from two other people. This time we did not do that in class so I took it upon myself to ask two of my roommates. They made marks on my paper for areas that were confusing and where grammar was in correct. They told me I need to work on my comma use. They basically called me “comma crazy.” Also, I used a lot of dialogue in my narrative piece so they suggested I go back and change some wording around. They also gave me some new ideas in case I wanted to add anything. They were particularly pleased with my use of details. They loved the explanation of the characters. My peers said they could visualize everything that was going on, step by step.

            Once I got my paper back I read it again. This time I read it aloud to see if I could pick up on any more mistakes. I found some that my friends did not catch…but nothing major. The next step was to spell check again just to make sure. Then I did some final touches. For example, I double-spaced, added a title, made headers in the top right corner and made sure the font was all the same style and size.  Finally, I read my paper one last time. This is the last to my editing process. The next step is to submit and hope that everyone who reads my paper enjoys it as much as  I did.

            Finalizing papers and editing papers is sometimes long and boring but is always worth it. If your grade will reflect on it then it is always worth the extra editing time. In addition , this is GREAT practice for your future career in writing lesson plans, to parents and principals. Taking the extra time to edit never can hurt!