Life of Pi – Revising and Editing Your Draft

Once you have your first draft written, it is time to check the content to be sure you are clearly supporting your thesis with assertions, examples, quotes, and explanations.

REVISIONS

Introduction

  • What does your first sentence say? Is it interesting? Is it unique to your paper? No one’s paper should begin with a sentences such as, “Life of Pi is a book written by Yann Martel.” That is deadly boring and too lame for a paper as great as yours.
  • The next sentence(s) should connect your opening to the topic.
  • Next give background information from the story for the reader to understand where the thesis is going.
  • Include only the plot summary necessary to get the paper started – two-three sentences MAX!
  • Present your thesis as the last sentence of your intro.

Body Paragraphs

  • All body paragraphs must begin with a topic sentence that can be directly related to the thesis.
  • The first body paragraph transition must be connected the thesis; subsequent body paragraphs must have a topic sentence with a transition that connects to the previous paragraph.
  • Each body paragraph needs to have three strong examples or reasons to support the assertion of the topic sentence. If you don’t have three now….get three before you turn in your final paper!
  • Any quote used MUST BE INTRODUCED AND EXPLAINED. Quotes that “float” in a paragraph are worthless and will result in point deductions.
  • ABSOLUTELY NO QUOTES OF MORE THAN THREE LINES! PARAPHRASE!

Conclusion

  • Ease back into the general point of your thesis.
  • Remind you readers of your thesis, but UNDER NO CIRCULMSTANCES MAY YOU REPEAT YOUR THESIS WORD-FOR-WORD!
  • Leave the reader with something to consider…THE GIFT!

EDITING

  • I recommend you use the two-enters-after-each-period method as we did for the personal narrative.
  • Once you have your draft in the two-enter form, print it out, and fold the paper VERTICALLY (not hot dog) so you can study the openings of your sentences and the lengths of your sentences.
  • Check the sentence openings for variety –p. 515-517 in the purple book for ideas.
  • Check the sentence lengths – combine short, choppy sentences using combining techniques – p. 494-506 in purple book for ideas.
  • Read your paper out loud to yourself to see if you can “hear” any errors. Go slowly so you can process your work. NEVER turn in writing that you, yourself, have not read.
  • Literature is discussed in PRESENT tense. Pi is alive and well and living in Canada as we speak of him.
  • Remove any first person pronouns – I, me, my, we, our, us. Replace with third person.
  • Check for the following:

Proper capitalization

Correct spelling

Pronoun/antecedent agreement

No F words

Consistent tense

No R-O or FRAG

Variety in word choice

Transitions

Comma usage – series, intro. prep. phrase, intro. sub. clause

Quotes – proper punc. & documentation

Numbers – write out according to MLA directions.

  • Present your paper in MLA format:

One inch margins all around

Double space entire document

Original title, properly capitalized, which reflects the content of your paper.

Indentation of paragraphs

MLA header – your name, my name, English 022, date (day month year)

Page headers – your last name and page number starting with page one

Works Cited page – correct heading, correct entries (see owl website), double spaced within and between entries, hanging indent

In-text documentation of quotes and paraphrases – if you use LofP only, put page number in parenthesis without last name.

Finally, it is always smart to have someone else read your work in the draft stage. A person who has not read Life of Pi can judge if you are making sense. If that person doesn’t “get it,” it means you need to add more explanation somewhere.

Choose your reader based on his/her ability to give constructive criticism. The person who says, “It looks great!” is not the person you want. You should be able to take contructive criticism of your writing without being defensive, you should be open to CHANGES if you desire to improve.

“If we do what we have always done, we will be where we have always been.”

----Somebody who is really perceptive, likely a woman