In the upcoming quarter, Professor Julie Bokser will be teaching WRD 340: Writing and Revising, a course that teaches essential skills to developing undergraduate writers. The course elevates revision–sometimes dreaded–to a higher place of interest and importance. Students who take WRD 340 will become stronger writers with finished projects they’re pleased with!
Here, we share some of Professor Bokser’s insights into the course, including her fondness for the underappreciated art of revision.
What kinds of readings or activities are you hoping to teach to students in this course?
We’re going to look at some studies of composing and revising, and consider how experts revise. And we’re going to write and rewrite our own texts. In other words, the course will have some theory and lots of practice.
Do you think knowing revision strategies is important for professional writers?
I think revision is important for all writers, but everyone does it differently, and the context in which someone works will change how and when revision happens.
Should students have something they’re working on in mind when signing up for this class? What revision processes should they expect?
We’ll work on a few different projects over the quarter, which will include revising one’s own texts, working on others’ texts, and interviewing professionals about how they approach writing and revising in their field. It’s not at all required, but it would be great for students to come specifically wanting to work on a text that’s been bugging them.
Why is teaching this course important to you?
In all honesty, revision is my favorite stage of writing! For me, getting that first draft out can be immensely hard. But once I have text to work with, I can sink my teeth into it. That’s when I figure out what I actually want to say. I move things around, I make major changes, and tiny nuanced changes. It’s often dramatic, sometimes painful, and most of the time quite satisfying.
I sincerely believe revision makes writing–and writers–better!
In Autumn Quarter 2023, students can get major and minor credit for English through this course, which is crosslisted with ENG 309!
Note: This post was updated May 1, 2023 to reflect updates in the course.