You’ve finally finished a draft of your paper, and you know it probably needs some revising. But actually making those revisions poses a challenge.

Maybe you spent so long writing each sentence that when it’s time to read the paper closely, you skim it as if your brain is on autopilot. Maybe you’re up against a deadline and the revision process seems too time consuming. Or maybe you just feel like you’re not very good at this whole revising thing.

Even the most confident, well-practiced writers struggle with revision. When you’ve put so much work into the words, it’s hard to see what needs to be changed. Fortunately, there are several strategies you can use to see your paper with fresh eyes.

1. Read your paper out loud. 

Reading your paper out loud forces you to slow down and actually read every. Single. Word. While this might feel strange at first, the act of reading out loud and listening to the way the paper sounds can help you catch common errors.

• Have a tendency toward typos? You’ll likely stumble on typos when you read your work out loud, which makes them easier to catch.
• Write a lot of incomplete or run-on sentences? Hearing them out loud may help you pin-point them.
• Struggle with sentence flow and word order? Listening to your words can guide you to the spots that need to be smoothed out.

If you’re writing a long paper, you might consider stopping to read aloud throughout the writing process—for instance, as you finish each section—rather than saving it until the very end. Or, you might want to break up your read-through into multiple sessions, doing just a few pages at a time throughout the day.

2. Print out your paper. 

This might sound obvious, but because we’re so accustomed to living life virtually and submitting assignments online, it’s an easy step to skip. Nevertheless, it’s a helpful strategy to employ throughout the writing process, as it allows you to get a better sense of the big picture.

• Agonizing over organization? Make new connections by seeing all the parts of your paper side-by-side. Use arrows, circles, numbers, or other markings to designate which parts of the paper need to be moved and where they should go.
• Feel like you’ve been repeating yourself? Laying out all your pages next to each other can help you identify redundancies. Use a pencil to cross out text that seems repetitive, so you can choose which parts to keep with care.
• Double-checking citations? Physically place the print-out of your reference page next to the body pages, and you’ll quickly spot inconsistencies—and skip the hassle of scrolling back and forth.

As a bonus, your eyes will thank you for taking a break from the screen. Another bonus: You can’t click away to another tab to procrastinate when all you have are a few pieces of paper and a pen.

3. Take a break.

Whether you’ve spent hours carefully crafting your paragraphs or you’ve haphazardly thrown everything together on deadline day, stepping away from your work allows you to gain a bit of clarity. When you get back, you won’t be in the “I’ve been looking at this for too long” haze.

• Wrestling with word choice or the right way to communicate an idea? Let the idea simmer as you go about other tasks—you may come up with something when you don’t have the pressure of a half-empty page staring back at you. And if you don’t find the solution to your word woes during your break, at least you’ll have renewed energy when you return to your desk.
• Uncertain about what else to add? Returning to the paper after you’ve had some time away from it can open your eyes to areas where examples are lacking or where explanations are unclear and need further development.
• Need to fine-tune grammar, spelling, and punctuation? Giving your eyes and mind a break before you tackle this detailed work can help sharpen your focus.

Ideally, you’ll be able to step away for an entire night, but even an hour or two is still a solid break. In the event that you’re pulling an all-nighter and the paper is due at 8 a.m., give yourself 10 minutes to stretch, brew some coffee, or walk around your room. Even a short break is better than nothing.

If you’re feeling adventurous, combine all three strategies—print out your paper (and grab a pen), take a walk to a quiet spot, and read your paper out loud. Happy revising!

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Kellie B. Moore graduated from Concordia University Irvine in 2010 with a B.A. in English and a minor in creative writing. She worked in the Writing Studio for two years as an undergrad, and is delighted to now be part of the Online Writing Lab (OWL) team. At Concordia University Irvine, Kellie fell in love with journalism through her work as an editor of The Concordia Courier. She went on to earn a master’s degree from the Missouri School of Journalism. Since then, she’s managed a religion news website, reported for an NPR affiliate, taught high school English, and worked as a copy editor. Now, she is a stay-at-home mom and freelance writer/editor. She lives in Texas with her husband, daughter, and cat.