by Ellen Sprague<\/p>\n
A student just left my office, the third this week to whom I\u2019ve touted what is fast becoming my favorite revision strategy\u2014WIRMI. When students come to me feeling squirmy about their writing; when they are confused and uncertain about why their professor has told them to \u201cclarify\u201d or \u201cexplain\u201d; when their professor has dared ask \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d in the margin\u2014that\u2019s when I like to pull out WIRMI.<\/p>\n
I learned about WIRMI in Linda Flower\u2019s now out-of-print Problem-Solving Strategies for Writing in College and Community<\/i>. That title zeroes in on just what WIRMI does; it solves problems.<\/p>\n
WIRMI stands for this:<\/p>\n
W<\/b>hat<\/p>\n
I<\/b><\/p>\n
R<\/b>eally<\/p>\n
M<\/b>ean<\/p>\n
I<\/b>s<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to use it:<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re working on clarifying a thesis, just start with \u201cWhat I really mean is\u201d and follow with a direct explanation. You can refine the language once you get the right ideas \u00a0onto the page.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re writing or revising a draft, WIRMI can act as a placeholder\u2014again allowing you to get the ideas out before worrying how to craft them into graceful prose (which comes after other revision steps). After the paragraph, or perhaps in the margin, write \u201cWhat I really mean is\u2026\u201d and complete that sentence simply and directly. The new sentence will likely serve as the basis for a clear and accurate topic sentence.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t worry about the actual words \u201cWhat I really mean is\u201d cluttering up your paper. In some instances you can replace WIRMI in your draft with something like this, \u201cThis means that\u2026,\u201d and again, complete the sentence. It will flow. In other cases, you can drop the initial phrase completely because the rest of your revised sentence will be clear and say, believe it or not, what you really mean!<\/p>\n
WIRMI will help your reader understand exactly what you mean because you\u2019ll actually have to write it clearly. Quit squirming and give it a try!<\/p>\n
Ellen Sprague teaches Principia College\u2019s writing\/research tutor training course, <\/i>Teaching the Writing Process, and manages the tutor program and this blog. She holds an MA in French from Middlebury College and an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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