What Are Invention, Arrangement and Revision Strategies
Invention Strategies are strategies used by an author in their writing in a short essay, prose piece or story that is purposely done to make his writing easier to read or more creative. Invention Strategies could be as simple as referencing the names of famous people or places within a story. For example, if you were writing an essay about fashion you could use the named Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren as an invention strategy
Other invention strategies that I have seen in college writing are as follows: Using a tour guide as a narrative, 1st person narrative account, use of Q and A, use of quotes, colloquial language, use of pause in paper by break in writing, use of dashes when people are speaking and rhetoric questions. All of these invention strategies improve upon the quality of an author’s writing.
Another type of strategy to use in writing is called an Arrangement Strategy. Arrangement strategies involve the use of taking invention strategies and techniques and putting them into certain places or inserting words or phrases into sentences to make them better. For example, you could organize you paper into three different sections and narrating each section by a different person.
Other arrangement strategies include: using questions and answer section to gather information, italicizing words, putting words in quotes for emphasis, using examples of famous people, going back in time or going forward in the future, switching time periods from past to present, giving the history of an event or item, referencing people involved in the subject you are writing about, using simple or complex sentences, using simple and easy diction.
Finally there are revision strategies. Revision strategies are the ideas or explanations involved in writing. Revision strategies are interwoven with the invention and arrangement strategies.
For example if you were writing an essay about the history of blue jeans, you might say that jeans are an idea that changed American culture, or give an explanation of history of jeans with Levi Strauss, talk about how jeans were shaped and changed, the idea of different styles for a wide range of people, the perspectives of people who wear the jeans clothing line. These are all revision strategies that are used when you can go back and revise your paper and add important details or events to your paper.
The Invention, Arrangement and Revision Strategies are all important strategies that can greatly improve your writing styles and essays. Many students go from B to B+ or A- students and even unconsciously you begin to develop these techniques and integrate them into your writing.
