The Art of Article Rewriting

Rewriting is unavoidable for many writers. Even the most imaginative and creative authors can face times when they need to present old information in a new way. Sometimes it is because of a tired mind. Rewriting can also be helpful if you are strapped for time.

What Rewriting Means

Sometimes, you will need to rewrite a piece that you have submitted before, whether it is for another publisher, or to update the information presented. In doing this, it is important to be clear what proper rewriting means.

Rewriting is not the simple replacement of random words with synonyms. This would result in an unimaginative piece. Rewriting well requires you to take information from one article and present the information from an entirely different viewpoint.

The Ethics of Rewriting

Rewriting another author's article is unethical. To take the information presented in someone else's work and simply reword it is a form of cheating that results in a mediocre article at best.

To some extent, we all rewrite the work of others. When researching an article, we read and absorb written information from other writers. What makes our work unique depends on style and point of view. The facts remain what they are, regardless of the way they are presented. However, your work will benefit greatly if you take your facts from several sources to produce a richer and better-rounded piece.

Rewriting Saves Time

By starting from a previous article, you save time because the research is already done. You may need to learn some more facts about the subtopic relating to your original article, but it will be substantially less than the time to write a new piece.

How to Begin

To begin your rewrite, you should first pull from your article the best, most compelling points. Then think about the information as it relates to another topic. For example, if you have written a general article about the health benefits of avocado, you could take that information and related the facts to how the special antioxidant properties of this fruit can help prevent premature aging. Or you could rewrite the information to relate to heart disease and how avocados can improve vascular health.

Rework the Introduction and Conclusion

When you rewrite an article, be sure that you find a way to introduce the piece in an entirely different way. Instead of offering facts about the avocado and its origin, dig deeper for the way avocados make you feel. Did they disgust you the first time you saw them? How did you feel the first time you tried one? If you have a humorous story related to your first experience with avocados, this would be an excellent starting point. Your conclusion also needs to be original and tied in some way to your introduction.

By following this format, you will be able to reuse your previous work on days when you are strapped for time, or when your well of new ideas has run dry.