An effective model for analyzing revision processes in writing needs to synthesize what research has shown about the process, the strategies involved, and what is known about students' revision strategies. Development of such a model also requires recognizing that (1) a relationship exists between reading and writing in the revision process, (2) strategies are based on a set of heuristics in the revision process, (3) revision is part of the recursive nature of the composing process, and (4) a relationship exists between revision and the writer's knowledge and familiarity with the subject, audience, and style. Revision behaviors need to be analyzed from the viewpoint of the reader, and those behaviors that occur during the rehearsal or prewriting stage must also be considered. In a study of the revision processes of four professional writers, conducted within these parameters, the writers indicated that revisions are centered on the goals of communicating a specific message to a specific audience as effectively as possible. Although they differed in the stages during which they engaged in various revisions, all admitted spending a great deal of time during the rehearsal period to consider and revise their decisions concerning voice, point of view, style, and organization. Eleven functions observed in the case studies appeared to provide a comprehensive as well as descriminating means for describing the revision process. (An outline of the 11 functions, a model for evaluating revision, and sample drafts indicating the functions used are included.) (HTH)