Drafting

Drafting

Drafting is the moment you begin to start writing paragraphs. Whether you begin with a freewriting session or write your paper exactly as it's created in your outline, read on for some tips to help you relax into the process.

Allow Change

Once you have a thesis and outline, you may find your task of writing your paper much easier- after all, it's already thought out and organized. However, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Your thesis may evolve: your main point may shift slightly as you compile more evidence, or understand more nuance about your topic. This is wonderful; it's called learning. You're not married to your original argument or point if you decide that another angle works better for you. Just don't throw it all out the window and completely start over

Your paragraphs will not be perfect (at first): Don't allow perfection to be the goal- this often prevents students from getting their thoughts down. Revision, editing, and proofreading can all come later. For now, give yourself the gift of data dumping, freewriting, more brainstorming, etc.

Try a Template

The Aims OWL has templates for body paragraphs, introductions, conclusions, and more. Try these out as you move forward, but read your assignment sheet closely- your professor may call for something specific in each paragraph that you don't want to miss by blindly following our templates.

Write, Rewrite, Revise

Expect to write in short bursts, rewrite paragraphs as you begin to hone in on what you want to say, and revise the order of paragraphs or sentences. Revision deals with large-scale change, like crossing out sentences and writing new ones, reordering paragraphs, or tweaking the thesis and topic sentences. You may also add content here, making sure that you have all your evidence in place.

Editing and Proofreading

Proofreading deals with smaller-scale changes, like spelling, grammar, formatting missteps, checking for transitions, active voice, and word choice. 

Getting caught up in perfection and proofreading too early can distract you from writing your content, so save this for the very end, after you've gotten a full rough draft in place that has been revised to your liking and the assignment standards.