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New program drives more latina students to colleges what problems do they face daily, how to write a profile essay, writing a first draft.

Steps for Writing a First Draft of an Essay

• Take a closer look at your assignment and the topic if it was given to you by your instructor. Revise your outline as well. This is needed for your clearer understanding of the tasks you must accomplish within the draft, and to make sure you meet the requirements of the assignment.
• Sketch out the introduction of your essay. At this point, don’t get stalled on form; introductory part should inform readers about what the topic is, and state your point of view according to this topic. The introduction should also be interesting to read to capture readers’ attention, but this task has more to do with thoughtful and scrupulous writing, and thus should be left for later.
• Based on your outline, start transferring your ideas to paper. The main task here is to give them the initial form and set a general direction for their further development, and not to write a full paper.
• Chalk out the summarizing paragraph of your essay. It should not contain any new ideas, but briefly reintroduce those from the main body, and restate your thesis statement.
• Read through the draft to see if you have included the information you wanted to, but without making any further corrections, since this is a task for the second and final drafts.
• If you are not sure that you checked everything, send it out for proofreading. Searching through the best essay service reviews, you can get some recommendations of where to look.

Key Points to Consider

• While an outline is needed to decide on what to write, the first draft is more about answering a question: “How to write?” In the first draft, you shape your ideas out, and not simply name and list them, as you did in an outline.
• When you start writing your thoughts down, it may happen that one idea or concept sparks new connections, memories, or associations. Be attentive to such sidetracks; choose those of them that might be useful for your writing, and don’t delve in those that are undesirable in terms of the purpose of your paper (academic, showing opinion). A successful piece of writing is focused on its topic, and doesn’t include everything you have to say on a subject.
• Making notes for yourself in the margins or even in the middle of the text is a useful practice. This can save you time and keep you focused on the essence of your essay without being distracted by secondary details. For example, such notes could look like this: “As documented, the Vietnam War cost the United States about … (search for the exact sum of money and interpret it in terms of modern exchange rates) U. S. dollars.”
• When you finish crafting your first draft, it is useful to put it aside and completely quit thinking about writing for a certain period of time. Time away will allow you to have a fresh look at your draft when you decide to revise it.

Do and Don’t

Common Mistakes When Writing a First Draft of an Essay

– Editing and revising a draft in process of writing. If you stop after each sentence to think it over, you will most likely lose your flow; besides, many people have an internal editor  or critic  who can’t stand it if the material is written imperfectly. Therefore, first you should deal with the whole draft, and only after that proofread and edit it.

– Paying too much attention to secondary arguments, factual material, and other minor peculiarities. The main goal of the first draft is to sketch out your main ideas; you can fill it with details later. If you think you will forget about an important fact or remark, make brief notes in margins.

– Ignoring the role of a first draft in the essay writing process. Though it may seem you are wasting time working on a draft, you are working on the essay itself. You need to understand how your outline works in full written form.

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8.3 Drafting

Learning objectives.

• Identify drafting strategies that improve writing.
• Use drafting strategies to prepare the first draft of an essay.

Drafting is the stage of the writing process in which you develop a complete first version of a piece of writing.

Even professional writers admit that an empty page scares them because they feel they need to come up with something fresh and original every time they open a blank document on their computers. Because you have completed the first two steps in the writing process, you have already recovered from empty page syndrome. You have hours of prewriting and planning already done. You know what will go on that blank page: what you wrote in your outline.

Getting Started: Strategies For Drafting

Your objective for this portion of Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” is to draft the body paragraphs of a standard five-paragraph essay. A five-paragraph essay contains an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. If you are more comfortable starting on paper than on the computer, you can start on paper and then type it before you revise. You can also use a voice recorder to get yourself started, dictating a paragraph or two to get you thinking. In this lesson, Mariah does all her work on the computer, but you may use pen and paper or the computer to write a rough draft.

Making the Writing Process Work for You

What makes the writing process so beneficial to writers is that it encourages alternatives to standard practices while motivating you to develop your best ideas. For instance, the following approaches, done alone or in combination with others, may improve your writing and help you move forward in the writing process:

• Begin writing with the part you know the most about. You can start with the third paragraph in your outline if ideas come easily to mind. You can start with the second paragraph or the first paragraph, too. Although paragraphs may vary in length, keep in mind that short paragraphs may contain insufficient support. Readers may also think the writing is abrupt. Long paragraphs may be wordy and may lose your reader’s interest. As a guideline, try to write paragraphs longer than one sentence but shorter than the length of an entire double-spaced page.
• Write one paragraph at a time and then stop. As long as you complete the assignment on time, you may choose how many paragraphs you complete in one sitting. Pace yourself. On the other hand, try not to procrastinate. Writers should always meet their deadlines.
• Take short breaks to refresh your mind. This tip might be most useful if you are writing a multipage report or essay. Still, if you are antsy or cannot concentrate, take a break to let your mind rest. But do not let breaks extend too long. If you spend too much time away from your essay, you may have trouble starting again. You may forget key points or lose momentum. Try setting an alarm to limit your break, and when the time is up, return to your desk to write.
• Be reasonable with your goals. If you decide to take ten-minute breaks, try to stick to that goal. If you told yourself that you need more facts, then commit to finding them. Holding yourself to your own goals will create successful writing assignments.
• Keep your audience and purpose in mind as you write. These aspects of writing are just as important when you are writing a single paragraph for your essay as when you are considering the direction of the entire essay.

Of all of these considerations, keeping your purpose and your audience at the front of your mind is the most important key to writing success. If your purpose is to persuade, for example, you will present your facts and details in the most logical and convincing way you can.

Your purpose will guide your mind as you compose your sentences. Your audience will guide word choice. Are you writing for experts, for a general audience, for other college students, or for people who know very little about your topic? Keep asking yourself what your readers, with their background and experience, need to be told in order to understand your ideas. How can you best express your ideas so they are totally clear and your communication is effective?

You may want to identify your purpose and audience on an index card that you clip to your paper (or keep next to your computer). On that card, you may want to write notes to yourself—perhaps about what that audience might not know or what it needs to know—so that you will be sure to address those issues when you write. It may be a good idea to also state exactly what you want to explain to that audience, or to inform them of, or to persuade them about.

Writing at Work

Many of the documents you produce at work target a particular audience for a particular purpose. You may find that it is highly advantageous to know as much as you can about your target audience and to prepare your message to reach that audience, even if the audience is a coworker or your boss. Menu language is a common example. Descriptions like “organic romaine” and “free-range chicken” are intended to appeal to a certain type of customer though perhaps not to the same customer who craves a thick steak. Similarly, mail-order companies research the demographics of the people who buy their merchandise. Successful vendors customize product descriptions in catalogs to appeal to their buyers’ tastes. For example, the product descriptions in a skateboarder catalog will differ from the descriptions in a clothing catalog for mature adults.

Using the topic for the essay that you outlined in Section 8.2 “Outlining” , describe your purpose and your audience as specifically as you can. Use your own sheet of paper to record your responses. Then keep these responses near you during future stages of the writing process.

My purpose: ____________________________________________

____________________________________________

My audience: ____________________________________________

Setting Goals for Your First Draft

A draft is a complete version of a piece of writing, but it is not the final version. The step in the writing process after drafting, as you may remember, is revising. During revising, you will have the opportunity to make changes to your first draft before you put the finishing touches on it during the editing and proofreading stage. A first draft gives you a working version that you can later improve.

Workplace writing in certain environments is done by teams of writers who collaborate on the planning, writing, and revising of documents, such as long reports, technical manuals, and the results of scientific research. Collaborators do not need to be in the same room, the same building, or even the same city. Many collaborations are conducted over the Internet.

In a perfect collaboration, each contributor has the right to add, edit, and delete text. Strong communication skills, in addition to strong writing skills, are important in this kind of writing situation because disagreements over style, content, process, emphasis, and other issues may arise.

The collaborative software, or document management systems, that groups use to work on common projects is sometimes called groupware or workgroup support systems.

The reviewing tool on some word-processing programs also gives you access to a collaborative tool that many smaller workgroups use when they exchange documents. You can also use it to leave comments to yourself.

If you invest some time now to investigate how the reviewing tool in your word processor works, you will be able to use it with confidence during the revision stage of the writing process. Then, when you start to revise, set your reviewing tool to track any changes you make, so you will be able to tinker with text and commit only those final changes you want to keep.

Discovering the Basic Elements of a First Draft

If you have been using the information in this chapter step by step to help you develop an assignment, you already have both a formal topic outline and a formal sentence outline to direct your writing. Knowing what a first draft looks like will help you make the creative leap from the outline to the first draft. A first draft should include the following elements:

• An introduction that piques the audience’s interest, tells what the essay is about, and motivates readers to keep reading.
• A thesis statement that presents the main point, or controlling idea, of the entire piece of writing.
• A topic sentence in each paragraph that states the main idea of the paragraph and implies how that main idea connects to the thesis statement.
• Supporting sentences in each paragraph that develop or explain the topic sentence. These can be specific facts, examples, anecdotes, or other details that elaborate on the topic sentence.
• A conclusion that reinforces the thesis statement and leaves the audience with a feeling of completion.

These elements follow the standard five-paragraph essay format, which you probably first encountered in high school. This basic format is valid for most essays you will write in college, even much longer ones. For now, however, Mariah focuses on writing the three body paragraphs from her outline. Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” covers writing introductions and conclusions, and you will read Mariah’s introduction and conclusion in Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” .

The Role of Topic Sentences

Topic sentences make the structure of a text and the writer’s basic arguments easy to locate and comprehend. In college writing, using a topic sentence in each paragraph of the essay is the standard rule. However, the topic sentence does not always have to be the first sentence in your paragraph even if it the first item in your formal outline.

When you begin to draft your paragraphs, you should follow your outline fairly closely. After all, you spent valuable time developing those ideas. However, as you begin to express your ideas in complete sentences, it might strike you that the topic sentence might work better at the end of the paragraph or in the middle. Try it. Writing a draft, by its nature, is a good time for experimentation.

The topic sentence can be the first, middle, or final sentence in a paragraph. The assignment’s audience and purpose will often determine where a topic sentence belongs. When the purpose of the assignment is to persuade, for example, the topic sentence should be the first sentence in a paragraph. In a persuasive essay, the writer’s point of view should be clearly expressed at the beginning of each paragraph.

Choosing where to position the topic sentence depends not only on your audience and purpose but also on the essay’s arrangement, or order. When you organize information according to order of importance, the topic sentence may be the final sentence in a paragraph. All the supporting sentences build up to the topic sentence. Chronological order may also position the topic sentence as the final sentence because the controlling idea of the paragraph may make the most sense at the end of a sequence.

When you organize information according to spatial order, a topic sentence may appear as the middle sentence in a paragraph. An essay arranged by spatial order often contains paragraphs that begin with descriptions. A reader may first need a visual in his or her mind before understanding the development of the paragraph. When the topic sentence is in the middle, it unites the details that come before it with the ones that come after it.

As you read critically throughout the writing process, keep topic sentences in mind. You may discover topic sentences that are not always located at the beginning of a paragraph. For example, fiction writers customarily use topic ideas, either expressed or implied, to move readers through their texts. In nonfiction writing, such as popular magazines, topic sentences are often used when the author thinks it is appropriate (based on the audience and the purpose, of course). A single topic sentence might even control the development of a number of paragraphs. For more information on topic sentences, please see Chapter 6 “Writing Paragraphs: Separating Ideas and Shaping Content” .

Developing topic sentences and thinking about their placement in a paragraph will prepare you to write the rest of the paragraph.

The paragraph is the main structural component of an essay as well as other forms of writing. Each paragraph of an essay adds another related main idea to support the writer’s thesis, or controlling idea. Each related main idea is supported and developed with facts, examples, and other details that explain it. By exploring and refining one main idea at a time, writers build a strong case for their thesis.

Paragraph Length

How long should a paragraph be?

One answer to this important question may be “long enough”—long enough for you to address your points and explain your main idea. To grab attention or to present succinct supporting ideas, a paragraph can be fairly short and consist of two to three sentences. A paragraph in a complex essay about some abstract point in philosophy or archaeology can be three-quarters of a page or more in length. As long as the writer maintains close focus on the topic and does not ramble, a long paragraph is acceptable in college-level writing. In general, try to keep the paragraphs longer than one sentence but shorter than one full page of double-spaced text.

Journalistic style often calls for brief two- or three-sentence paragraphs because of how people read the news, both online and in print. Blogs and other online information sources often adopt this paragraphing style, too. Readers often skim the first paragraphs of a great many articles before settling on the handful of stories they want to read in detail.

You may find that a particular paragraph you write may be longer than one that will hold your audience’s interest. In such cases, you should divide the paragraph into two or more shorter paragraphs, adding a topic statement or some kind of transitional word or phrase at the start of the new paragraph. Transition words or phrases show the connection between the two ideas.

In all cases, however, be guided by what you instructor wants and expects to find in your draft. Many instructors will expect you to develop a mature college-level style as you progress through the semester’s assignments.

To build your sense of appropriate paragraph length, use the Internet to find examples of the following items. Copy them into a file, identify your sources, and present them to your instructor with your annotations, or notes.

• A news article written in short paragraphs. Take notes on, or annotate, your selection with your observations about the effect of combining paragraphs that develop the same topic idea. Explain how effective those paragraphs would be.
• A long paragraph from a scholarly work that you identify through an academic search engine. Annotate it with your observations about the author’s paragraphing style.

Starting Your First Draft

Now we are finally ready to look over Mariah’s shoulder as she begins to write her essay about digital technology and the confusing choices that consumers face. As she does, you should have in front of you your outline, with its thesis statement and topic sentences, and the notes you wrote earlier in this lesson on your purpose and audience. Reviewing these will put both you and Mariah in the proper mind-set to start.

The following is Mariah’s thesis statement.

Here are the notes that Mariah wrote to herself to characterize her purpose and audience.

Mariah chose to begin by writing a quick introduction based on her thesis statement. She knew that she would want to improve her introduction significantly when she revised. Right now, she just wanted to give herself a starting point. You will read her introduction again in Section 8.4 “Revising and Editing” when she revises it.

Remember Mariah’s other options. She could have started directly with any of the body paragraphs.

You will learn more about writing attention-getting introductions and effective conclusions in Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” .

With her thesis statement and her purpose and audience notes in front of her, Mariah then looked at her sentence outline. She chose to use that outline because it includes the topic sentences. The following is the portion of her outline for the first body paragraph. The roman numeral II identifies the topic sentence for the paragraph, capital letters indicate supporting details, and arabic numerals label subpoints.

Mariah then began to expand the ideas in her outline into a paragraph. Notice how the outline helped her guarantee that all her sentences in the body of the paragraph develop the topic sentence.

If you write your first draft on the computer, consider creating a new file folder for each course with a set of subfolders inside the course folders for each assignment you are given. Label the folders clearly with the course names, and label each assignment folder and word processing document with a title that you will easily recognize. The assignment name is a good choice for the document. Then use that subfolder to store all the drafts you create. When you start each new draft, do not just write over the last one. Instead, save the draft with a new tag after the title—draft 1, draft 2, and so on—so that you will have a complete history of drafts in case your instructor wishes you to submit them.

In your documents, observe any formatting requirements—for margins, headers, placement of page numbers, and other layout matters—that your instructor requires.

Study how Mariah made the transition from her sentence outline to her first draft. First, copy her outline onto your own sheet of paper. Leave a few spaces between each part of the outline. Then copy sentences from Mariah’s paragraph to align each sentence with its corresponding entry in her outline.

Continuing the First Draft

Mariah continued writing her essay, moving to the second and third body paragraphs. She had supporting details but no numbered subpoints in her outline, so she had to consult her prewriting notes for specific information to include.

If you decide to take a break between finishing your first body paragraph and starting the next one, do not start writing immediately when you return to your work. Put yourself back in context and in the mood by rereading what you have already written. This is what Mariah did. If she had stopped writing in the middle of writing the paragraph, she could have jotted down some quick notes to herself about what she would write next.

Preceding each body paragraph that Mariah wrote is the appropriate section of her sentence outline. Notice how she expanded roman numeral III from her outline into a first draft of the second body paragraph. As you read, ask yourself how closely she stayed on purpose and how well she paid attention to the needs of her audience.

Mariah then began her third and final body paragraph using roman numeral IV from her outline.

Reread body paragraphs two and three of the essay that Mariah is writing. Then answer the questions on your own sheet of paper.

• In body paragraph two, Mariah decided to develop her paragraph as a nonfiction narrative. Do you agree with her decision? Explain. How else could she have chosen to develop the paragraph? Why is that better?
• Compare the writing styles of paragraphs two and three. What evidence do you have that Mariah was getting tired or running out of steam? What advice would you give her? Why?
• Choose one of these two body paragraphs. Write a version of your own that you think better fits Mariah’s audience and purpose.

Writing a Title

A writer’s best choice for a title is one that alludes to the main point of the entire essay. Like the headline in a newspaper or the big, bold title in a magazine, an essay’s title gives the audience a first peek at the content. If readers like the title, they are likely to keep reading.

Following her outline carefully, Mariah crafted each paragraph of her essay. Moving step by step in the writing process, Mariah finished the draft and even included a brief concluding paragraph (you will read her conclusion in Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” ). She then decided, as the final touch for her writing session, to add an engaging title.

Writing Your Own First Draft

Now you may begin your own first draft, if you have not already done so. Follow the suggestions and the guidelines presented in this section.

Key Takeaways

• Make the writing process work for you. Use any and all of the strategies that help you move forward in the writing process.
• Always be aware of your purpose for writing and the needs of your audience. Cater to those needs in every sensible way.
• Remember to include all the key structural parts of an essay: a thesis statement that is part of your introductory paragraph, three or more body paragraphs as described in your outline, and a concluding paragraph. Then add an engaging title to draw in readers.
• Write paragraphs of an appropriate length for your writing assignment. Paragraphs in college-level writing can be a page long, as long as they cover the main topics in your outline.
• Use your topic outline or your sentence outline to guide the development of your paragraphs and the elaboration of your ideas. Each main idea, indicated by a roman numeral in your outline, becomes the topic of a new paragraph. Develop it with the supporting details and the subpoints of those details that you included in your outline.
• Generally speaking, write your introduction and conclusion last, after you have fleshed out the body paragraphs.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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After writing an outline , the next stage of the writing process is to write the first draft. This page explains what a first draft is and how to write one . There is also a checklist at the end of the page that you can use to check your own first draft.

What is a first draft?

A draft is a version of your writing in paragraph form. The first draft is when you move from the outline stage and write a complete version of your paper for the first time. A first draft is often called a 'rough draft', and as this suggests, it will be very 'rough' and far from perfect. The first draft will lead on to a second draft, third draft, fourth draft and so on as you refine your ideas and perhaps conduct more research . The paper you submit at the end is often called the 'final draft', and emphasises the fact that writing is a process without a definite end (as even the final draft will not be perfect). It should be stressed that a first draft is only suitable for writing where you have some time to complete it, such as longer, researched essays, rather than an exam essay where there will only be a single draft.

How to write a first draft?

As you write your initial draft, you should try to follow your outline as closely as possible. Writing, however, is a continuous, creative process and as you are writing you may think of new ideas which are not in your outline or brainstorm list, and these can be added if they are relevant. Your outline will probably contain a thesis , which is essentially a plan for the whole paper, and you should keep this in mind to decide whether ideas are relevant. It is possible to begin the drafting process at any stage, and some people recommend writing the main body first and the introduction and conclusion later. This makes sense as it can be difficult to introduce something you have not yet finished, though if your outline is detailed enough it is possible to begin at the beginning. When writing the first draft, the main focus will be the ideas and content, meaning you should not worry about grammar, punctuation or spelling. You may end up abandoning whole sections before the final draft, and slowing down to check grammar or spelling at this stage would be a waste of time. It is useful for the first draft to use double-spacing and wide margins on both sides of the paper so that you can add more details and information when you redraft your work.

In short, when writing a first draft, you should do the following:

• try to follow your outline as closely as possible;
• add new ideas if they are relevant;
• keep your thesis in mind while writing;
• begin where you think is best (e.g. main body before introduction);
• focus on ideas and content;
• do not worry about grammar, punctuation or spelling;
• use double-spacing and wide margins for easier redrafting.

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Below is a checklist for your first draft.

Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (1999) Writing Academic English . New York: Addison Wesley Longman.

University of Arizona (n.d.) The Structure of an Essay Draft . Available at: http://www.u.arizona.edu/~atinkham/Essay_Structure.htm (Access date 1/4/18).

Next section

Read more about checking your work in the next section.

Previous section

Read the previous article about writing an outline .

Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 02 March 2020.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

Tips for Writing a Powerful Rough Draft

Do you think F. Scott Fitzgerald just sat down one day and then— boom! —Gatsby? Fitzgerald was a confirmed user of rough drafts , which means before there was The Great Gatsby , there was The Good Gatsby and The Just OK Gatsby . 

Because Fitzgerald invested in an unremarkable first draft, his final draft was able to reach legendary heights. So what’s the secret to writing a rough draft like Fitzgerald? There’s no secret, really—it’s just about knowing what a rough draft is supposed to do, and learning the best ways to write one that supports your final work. 

Here’s a tip: Want to make sure your writing shines? Grammarly can check your spelling and save you from grammar and punctuation mistakes. It even proofreads your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write.

Your writing, at its best Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly

What is a rough draft? 

A rough draft or first draft (or, according to my second-grade teacher, a “sloppy copy”) is an initial, incomplete piece of writing that is the first attempt at getting all your ideas on paper. It acts as the framework for the final version. A rough draft is never intended to be perfect; it’s full of grammatical mistakes, poor word choices, and structural issues. The idea is to get a large portion of your project actually written, and worry about fixing the problems later. 

The rough draft is part of the recommended writing process , step three of five to be exact. Often, it’s the longest and most effortful phase, involving most of the actual “writing.” 

What’s the purpose of a rough draft? 

Writing is difficult. Even if you have a talent for putting words together, you’re not immune to the concerns that beset any writer, such as deadline dread, creative blocks, or any number of personal insecurities. When embraced with the right mindset, the rough draft helps cut through these obstacles by taking the pressure off. Remind yourself: It doesn’t have to be good , it just has to be . 

The ultimate goals of your rough draft are to get your ideas down and give yourself something to start with. Finding the perfect word and arranging elements in the best order are much easier after you have a first draft, whereas they can be quite troublesome and time-consuming without one. 

A rough draft also helps you identify problematic areas you can’t see with outlining and brainstorming alone. Certain flaws like organizational issues or plot holes aren’t evident until after you see them laid out in writing. 

What to include in a rough draft?

A rough draft is essentially a raw version of the complete assignment. So, everything you’d include in the final draft should go into the first draft. Of course, the rough draft is only for the writer, so no one will stop you if you need to skip some sections or gloss over others—but you’ll have to address any shortcuts leading up to the final draft. 

Specifically, let’s answer two frequently asked questions about what to include in a rough draft: 

How long should a rough draft be? 

A rough draft should be about as long as the final version. Many writers tend to overwrite their first drafts. This can actually work in your favor, giving you more usable material to choose from. Throughout the editing process , keep in mind that what you ultimately keep should contain the best parts of that rough draft. 

Does a rough draft need citations? 

We recommend it. It’s useful to have all the material you need for your final draft already in your first draft, including citations, so you can gauge the piece as a whole. 

How to write a rough draft

For starters, your first draft is not the first step. Beginning with the brainstorming process is crucial for eliciting and organizing all the content you want to put in your writing, whether it’s creative ideas for fiction or supporting evidence for nonfiction. You’ll come up with new ideas while writing the rough draft, but it’s always best to stockpile as many as you can beforehand. 

After brainstorming comes the outlining phase, which is essential for structuring your content and putting everything in a logical order. You can think of your outline as the rough draft for your rough draft—a blueprint of where everything goes. 

With those out of the way, you can begin your first draft with confidence. The most important tip for writing rough drafts is to give yourself permission to write imperfectly. As we’ve said, the goal of a rough draft is to get all your ideas down, not to write everything perfectly on your first try.

This is because if you’re focusing on finding the right word or making sure your grammar is correct, it means you’re not focusing on the big picture. Finessing the technical, finer points of writing like word choice and grammar are easier after the first draft, so compartmentalize and save them for later. 

Instead of nitpicking, just focus on solidifying your raw ideas. Follow your outline as best you can, but also keep an open mind for new ideas—writing the first draft can be full of inspiration! 

After the rough draft: Next steps

After the first draft, you’re ready to revise. Just like you learned how to write a rough draft, you should follow the best practices for how to edit as well. The editing phase is when you finally take care of all the issues you let slide while writing the rough draft. 

Once that’s finished, the last step is proofreading , where you fix all the grammar and spelling mistakes and give it a final lookover. After proofreading, that’s it! Enjoy how your once-rough writing looks after a sparkling polish! 

Writing a First Draft

Now that you have a topic and/or a working thesis, you have several options for how to begin writing a more complete draft.

Just write. You already have at least one focusing idea. Start there. What do you want to say about it? What connections can you make with it? If you have a working thesis, what points might you make that support that thesis?

Make an outline. Write your topic or thesis down and then jot down what points you might make that will flesh out that topic or support that thesis. These don’t have to be detailed. In fact, they don’t even have to be complete sentences (yet)!

Begin with research. If this is an assignment that asks you to do research to support your points or to learn more about your topic, doing that research is an important early step (see the section on “ Finding Quality Texts ” in the “Information Literacy” section). This might include a range of things, such as conducting an interview, creating and administering a survey, or locating articles on the Internet and in library databases.

Research is a great early step because learning what information is available from credible sources about your topic can sometimes lead to shifting your thesis. Saving the research for a later step in the drafting process can mean making this change after already committing sometimes significant amounts of work to a thesis that existing credible research doesn’t support. Research is also useful because learning what information is available about your topic can help you flesh out what you might want to say about it.

Essay Structure

You might already be familiar with the five-paragraph essay structure, in which you spend the first paragraph introducing your topic, culminating in a thesis that has three distinct parts. That introduction paragraph is followed by three body paragraphs, each one of those going into some detail about one of the parts of the thesis. Finally, the conclusion paragraph summarizes the main ideas discussed in the essay and states the thesis (or a slightly re-worded version of the thesis) again.

This structure is commonly taught in high schools, and it has some pros and some cons.

• It helps get your thoughts organized.
• It is a good introduction to a simple way of structuring an essay that lets students focus on content rather than wrestling with a more complex structure.
• It familiarizes students with the general shape and components of many essays—a broader introductory conversation giving readers context for this discussion, followed by a more detailed supporting discussion in the body of the essay, and ending with a sense of wrapping up the discussion and refocusing on the main idea.
• It is an effective structure for in-class essays or timed written exams.
• It can be formulaic—essays structured this way sound a lot alike.
• It isn’t very flexible—often, topics don’t lend themselves easily to this structure.
• It doesn’t encourage research and discussion at the depth college-level work tends to ask for. Quite often, a paragraph is simply not enough space to have a conversation on paper that is thorough enough to support a stance presented in your thesis.

So, if the five-paragraph essay isn’t the golden ticket in college work, what is?

That is a trickier question! There isn’t really one prescribed structure that written college-level work adheres to—audience, purpose, length, and other considerations all help dictate what that structure will be for any given piece of writing you are doing. Instead, this text offers you some guidelines and best practices.

Things to Keep in Mind about Structure in College-Level Writing

Avoid the three-point structure.

Aim for a thesis that addresses a single issue rather than the three-point structure. Take a look at our example from the previous section, “ Finding the Thesis ”:

“Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of The Hunger Games, creates as much danger for herself as she faces from others over the course of the film.”

This thesis allows you to cover your single, narrow topic in greater depth, so you can examine multiple sides of a single angle of the topic rather than having to quickly and briefly address a broader main idea.

There’s No “Right” Number of Supporting Points

There is no prescribed number of supporting points. You don’t have to have three! Maybe you have two in great depth, or maybe four that explore that one element from the most salient angles. Depending on the length of your paper, you may even have more than that.

There’s More than One Good Spot for a Thesis

Depending on the goals of the assignment, your thesis may no longer sit at the end of the first paragraph, so let’s discuss a few places it can commonly be found in college writing.

It may end up at the end of your introductory information—once you’ve introduced your topic, given readers some reasonable context around it, and narrowed your focus to one area of that topic. This might put your thesis in the predictable end-of-the-first-paragraph spot, but it might also put that thesis several paragraphs into the paper

Some college work, particularly work that asks you to consider multiple sides of an issue fully, lends itself well to an end-of-paper thesis (sometimes called a “delayed thesis”). This thesis often appears a paragraph or so before the conclusion, which allows you to have a thorough discussion about multiple sides of a question and let that discussion guide you to your stance rather than having to spend the paper defending a stance you’ve already stated.

These are some common places you may find your thesis landing in your paper, but a thesis truly can be anywhere in a text.

Writing Beginnings

Beginnings have a few jobs. These will depend somewhat on the purpose of the writing, but here are some of the things the first couple of paragraphs do for your text:

• They establish the tone and primary audience of your text—is it casual? Academic? Geared toward a professional audience already versed in the topic? An interested audience that doesn’t know much about this topic yet?
• They introduce your audience to your topic.
• They give you an opportunity to provide context around that topic—what current conversations are happening around it? Why is it important? If it’s a topic your audience isn’t likely to know much about, you may find you need to define what the topic itself is.
• They let you show your audience what piece of that bigger topic you are going to be working with in this text and how you will be working with it.
• They might introduce a narrative, if appropriate, or a related story that provides an example of the topic being discussed.

Take a look at the thesis about Katniss once more. There are a number of discussions that you could have about this film, and almost as many that you could have about this film and its intersections with the concept of danger (such as corruption in government, the hazards of power, risks of love or other personal attachments, etc.). Your introduction moving toward this thesis will shift our attention to the prevalence of self-imposed danger in this film, which will narrow your reader’s focus in a way that prepares us for your thesis.

The most important thing at this point in the drafting process is to just get started, but when you’re ready, if you want to learn more about formulas and methods for writing introductions, see “ Writing Introductions ,” presented later in this section of the text.

Writing Middles

Middles tend to have a clearer job—they provide the meat of the discussion! Here are some ways that might happen:

• If you state a thesis early in the paper, the middle of the paper will likely provide support for that thesis.
• The middle might explore multiple sides of an issue.
• It might look at opposing views—ones other than the one you are supporting—and discuss why those don’t address the issue as well as the view you are supporting does.

Let’s think about the “multiple sides of the issue” approach to building support with our Hunger Games example. Perhaps Katniss may not see a particular dangerous situation she ends up in as being one she’s created, but another character or the viewers may disagree. It might be worth exploring both versions of this specific danger to give the most complete, balanced discussion to support your thesis.

Writing Endings

Endings, like beginnings, tend to have more than one job. Here are some things they often need to do for a text to feel complete:

• Reconnect to the main idea/thesis. However, note that this is different than a simple copy/paste of the thesis from earlier in the text. We’ve likely had a whole conversation in the text since we first encountered that thesis. Simply repeating it, or even replacing a few key words with synonyms, doesn’t acknowledge that bigger conversation. Instead, try pointing us back to the main idea in a new way.
• Tie up loose ends. If you opened the text with the beginning of a story to demonstrate how the topic applies to average daily life, the end of your text is a good time to share the end of that story with readers. If several ideas in the text tie together in a relevant way that didn’t fit neatly into the original discussion of those ideas, the end may be the place to do that.
• Keep the focus clear—this is your last chance to leave an impression on the reader. What do you want them to leave this text thinking about? What action do you want them to take? It’s often a good idea to be direct about this in the ending paragraph(s).

How might we reconnect with the main idea in our  Hunger Games example? We might say something like, “In many ways, Katniss Everdeen is her own greatest obstacle to the safe and peaceful life she seems to wish for.” It echoes, strongly, the original thesis, but also takes into account the more robust exploration that has happened in the middle parts of the paper.

As mentioned about writing introductions above, the most important thing at this point in the drafting process is to just get started (or in this case, to get started concluding), but when you’re ready, if you want to learn more about formulas and methods for writing conclusions, see “ Writing Conclusions ,” presented later in this section of the text.

The Word on College Reading and Writing Copyright © by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Writing Center: The First Draft

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First Draft

T he importance of the first draft is to test your outline and structure to see if they work. As you start your first draft, do not get caught up on the details just yet. Do not worry about having the most creative Introduction or a fully developed argument. It is very rare that a writer will write the perfect draft on the first try. The importance of the first draft is to try to get your ideas out based on the outline you have created. It serves as a reference point to build off of for your later drafts.

The Introduction

For most writers, the Introduction is the most difficult part of the whole essay. For the first draft, it is perfectly acceptable to only have a two sentence long Introduction and to dive more immediately into the argument. It is simply difficult to know how to set up your argument if you have not started it. So, in the first draft, do not give the Introduction priority. After the first draft, you will have a feel for your argument and can start to develop the Introduction. The Introduction should included:

• An grabbing first sentence (a quote, statistic, or shocking revelation)
• An explanation of what your paper is about
• An introduction to your argument
• A Thesis Statement

Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the meat of your argument. Body paragraphs are the explanations behind your thesis statement. It is important that your body paragraphs support your main idea and thesis. Each paragraph should argue one main idea and have supporting details to back the main idea. A body paragraph's structure may look like this.

Topic Sectence (a main idea of your argument)

• Supporting detail

Another example:

I like dogs (topic sentence)

• I like the fact that they are so loyal.
• They make great companions for people of all ages.

    In the pargraph, one main idea will be discussed, and the topic sentence will introduce the main idea of that paragraph. After the topic sentence, the supporting details will reinforce the main idea of the paragraph.

The Conclusion has to serve many purposes for your essay. A conclusion restates your introduction and thesis, but it does not repeat it explicitly. The Conclusion also serves to put your argument into a big picture. At the beginning of the essay, in your introduction, you tell the reader what to expect in your paper. Then, in your body paragraphs, you provide your argument and the supporting details. In the Conclusion, you are putting the final touch on the overall argument by summing up the entirety of your argument. This is not the time to introduce any new material. It is a time to restate your argument and thesis.

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Writing a First Draft

A first draft is a preliminary attempt to get ideas down on paper. It’s okay if your ideas aren’t completely formed yet. Writing can shape your thoughts and guide you to your conclusion.

Strategies For Writing a First Draft

Try these tips for writing a first draft. They will help you stay focused on your topic and provide a rough sketch of what your paper will look like.

• Write your research question or thesis and post it above your work space so you can see it.
• Print out your outline and refer to it as you write.
• Start wherever you want. Write the part that comes most easily. Many people recommend leaving the introduction until the end.
• Some people recommend writing as much as you can in one sitting. In the time you’ve given yourself to write, you should be producing sentences and paragraphs, even bad ones.
• Get your main points down, but leave out quotations and specific evidence if you don’t have them yet.
• Leave gaps in the writing where you know you want to add more, and write yourself a quick note about what you should eventually include there.
• Let go of perfection! Try to write complete sentences but don’t worry too much about grammar, word choice, or punctuation. These elements can be fine-tuned in revision.

To better understand disciplinary requirements for your research, talk to your professors and look for resources in your discipline. 

Once you have a first draft, your writing will need revising and polishing. See our resources on   Revision   and   Proofreading Strategies .

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23 Ways to Improve Your Draft

• Consider your options: How much leeway do you have in terms of tone, organization, and style? Maybe your first draft sounds like you are talking to your best friend, but it needs to be more academic. Maybe you’ve stuck to the five-paragraph format, but there is room for you to expand. Remember: keep your purpose and audience in mind at all times when considering what kind of choices should be made!
• Take another look at the prompt: Whether you have a physical assignment prompt from your professor or you have committed to a project, check to make sure you are meeting all of the requirements and fully fulfilling the purpose. For example, maybe you forgot to address a counterargument, which may be crucial for your audience to understand your point. Did the prompt ask you to evaluate a book, but you simply discussed the content instead?
• Check your thesis: For most academic writing, there should be a single sentence (or two) that directly states an argument that someone in your audience could reasonably disagree with. Many readers expect this to fall at the end of the first paragraph (or second, in longer essays). Does your thesis at least touch on every argument that arises in your essay? It must be broad enough so everything in your essay falls under its jurisdiction, but it must also be specific enough to give the reader a clear idea of your argument.
• Make connections: Often, it is easy to not realize what you are truly arguing until you reach your conclusion. Re-check your introduction and thesis against your conclusion to make sure they are lining up. While you want to reiterate your argument in the conclusion, it needs to be stated most clearly in the introduction. (Don't forget to check the rest of the essay: all paragraphs should reflect this new main idea!)
• Write a bold beginning: Your title should be an accurate reflection of your paper’s subject matter, but it should also be interesting enough to grab your reader’s attention - to "hook" the reader. Your first few sentences can start by broadly introducing the issue or subject matter that will be discussed in the essay. Questions, statistics, and illustrative stories can also be intriguing ways to start an essay, but they can be distracting if relied upon too heavily or if they are not effectively connected to the argument.
• Focus on individual paragraphs: Each paragraph should be arguing one aspect of your larger argument. They all need (in order): a topic sentence that transitions from the previous paragraph and introduces the argument for the new paragraph, evidence (either from outside sources or general facts), analysis of the evidence (which includes explaining, describing the significance of, and making connections), and a strong connection to your thesis. The paragraph can, more or less, end by summing up your argument in that paragraph.
• Add transitions: At the beginning of paragraphs and between ideas within the paragraph, transition words can help the reader keep track of how your arguments are related to one another. For example, if two ideas are alike, you may use transition words like moreover, in addition, or also. If two ideas are not alike, you may use words like however, in contrast, meanwhile, or on the other hand.
• Rely on key words and phrases: You will feel like you are being redundant, but repeating key words and phrases from your thesis and topic sentences throughout your paper will keep your audience anchored in the main idea. Remember: every idea has to be related back to your thesis.
• Favor analysis over summary: You will most likely need to summarize the context of an issue, an opinion, or another piece of writing in your essay. However, your analysis should almost always be longer than your summary. Summarize the main ideas in a few short sentences, and then spend more time explaining, evaluating, refuting/agreeing, and connecting the ideas to your larger argument in your own words.
• Be specific: Words like things, very, stuff, and interesting are vague. Search for words or sentences in your essay that could be replaced with more specific words. You also may want to add more specific details to strengthen your argument. For example, “Barbies are bad for people” might be revised to “Barbies are harmful to young girls’ self-image because they set unrealistic expectations for weight and size.”
• Expand from the inside: If your essay isn't long enough, ask yourself, "What else can I show the readers?" Get more facts, give an additional description, add another angle to the argument, make up another hypothetical example, define your terms, explain the background of the issue, describe exactly what you want your readers to see and why.
• Get a second opinion: Another set of eyes is crucial to the success of your essay. Many times, you can become too close to your work to see the fallacies, inconsistencies, or lack of clarity. Snag a relative, a roommate, or a Writing Center tutor to read over your essay. Ask them to mark places that are unclear or difficult to follow. Set your ego aside and really consider ways to improve based on their feedback.
• Go out in style: Your conclusion should not only re-hash your main argument and main points, but it should leave the reader with a provocative thought. You might accomplish this by connecting your issue to the larger world (why does this matter?) or suggesting new questions that naturally arise as a consequence of your argument (what now?). You can push your conclusion a bit: what is the real "truth" about this topic?
• Sandwich your quotations: For every quotation, make sure you indicate who is speaking (“According to...”) and then explain how that quotation fits into your argument through analysis. Watch out for dry quotes, which are quotes dropped into paragraphs without any introduction or adequate explanation.
• Cut it down: Pare any quotations to the minimum effective length (to avoid interrupting the flow of your own language too much)—sometimes you can smoothly paraphrase the idea just as clearly as the author can.
• Know whose idea you are using: Quotes and statistics are more obviously someone else’s ideas that need to be cited properly, but remember that paraphrases and summaries are also someone else’s ideas that need to be cited – even if you put them in your own words. These ideas need to be credited to the right people through in-text citations and a Works Cited page.
• Catch fragments and run-ons: Any sentence that begins with Which, Although, As, Being that, After, Since, Because, or For example has a higher-than-average risk of being a sentence fragment. Is the opening phrase then connected to a complete sentence? In addition, any sentence that goes on for several lines or has multiple commas has a higher-than average risk of being a run-on sentence. Break them up with periods, semi-colons, or the correct connectors. Likewise, double-check any paragraph that goes on for over a page—can you find a good way to sort it into two paragraphs? Remember: each paragraph should represent a single idea/argument.
• Be yourself: Some essays need to be more formal or require more academic jargon, but you can be most clear when you are simply using your own words. Remember: being specific is often a better substitute to “sounding smart.”
• Vary your sentences: Use long sentences to show connections and shorter ones for emphasis; write some starting subject-verb and some with introductory phrases.
• Put your verbs into motion: Search for your to be verbs, such as is, are, were, and was. Can you rewrite some of these sentences to show motion, surprise, activity, thought, or progress? Pick the activated verb over the to be verb when you can.
• Know your grammatical pitfalls: How long can it take to look for all the its/it's or there/theirs—or whatever error you know you're susceptible to—in your essay, checking each one to be sure that you've got it right? Don't trust the spelling or grammar checker to catch all errors.
• Read backwards: If typos or other errors are a weak spot for you, read your essay backwards, a sentence at a time, last sentence to first sentence. You can also read every other line. Reading the  sentences out of context like this will prevent you from filling in the gaps or reading what you mean instead of what you actually wrote.
• Read your essay out loud: Read your essay out loud, slowly, dramatically, and with feeling. Really listen to it. If it sounds wrong or awkward, it probably is wrong or awkward—you can catch a lot of rough spots this way. And if your tongue trips over a sentence or phrase, it's likely your reader's thoughts will trip over it, too. Smooth it out.

Adapted from Dr. Shelley Reid, Director of Composition, English Department, George Mason University Last updated 7/3/2024

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How To Write A Rough Draft: Step-by-step Guide, Examples & Tips

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What is a rough draft , why do people use a rough draft , what to include in a rough draft, how long should a rough draft be , 1. start with brainstorming, 2. outline the ideas, 3. start writing, 4. take a short break, 5. write with your audience in mind, 1. find a quiet environment, 2. start in the middle, 3. do not worry about making mistakes, 4. refer to your outline when you get stuck , does a rough draft need citations , faqs on how to write a rough draft, we also recommend.

Do you think there is a piece of writing that comes to being without a draft?

Writing a rough draft is like taking the first step in bringing your ideas to life. It’s the part of the writing process where you don’t worry about perfection — you just get your thoughts down on paper. Whether you’re working on an essay, story, or any other type of writing, the rough draft is your chance to explore your ideas and figure out how to organize them.

In this guide, we’ll go through simple steps to help you write a rough draft, with examples and tips to make it easier. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be written!

A rough draft, often known as a first draft, is an incomplete piece of writing that represents your first attempt to put all of your ideas down on paper. It serves as a basis for the final product.

A rough draft is never meant to be perfect; it has grammatical errors, bad word choices, and structural difficulties. The goal is to complete a substantial amount of your project and then worry about resolving issues afterward.

The rough draft is the third step in the suggested writing process (out of five). It’s often the longest and most difficult phase, encompassing the majority of the actual “writing.”

READ ALSO: How to Write a Ballad in 17 Steps: Rules, Tips & Questions

Writing is challenging. Even if you have a gift for words, you are not immune to the issues that plague all writers, such as deadline fear, creative blocks, or a variety of psychological insecurities. When approached with the appropriate perspective, the rough draft can assist overcome these challenges by relieving stress. Remind yourself that it doesn’t need to be good, just be.

The final purpose of your rough draft is to get your ideas down and offer you something to work with. Finding the right term and arranging pieces in the ideal order is much easier after you’ve completed a first draft, although it can be difficult and time-consuming without one.

A rough draft also allows you to identify trouble areas that outlining and brainstorming alone cannot. Certain problems, such as organizational issues or plot holes, become apparent only after they are written down.

A rough draft is essentially a raw version of the complete assignment. So, everything you’d include in the final draft should go into the first draft.

Of course, the rough draft is only for the writer, so no one will stop you if you need to skip some sections or gloss over others—but you’ll have to address any shortcuts leading up to the final draft. 

SEE ALSO: How To Write A Counterclaim Like a Pro in Argumentative Writing

A rough draft should be about as long as the final version. Many writers tend to overdo their initial drafts. This can really work to your advantage, providing you more usable material to pick from. When editing, prioritize retaining the strongest sections of the rough copy. 

How To Write A Rough Draft

Writing a rough draft is an essential step in the writing process. It allows you to organize your thoughts, develop your ideas, and create a foundation for your final piece.

Here’s a guide on how to write an effective rough draft:

Check out the 16 Essential Tools for Writers | Elevate Your Writing Craft in 2024

For beginners, your first draft is not the first step. Beginning with the brainstorming process is critical for gathering and organizing all of the stuff you want to include in your writing, whether it’s innovative ideas for fiction or supporting evidence for nonfiction.

You will come up with new ideas while writing the rough draft, but it is always a good idea to gather as many as possible ahead of time.

After brainstorming, the outline process is critical for structuring your content and arranging everything logically. Consider your outline to be the rough draft for your rough draft or a plan for where everything belongs.

READ ALSO: How To Write a Murder Mystery Stories | 5 Top Tips

After outlining your ideas, you can begin your first draft with confidence. The most important tip for writing rough drafts is to give yourself permission to write imperfectly. As we’ve said, the goal of a rough draft is to get all your ideas down, not to write everything perfectly on your first try.

Instead of nitpicking, just focus on solidifying your raw ideas. Follow your outline as best you can, but also keep an open mind for new ideas—writing the first draft can be full of inspiration! 

Take small breaks to clear your head. This tip may be especially handy if you’re writing a lengthy report or essay. Still, if you’re antsy or can’t concentrate, take a pause to relax your thoughts, but don’t let it last too long.

If you take too much time away from your essay, you may have difficulty starting over. You may forget important details or lose momentum. Set an alarm to limit your break time, and then return to your desk to write.

To write successfully, you must keep your purpose and audience in mind. If your goal is to persuade, you will provide your facts and details most logically and convincingly possible for the specific audience you are addressing.

If your target audience is logical, points that employ reason, facts, documented knowledge, and the like will provide the persuasion to which those readers respond best.

Some writers find it useful to retain the purpose and audience at the top of each page, emphasized in some fashion, to remind them of the goals of each point.

READ ALSO: How To Write a Statement of Interest with Examples: Rules, Tips & Template

Tips On How To Write A Rough Draft

Here are a few tips to follow to write a rough draft:

Find a quiet area, the library, or at home to block out any distractions. Turn off or mute your cellphone. If you’re easily sidetracked by computer games, turn off your wifi and use pen and paper instead. Creating a peaceful writing space will allow you to focus on your rough copy.

You can also ensure that the room is adjusted to an appropriate temperature for sitting and writing. You might also play some classical or jazz music in the background to build the mood and bring a snack to your writing space so you can chew on something as you write.

It can be difficult to come up with a brilliant opening paragraph or a killer first line. Instead, begin at the center of the essay or story.

Perhaps you begin by addressing the body portions of your essay first, or you begin with your protagonist’s moment of complexity. Starting in the center can make it easier to get words onto the page.

You can also write the conclusion of the essay before writing the beginning. Many writing guides recommend writing your first paragraph last, as this allows you to build a fantastic introduction based on the entire work.

A rough draft is not the time to try to be perfect. Get messy during the rough draft process and be okay if you make mistakes or if the draft is not completely there yet. Write through clunky phrases and awkward sentences until you get into a flow. You can then address these issues once you have finished the rough draft.

You should also try not to read over what you are writing as you get into the flow. Do not examine every word before moving on to the next word or edit as you go. Instead, focus on moving forward with the rough draft and getting your ideas down on the page.

Related Post: How to Write a Book With No Experience for Beginners in 12 Steps

If you find you get stuck during the rough draft process, you can refer back to your outline to remember which content you are including at a certain point in the plot or in the body section of your essay.

You may want to take breaks if you find you are getting writer’s block. Going for a walk, taking a nap, or even doing the dishes can help you focus on something else and give your brain a rest. You can then start writing again with a fresh approach after your break.

We recommend it. It’s useful to have all the material you need for your final draft already in your first draft, including citations, so you can gauge the piece as a whole. 

Writing a rough draft allows you to flesh out your ideas, identify gaps in your argument, and organize your thoughts without worrying about grammar, spelling, or final presentation.

If you get stuck, skip the part that’s causing difficulty and move on to another section. You can always return to the challenging section once you’ve gained more clarity.

No, you don’t have to write in order. Focus on sections where you feel confident first. You can come back to the introduction or conclusion later.

• grammarly.com – Tips for Writing a Powerful Rough Draft
• wikihow.com – How to Write a Rough Draft
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Building the Essay Draft

Building a strong essay draft requires going through a logical progression of stages:, explanation.

Development options

Linking paragraphs

Introductions

Conclusions.

Revising and proofreading the draft

Hints for revising and proofreading

Tip: After you have completed the body of your paper, you can decide what you want to say in your introduction and in your conclusion.

Once you know what you want to talk about and you have written your thesis statement, you are ready to build the body of your essay.

The thesis statement will usually be followed by

• the body of the paper
• the paragraphs that develop the thesis by explaining your ideas by backing them up 
• examples or evidence

Tip: The "examples or evidence" stage is the most important part of the paper, because you are giving your reader a clear idea of what you think and why you think it.

Development Options

• For each reason you have to support your thesis, remember to state your point clearly and explain it.

Tip: Read your thesis sentence over and ask yourself what questions a reader might ask about it. Then answer those questions, explaining and giving examples or evidence.

Show how one thing is similar to another, and then how the two are different, emphasizing the side that seems more important to you. For example, if your thesis states, "Jazz is a serious art form," you might compare and contrast a jazz composition to a classical one.

Show your reader what the opposition thinks (reasons why some people do not agree with your thesis), and then refute those reasons (show why they are wrong).  On the other hand, if you feel that the opposition isn't entirely wrong, you may say so, (concede), but then explain why your thesis is still the right opinion.

• Think about the order in which you have made your points. Why have you presented a certain reason that develops your thesis first, another second? If you can't see any particular value in presenting your points in the order you have, reconsider it until you either decide why the order you have is best, or change it to one that makes more sense to you.
• Does each paragraph develop my thesis?
• Have I done all the development I wish had been done?
• Am I still satisfied with my working thesis, or have I developed my body in ways that mean I must adjust my thesis to fit what I have learned, what I believe, and what I have actually discussed?

Linking Paragraphs

It is important to link your paragraphs together, giving your readers cues so that they see the relationship between one idea and the next, and how these ideas develop your thesis.

Your goal is a smooth transition from paragraph A to paragraph B, which explains why cue words that link paragraphs are often called "transitions."

Tip: Your link between paragraphs may not be one word, but several, or even a whole sentence.

Here are some ways of linking paragraphs:

• To show simply that another idea is coming, use words such as "also," "moreover," or "in addition."
• To show that the next idea is the logical result of the previous one, use words such as "therefore," "consequently," "thus," or "as a result."
• To show that the next idea seems to go against the previous one, or is not its logical result, use words such as "however," "nevertheless," or "still."
• To show you've come to your strongest point, use words such as "most importantly."
• To show you've come to a change in topic, use words such as "on the other hand."
• To show you've come to your final point, use words such as "finally."

After you have come up with a thesis and developed it in the body of your paper, you can decide how to introduce your ideas to your reader.

The goals of an introduction are to

• Get your reader's attention/arouse your reader's curiosity.
• Provide any necessary background information before you state your thesis (often the last sentence of the introductory paragraph).
• Establish why you are writing the paper.

Tip: You already know why you are writing, and who your reader is; now present that reason for writing to that reader.

Hints for writing your introduction:

• Use the Ws of journalism (who, what, when, where, why) to decide what information to give. (Remember that a history teacher doesn't need to be told "George Washington was the first president of the United States." Keep your reader in mind.)
• Add another "W": Why (why is this paper worth reading)? The answer could be that your topic is new, controversial, or very important.
• Catch your reader by surprise by starting with a description or narrative that doesn't hint at what your thesis will be. For example, a paper could start, "It is less than a 32nd of an inch long, but it can kill an adult human," to begin a paper about eliminating malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

There can be many different conclusions to the same paper (just as there can be many introductions), depending on who your readers are and where you want to direct them (follow-up you expect of them after they finish your paper). Therefore, restating your thesis and summarizing the main points of your body should not be all that your conclusion does. In fact, most weak conclusions are merely restatements of the thesis and summaries of the body without guiding the reader toward thinking about the implications of the thesis.

Here are some options for writing a strong conclusion:

Make a prediction about the future. You convinced the reader that thermal energy is terrific, but do you think it will become the standard energy source? When?

Give specific advice. If your readers now understand that multicultural education has great advantages, or disadvantages, or both, whatever your opinion might be, what should they do? Whom should they contact?

Put your topic in a larger context. Once you have proven that physical education should be part of every school's curriculum, perhaps readers  should consider other "frill" courses which are actually essential.

Tip: Just as a conclusion should not be just a restatement of your thesis and summary of your body, it also should not be an entirely new topic, a door opened that you barely lead your reader through and leave them there lost. Just as in finding your topic and in forming your thesis, the safe and sane rule in writing a conclusion is this:  neither too little nor too much.

Revising and Proofreading the Draft

Writing is only half the job of writing..

The writing process begins even before you put pen to paper, when you think about your topic. And, once you finish actually writing, the process continues. What you have written is not the finished essay, but a first draft, and you must go over many times to improve it--a second draft, a third draft, and so on until you have as many as necessary to do the job right. Your final draft, edited and proofread, is your essay, ready for your reader's eyes.

A revision is a "re-vision" of your essay--how you see things now, deciding whether your introduction, thesis, body, and conclusion really express your own vision. Revision is global, taking another look at what ideas you have included in your paper and how they are arranged.

Proofreading

Proofreading is checking over a draft to make sure that everything is complete and correct as far as spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and other such matters go. It's a necessary, if somewhat tedious and tricky, job one that a friend or computer Spellcheck can help you perform. Proofreading is polishing, one spot at a time.

Tip: Revision should come before proofreading: why polish what you might be changing anyway?

Hints for revising and proofreading:

• Leave some time--an hour, a day, several day--between writing and revising. You need some distance to switch from writer to editor, some distance between your initial vision and your re-vision.
• Double-check your writing assignment to be sure you haven't gone off course . It is all right if you've shifted from your original plan, if you know why and are happier with this direction.  Make sure that you are actually following your mentor's assignment.
• Read aloud slowly . You need to get your eye and your ear to work together. At any point that something seems awkward, read it over again. If you're not sure what's wrong--or even if something is wrong--make a notation in the margin and come back to it later. Watch out for "padding;" tighten your sentences to eliminate excess words that dilute your ideas.
• Be on the lookout for points that seem vague or incomplete ; these could present opportunities for rethinking, clarifying, and further developing an idea.
• Get to know what your particular quirks are as a writer. Do you give examples without explaining them, or forget links between paragraphs? Leave time for an extra rereading to look for any weak points.
• Get someone else into the act. Have others read your draft, or read it to them. Invite questions and ask questions yourself, to see if your points are clear and well-developed. Remember, though, that some well-meaning readers can be too easy (or too hard) on a piece of writing.

Tip: Never change anything unless you are convinced that it should be changed .

• Keep tools at hand, such as a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a writing handbook.
• While you're using word processing, remember that computers are wonderful resources for editing and revising.
• When you feel you've done everything you can, first by revising and then by proofreading, and have a nice clean, final draft, put it aside and return later to re-see the whole essay. There may be some last minute fine-tuning that can make all the difference.

Don't forget--if you would like help with at this point in your assignment or any other type of writing assignment, learning coaches are available to assist you.  Please contact Academic Support by emailing [email protected] ; calling 1-800-847-3000, ext 3008; or calling the main number of the location in your region to schedule an appointment. Use this resource to find more information about Academic Support .

Don't forget--if you would like help with at this point in your assignment or any other type of writing assignment, learning coaches are available to assist you.  Please contact Academic Support by emailing [email protected] ; calling 1-800-847-3000, ext 3008; or calling the main number of the location in your region (click  here for more information) to schedule an appointment.

Need Assistance?

If you would like assistance with any type of writing assignment, learning coaches are available to assist you. Please contact Academic Support by emailing [email protected].

Questions or feedback about SUNY Empire's Writing Support?

Contact us at [email protected] .

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Creating the First Draft of Your College Application Essay

←6 Personal Essay Brainstorming Exercises

Essential Grammar Rules for Your College Apps →

By the time senior year rolls around, you have already done most of what it takes to get into college. Years of grades, extracurricular activities, and test scores have already stacked up to give admissions officers a sense of your interests and talents. So then why should essays be a big deal, if all of this information about you already exists?

Essays are extremely important because they tie the whole application together. You aren’t just a list of accomplishments—you’re a person. Your essay is one of the few places in the application where you get to show your values and personality to the selection committee. And that takes a lot of careful planning. In this post, we’ll talk about how to write the first draft of a winning college application essay.

How Long Should the College Essay Drafting Process Take?

We recommend giving yourself at least a month to craft your personal statement . For most students, this is the main essay on the Common Application. To get advice on those specific prompts, see CollegeVine’s post on How to Write the Common Application Essays 2018-19 (With Examples) . Students using a different application portal can still follow these general drafting guidelines.

For school-specific essays, we recommend starting at least two weeks before the deadline. The drafting process requires a little less soul-searching and a bit more research. If you’re at the point where you’re writing “Why This School” essays, you can find drafting tips at CollegeVine’s Why This College’ Essays: Should You Focus on Yourself or the College?

We have students start essays early so that they have time to marinate. You will come up with great ideas between drafts, and words that sounded great at first will stick out if you read the essay several days or weeks later.

These timeline suggestions are on the low end. Starting even earlier never hurt a student.

I’m Smart. Can’t I Just Start the Essay the Night Before It’s Due?

Sure, it’s your essay. However, it’s our professional opinion that students who put this off are leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table.

How can that be? A lot of undergraduate scholarships are based on your college application only. These are “automatic consideration merit awards.” So even if you gain acceptance using a last-minute essay (which is not a guarantee), you could be missing out on serious financial aid.

In the rest of this article, we recommend one approach to building a first draft. This is not necessarily how you have to start. If you use this method, then you can be sure no important step is falling through the cracks.

CollegeVine’s 5 Steps to a First Draft

1. analyze the prompt.

First, read the prompt. In some cases, you have only one choice. In others, you will be given multiple questions from which to choose. If you have options, read them all before narrowing in on one prompt over another.

Once you have identified a prompt that speaks to you, annotate it. First, underline key words or phrases. Here you can see an example annotated prompt from this year’s Common Application prompt choices.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success . Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure . How did it affect you , and what did you learn from the experience?

By underlining the key parts of the passage, you get a sense of what kinds of answers go well with this essay prompt. For instance, students who annotated this prompt would know that they should be looking for obstacles, challenges, setbacks, or failures in their past.

Next, number the specific requests that the prompt makes. This avoids the common mistake of responding to some but not all of the questions posed. You can see how we break down the same example prompt below:

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later su ccess. (1) Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. (2) How did it affect you, and (3) what did you learn from the experience?

Student who annotated this prompt would know that the essay should accomplish three things:

• Let the reader know when they faced a challenge, setback, or failure.
• Describe how it affected them.
• Share what they learned from the experience.

This whole process only takes a few minutes, but it will help you stay on-topic when it actually comes time to write.

2. Free Write

Next, write without stopping for 30-60 minutes. This gets your creative juices flowing and helps you to uncover ideas you would not have considered otherwise. There are only two rules for a free write:

First, stay on topic.

Second, don’t stop writing!

3. Analyze Your Free Write

As soon as you’re done, read your free write over again. There will probably be something that surprises you. Put a star next to it. If you find a part that really resonates with you, star that as well. Eye-catching details and stories that grab your attention usually make for good essay material.

Next, look for a “growth” moment in the free write. Most successful essays follow this story arch:

• At first I was [A: trait].
• Then something important happened: [B: event].
• Because of [B: event], I am no longer [A: trait]. Now, I am [C: trait].

If you can fill in [A], [B], and [C] with your own story of how you grew, then you probably have a good essay topic on your hands. Whenever you find one of these growth moments, star it.

4. Pen Your First Draft

By now, you should have an annotated prompt and a free write with a bunch of stars on it. Does anything jump out at you? Is there one essay idea that is more appealing than the others? If no, try the same process with a different prompt.  If yes, then it’s time to write your first draft.

This draft doesn’t have to be pretty. All you have to do is tell a story that answers the questions you numbered in the prompt. Whenever possible, try to answer these questions with stories from your life. Give examples. Be specific.

5. Review Your First Draft

Once you’ve written your draft, read it over. All you have to do is answer one question: Are you the hero of your story?

Some essays show the author as the hero, but just as often a friend or family member actually winds up becoming the main focus of a student’s essay. At the end of the day, you need to be the main character. Otherwise, colleges and universities will not have enough information about you to make an informed admissions decision.

Read this draft a second time. This time, answer this question: Did you respond to all parts of the prompt?

Make sure you answer each question presented. For the example, this looks like:

(1) Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure.

(2) how did it affect you, (3) what did you learn from the experience.

If your essay addresses every question in the prompt, then you just completed a great first draft essay.

I’m Done with My First Draft. What Should I Do Next?

Congratulations! You have now officially completed a first draft of your essay. Rest assured that you are on your way to an application that lets your values and personality shine.

After getting to this point, set the essay aside for a few days or weeks. We recommend reading this over at least two more times before you declare that it is finished. Each time you read, you will likely catch something that needs improving.

Your next step will be to edit and proofread. For tips on how to perfect your essay, see our post of 11 Tips for Proofreading and Editing Your College Essay . Good luck!

You can find additional help by reading these related articles:

• How to Craft the Perfect College Application Essay
• Find Your College’s Application Essay Prompts for 2018-19
• Essay Prompt Breakdowns
• What Is a Personal Statement?
• College Essay Structures & How to Approach Them
• ‘Why This College’ Essays: Should You Focus on Yourself or the College?

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

Need help with your college applications?

We’ve helped thousands of students write amazing college essays and successfully apply to college! Learn more about how our Applications Program can help your chances of admission.

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3.1 - PICKING A TOPIC, OUTLINING, & WRITING A FIRST DRAFT

Picking a Topic

It’s time to pick something and start writing! Before we talk about how, a word to the wise: Your topic may change. That’s okay. In fact, it’s often a great thing—I’ve seen plenty of students spend time exploring one approach, then find another that allowed them to write a stronger personal statement. Ultimately, you won’t know if a topic works until you try it.

With that in mind, how do you pick? What makes a good topic?

I believe a Montage Essay (i.e., an essay NOT about challenges) is more likely to stand out if the topic or theme of the essay is:

X. Elastic (i.e., something you can connect to variety of examples, moments, or values)

Y. Uncommon (i.e., something other students probably aren’t writing about)

I believe that a Narrative essay is more likely to stand out if it contains: 

X. Difficult or compelling challenges

These aren’t binary—rather, each exists on a spectrum.

“Elastic” will vary from person to person. I might be able to connect mountain climbing to family, history, literature, science, social justice, environmentalism, growth, insight … and someone else might not connect it to much of anything. Maybe trees?

“Uncommon” —every year, thousands of students write about mission trips, sports, or music. It’s not that you can’t write about these things, but it’s a lot harder to stand out. 

“Difficult or compelling challenges” can be put on a spectrum with things like getting a bad grade or not making a sports team on the weaker end and things like escaping war or living homeless for three years on the stronger side. While you can possibly write a strong essay about a weaker challenge, it’s really hard to do so.

“Insight” is the answer to the question “so what.” A great insight is likely to surprise the reader a bit, while a so-so insight likely won’t. (Insight is something that you’ll develop in an essay through the writing process, rather than something you’ll generally know ahead of time for a topic, but it’s useful to understand that some topics are probably easier to pull insights from than others.)

To clarify, you can still write a great montage with a very common topic, or a narrative that offers so-so insights. But the degree of difficulty goes up. Probably way up.

So look back at the topics you’ve thought of so far through the brainstorming exercises. Where do you think they fall on the spectra above?

Virtually every outstanding essay I’ve seen started as a strong outline. Luckily, the brainstorming exercises you’ve done set you up to build a good outline well.

For a Narrative, the different columns of your Feelings and Needs Exercise will become your outline.

For a Montage, the Five Things Exercise can quickly become a good outline, setting up the values you’ll demonstrate through the different experiences linked by your thread.

To see what I mean by a “good” outline, check out these outlines for the “What Had to Be Done” and “Laptop Stickers” essays:

Narrative Outline (developed from the Feelings and Needs exercise)

Challenges:

Domestic abuse

Alcoholic stepdad

Little brother Fernando's birth

Learning I was undocumented

My brother and I shared the mental strain

Father was arrested

Money was tight

Mom worked two jobs

My brother and I took care of one another

We kept to ourselves when dealing with financial and medical issues

I avoided going on certain school trips

At times I was discouraged from meeting new people

My grades started to slip

What I Did About It:

Took care of my youngest brother

Became my own teacher

Learned how to fix a bike, swim, socialize

Found a job to help pay bills

Improved my grades

Shattered a school swimming record

Taught myself how to play instruments

Won the honor of being the first student in my school to pass the AP Physics 1 exam

Took on several leadership roles in clubs

Tutored and counseled friends and peers

What I learned:

Inspired to help others a lot more

Realized there's a lot more I want to do

Want to continue supporting my family

Need to feel free—not just for them, but for me too

Montage Outline:

Thread — Laptop Stickers

We <3 data-preserve-html-node="true" Design → art, design, experimentation

Ex: spent weekend designing websites, graphics for my companies

Developed my own style

Common Threads → authenticity, open-mindedness

Ex: street artists, musicians in Austin

Creating not just consuming culture

Poop emoji → family, goofy side

Brother, interactions, thinking rationally

Lol ur not Harry Styles → equality, activism, confidence

Various activism as motivation/reminder to act vs just internalize

My growth with acting/speaking up

Catapult → entrepreneurship, social justice, awareness, meaningful work

Threaded Twine, women’s rights, breaking cycles 

Discovered my career

Thank God it's Monday → enjoyable work

Importance of experience/framing

Want work to always be this way

The Team → collaboration

Model G20 Econ Summit, group collaboration

Kode with Klossy → community, social justice

Promoting women in underrepresented fields

With outlines like those, a first draft will be way easier (and take way less time and re-writing).

Once you’ve built an outline, you can dive in with drafting. In early drafts, don’t worry too much about word count or building a fancy opening—focus on content and structure. You’ll develop those other elements once you’ve got the latter two pretty solid.

Need to relax a bit to get calm and inspired first? Try the meditation exercise below.

Remember: you don’t have to get it perfect the first time. In fact, you won’t. You just have to begin.

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• Knowledge Base

The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

• Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
• Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
• Revision:  Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

• Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
• Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
• Do your research: Read  primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
• Come up with a thesis:  The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
• Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a  topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

See the full essay example

The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

• Returns to your thesis
• Ties together your main points
• Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

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Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Writing > Draft Writing: How to Write Your First Draft

Draft Writing: How to Write Your First Draft

Just about any writer knows the sense of dread that can come from staring down an empty page and a blinking cursor.

Whether you’re writing to land your dream job, get an A+ in your class, or tell an important story, it might take you many drafts to get to that perfect piece of writing—and the first draft is often the hardest.

With the right approach to draft writing, though, you can alleviate some of this blank page-induced anxiety and begin to get your best ideas down. Use these tips for writing a first draft to get off to a great start.

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What Should Be Included in Your First Draft?

Your first draft, otherwise aptly known as a “rough draft,” is your place to sketch out your ideas. No matter if you’re writing a novel, a school paper, or a business letter, the first draft is an opportunity to understand materials you have to work with—it’s a chance to better grasp what you think about your subject before you sharpen, shape, and organize these ideas into a polished final product.

When it comes down to it, no two first drafts are quite alike. Sometimes you might come to table with more fully formed thoughts and opinions on your subject and leave your draft writing session or sessions with a nearly completed piece, something that requires only minor changes. Other times, your full first draft might seem shapeless and be full of notes for further exploration, requiring you to dig into more research or take some time away to think things over.

Regardless, you can approach your project with the following tips on how to write a first draft, and you’ll be well on your way toward a well-developed piece of writing.

Start with Structure

Before you start drafting your brilliant ideas, it may help to begin with some big-picture thinking and planning.

Consider the type of writing you’re doing and the structure that it requires. For instance, if you’re writing a cover letter , consider the general structure that your letter will take. Over the course of the letter, you will want to express your interest, relate your experience to the job description, provide examples of your past successes, and close with a call to action. If you’re writing a research paper, you will need an introductory paragraph and thesis statement, an essay body that provides evidence in support of that thesis, and a conclusion that sums it all up.

With this idea of the overall structure of your project in mind, you can better understand which parts of your piece you know how you will complete, as well as where might be the best place to start. So, for example, if you’re beginning a research paper and have yet to determine a working thesis, you can skip your introduction in favor of developing your evidence and analysis to see where it leads you.

No matter where you ultimately decide to start, the name of the game for first drafts is just getting things down on the page. So, for the sake of efficiency, try to eliminate anything extra that might stand in the way of you and the plain act of writing. If you’re easily distracted by the web or bogged down by online research, close your browser, turn off your Wi-Fi connection, or set aside your smartphone. If you’re always searching for the perfect word, put away your dictionary and thesaurus. Worried about getting things into the right format? Turn to a pre-made writing template that takes care of that for you so you can focus on writing.

Write Out of Order

In line with this focus on the act of writing is the strategy of writing out of order. As we write, sometimes our minds head to unexpected places. During your first draft, you should follow your thoughts down these new paths. If a new idea for later on in your piece comes to mind, feel free to jump to that place and capture those new thoughts on the page while they’re fresh. Likewise, if you hit a dead end in one part of your essay, move forward or back to another place where you have more to contribute.

Leave Holes to Fill

To become a better writer of first drafts, an essential skill you’ll need to pick up is being okay with placeholders. In those moments that your forward momentum starts to wane, or you need a particular detail or data point that you don’t have in front of you to support your idea, simply leave yourself a note and keep moving. The comment feature that word processors like Microsoft Word and Google Docs have is particularly useful for moments like this: Simply add your comment—whether it’s about your lack of an idea or your inkling of an idea you haven’t fully formed yet—and you’ll know exactly where to find your place during your next time through your piece.

Once you’ve exhausted your energies toward a first draft or, say, reached the end of the story you’re trying to tell, always be ready to walk away. While a deadline might limit the amount of time that you’re able to take away from writing, taking a break after your first draft—whether it’s hours, days, or even weeks—can be very helpful. Not only will it help to preserve your energy, but it might help you come to your writing with fresh ideas.

For many writers, the experience of reading your old writing and feeling as though the words on the page were written by someone else is a familiar one. As strange as it may seem, this sensation is what you’re trying to achieve by walking away from your first draft. This new perspective and bit of distance can enable you to see the material anew and take your writing to new, exciting, and more effective places in your next drafts.

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What Should Be Included in Your First Draft?

by J. D. Edwin | 6 comments

What should be included in your first draft? Writing the first draft of a book is incredibly difficult. So much so that you don't even finish their first draft. Why is this? And how can we prevent this from stopping us from writing our first drafts?

Every writer who has ever written a book wrote a first draft for that story—and it's highly unlikely that the first draft was also the final draft.

Of course, it's hard to remember this when you're reading a published book. Writers don't often see the first, or even second (maybe more!) drafts of a book. Just the final product.

However, behind every great story there is a beginning—and in every beginning there are elements we, as writers, need to care about accomplishing. There are also elements that will only hold us back.

In this post, I will cover the three elements you need to include in your first draft, and the three elements that will only slow down or stop your writing process.

A Story is Ugly Before It is Made Beautiful

Writers are all perfectionists underneath.

Have you ever sat down at your desk to start a book and found yourself dreaming of the perfect, final project? Do you see it shiny and bound, sitting on the shelves of your favorite bookstore? You've probably imagined bringing that book to life, writing it out in all its glory. I'm sure you've dreamed of it hitting the stores.

I have some news for you—that perfect book is not the book you’ll be writing.

You see, there is a misconception, especially in new writers, that the book of your hopes and dreams is the one that will materialize when you write.

Often this dream is dashed quickly when a writer starts putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and realizes the story isn’t going quite as they envisioned. Maybe those dramatic scenes are coming out dry and dull. Maybe the beautiful language that came to them in the shower turns out to be stilted and awkward. 

This, as you can imagine, can be pretty discouraging.

However, it doesn't need to be that way. Many new writers have walked away from perfectly promising books because that first draft didn’t magically turn into the perfect best seller they wanted. But the truth of the matter is, the first draft was never meant to be the final project.

The first draft is just that—a first draft. The initial attempt, the ugly before the beautiful.

The stepping stone that brings you closer to that shining manuscript. 

In this post, we are going to take a look at three things you should expect to accomplish in your first draft—and three things you shouldn’t. All of this will help you complete your first draft fast, so that you can start working on the revisions that will make it what it needs to be before you burn out. 

What is a First Draft? A Visual Example

Before we get started, I’d like to show you something. A few years ago I participated in a Studio Ghibli themed art show at a small art shop/gallery. It was a lot of work but great fun. Here they are hanging on the gallery wall:

I was very proud of how these pieces turned out. They looked great and received quite a few compliments. I even sold three of the four pieces at the show.

While that didn’t amount to any significant profit, I was still glad to be able to claim I was an artist who has sold art. However, what you see here is the final product, the equivalent of a shiny new book on the shelf. A few weeks before the show, they looked like this:

As you can see, there are nothing here but general shapes and ideas. The arrangement of the four pieces weren’t even in the same order I wound up putting them in because I originally thought the large shapes could sit in a diamond formation.

Two of them eventually wound up being flipped to mirror image versions. I had no idea what the color scheme would be at this point and wasn’t even sure these were the four designs I would stick with.

From this rough image, you can sort of glimpse an idea of what the final product could be, but with only the basic essential elements intact. It offers a glimpse of the final version, but by the end of the process, it could look completely different. 

That, my friends, is a first draft of a manuscript. 

You might have a plan—but that initial idea might change, even if the skeleton of the story remains constant.

But how do you know when you've written a solid first draft? What should a first draft accomplish, and what should be included in a first draft to do this? These three elements.

3 Elements You Should Include in Your First Draft 

Now that we understand what a first draft should be, let’s look at what you should really aim to accomplish when writing one. To do this, we can distill your first draft goals down to three basic elements.

1. Tell the Story

The most important accomplishment for your first draft is that it tells your story. A story should have a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Three main ideas that illustrate a plot-effective beginning, middle, and end include:

• Beginning: You know how and why the protagonist is called on some sort of adventure (or there is an inciting incident in the beginning of the book)
• Middle: There are conflicts that challenge the protagonist in the middle of the book (and these raise the story's stakes)
• End: There is a climatic moment in the end of the book that shows how the protagonist gets or fails to get their object of desire—or their wants and needs—by the end of the book

To put it simply, get you from point A to point B. 

Structure matters more than beautiful language. Even if you wrote your first draft entirely in short, simple sentences like “See Jane run,” finishing a first draft that moves a beginning, middle, and end with plot events that cause a character to make decisions—which raise the stakes—is a success. 

A simple way to do this is by creating an event list for each of your books. Start with one major event each, then distill down to smaller events. For example, round one could be as simple as:

Beginning: Hero, who thought she was always a peasant, finds out she was actually a hidden royal. Middle: Hero goes through the difficult process to prove her royalty to the rest of the royal family in order to gain power and make life better for the poor. End: Through a brilliant move, she is able to prove her identity and the queen accepts her as a true royal.

Notice this list does not include any kind of detail. There's nothing about how the hero rounds out about her identity, what the challenges she faces are, or how she finally proves herself. However, as a first step, this is enough.

Once you've made a basic plot list like this, you can go back and add to the events in each section. For example:

Beginning: Hero is a farmer. Her parents' friends, other farmers, often complain about taxes. Hero notices her parents do not seem to complain. One day, she overhears her parents talk about the fact that they are grateful they don't pay taxes. Hero is confused. Hero digs further. Hero finds out someone in the royal family is excusing her parents from taxes as reward for her parents helping raise her in secret.

Now you have a more detailed list of events.

You can delve even further on these tasks, and we will cover this process in more detail in the future, when we talk about first stage planning. But for now, think of this as the “rough sketch” that lays under your finished book. It's only a simple list, but without it, there is no way of moving forward.

There is no way around a first, rough draft. It's okay if you don't know all the “perfect” details yet.

2. Establish the Tone

Tone is something that is difficult to plan. You can make all the scene lists (a topic we will cover later) and character bios you want, but once you start writing, the story often takes on a life of its own.

Perhaps what started out as melancholy becomes irony, tragedy becomes comedy, light and funny becomes dark and moody, and a cowardly character suddenly finds the strength to become brave.

A good way to identify what the tone of your book is is to observe how your characters react to tense situations and challenges. For example, let's say our main character's love interest has found a new lover. What is your MC's reaction to this news?

If their instinct is to go home, lock themselves up, weep, and stare out at the rain, the tone of your book might be dramatic and tragic .

By contrast, if their instinct is to go get a revenge makover and end up dying their hair a funny color, which they then try to pass off with feigned confidence, then your tone might be a comedic one.

Without the physical act of writing the book down, you will never quite grasp what the tone of it will be. This is a major reason that it is unreasonable and unrealistic to expect to write a first draft that’s publish-perfect.

Much like a theme, by simply telling your story from beginning to end, you will find the tone you want to strike in future drafts.

3. Get to Know Your Characters

There’s no better way to know your character than with that first draft.

Trying to get to know your character through a pre-written bio sheet versus writing the first draft is like trying to know someone by looking at their Facebook profile instead of taking a long, adventurous trip with them. You can only get to know someone so much by looking at a list of facts.

However, when you travel alongside a friend—even one you don't know well before the trip (especially this kind of friend)—you will learn how they live, what they eat, how they celebrate their achievements, how they mourn their loss, how reliable they are, and how they react in times of danger. 

The same goes for learning more about your characters when writing your first draft.

I learned this lesson when creating Donna “Astra” Ching, the protagonist of my upcoming novel Headspace .

I went into the first draft with an image of her as a competent, independent young professional being in complete charge of her life. She had bought and set up a lovely new house, was doing well in her field of work, and excited to start her new life.

The story opened in her living room, which she had just finished cleaning and decorating. 

But as I kept writing, I realized this was not quite who Astra was. She was certainly competent and independent, but this neat, primped lifestyle wasn’t her. She enjoyed privacy and comfort, and her comfort didn’t necessarily come from a Martha Stewart-style home.

By the end of the book, Astra had become a slightly different person.

She became someone who was comfortable with her messy home, who prioritized setting up her library while the rest of her house went neglected in the chaos of moving, and who made well-meaning to-do lists in her head, most of which she still hasn’t gotten to by the end of the book. 

Looking back on it, Astra’s characterization was off by quite a bit in the first draft. But without writing the first draft, I never would’ve gotten to know her well enough to properly tell her story.

All this to say, the more time you spend with your characters, the more you'll learn about them. This means you probably don't need to burn time outlining every detail of your entire cast before writing, and even if you do, some of these details might change as you write your book.

As you write, try asking yourself these questions:

• Is the way this characters acts realistic? In my case, it seemed that while some 20-something-year-olds could set up a new house neatly as soon as they moved in, most are probably OK with leaving it a mess for a while.
• Is the way this character acts relatable? Same as the answer above—by giving herself some leeway on her organization, Astra is a more relatable young woman.
• Is this character acting this way out of instinct or out of some sort of social or perceived obligation? The neat home felt more like an unrealistic expectation, and Astra was not one who catered to expectations.
• Does it make me happy to write the character this way? I was much happier to see Astra rearranging her neat little library while the rest of house laid in disarray, as it's something I and a number of people close to me would do.
• Is this behavior consistent with how the character makes decisions for the rest of the story? Astra does not care for the expectation of others and did what she felt was right for her. This carries on through the rest of the book.

It can feel scary to dive into the story and hope your characters unfold with it, but this might be the exact conversation starter you need to really get to know them. 

3 Things Not To Worry About in Your First Draft

Believe it or not, it’s equally important to understand elements you shouldn’t focus on in your first draft. Trying to achieve these elements will only frustrate you and lead you to believe your story will never be as good as you imagined it. You'll get ahead of yourself in the writing process, and because of this you might suffer low self esteem or burnout.  

Let’s take a look at what not to do so you do finish your first draft.

Mainly, this includes letting go of three “perfect” elements in your story:

1. Language and Detail

The first draft is not where you should try to exercise your inner Shakespeare. This is not the time or place for you to write beautiful sentences, use big words, or experiment with flowery language.

Remember, the goal of the first draft is to tell your story, and excessive attention to pretty words will only distract and frustrate you, especially since a lot of it will likely be cut in the editing and rewriting process. 

If you find yourself struggling with a sentence as you write, ask yourself—does this sentence progress the story or develop a character?

If it does, write it down as simply as you can.

For example:

John lost his father's watch which was the only thing left from when his father was in the war.

This is enough to explain the importance of the watch without going into any in-depth description of what kind of watch it was, which war his father fought in, or how he lost it. These details can be explored in future, in vivid scenes and beautiful details.

If you find you are trying to fill out an intricate detail, such as which kind of watch was used by soldiers during WWII when writing a first draft, chances are it's not something you need to write.

2. Character Development

This may sound strange because I just said that the first draft is the place to get to know your character, but hear me out: you need to get to know your characters. You don’t need to force their development.

To avoid obsessing over this, write the story and let it go where it may. By doing this, you are more likely to develop your characters based on your instincts rather than tick off boxes you feel they should fill.

Don’t try to force your characters to develop a certain way or force certain personality traits or back stories. Let's go back to the example of your character's love interest having found a new lover to understand why.

Considering this example, perhaps you initially intended for them to have a lonely episode of mourning with a bottle of vodka, but as they approach the liquor store, you felt like there's a nightclub next door they'd rather go into. Follow that instinct and see where it takes you.

If the scene doesn't work out, you can always backtrack to the liquor store later.

Overall, the first draft is where your characters should be free to lead. Allow yourself to be free and explore where your characters take you.

Rather than trying to stuff your characters into a box, write the story you want to write—even if some details turn out to be wild and self-indulgent.

Don't be afraid to ask a character what they really want.

And if they give you an answer, don't be afraid to listen.

3. Fixing Plot Holes

Why shouldn't you focus on fixing plot holes in the first draft? Because plugging plot holes can be frustrating, and the effort that goes into them can really derail a train of thought when you’re on a roll.

Imagine you’re writing a big, action-packed scene, your heroes are running from their enemies toward their ship when suddenly a huge chasm appears in the ground. They’re running and running—but how do they get across?

You’re not not sure.

You pause to think about it. Now everyone in the scene stands around waiting for you to come to a decision. Do they jump? Do they find a bridge? Does one of the heroes have a secret gadget?

How did they even get that gadget?

But you’ve never mentioned the gadget, and now it’s going to sound like it’s appeared out of the blue. To avoid this, you have to go back and add the gadget somewhere else in the story before you forget it exists, and now all the heroes and villains are twiddling their thumbs in front of this chasm, waiting for you to finish the scene.

You need set ups that pay off in big ways in your story, but sometimes the best ones are discovered in draft two instead of draft one. You might know some of your set ups before the story starts, and you probably include these in your first draft plot.

But there will also probably be times that you recognize a plot hole and just need to let them go—until draft two. Pausing to fix them will take up too much of your time, and this will distract your creative process.

You don't want this.

Instead of focusing on plot holes, make a note in a bright color or bold font. “ They get over this chasm. ” Or, maybe even place a note in brackets [Like this].

You can also add it to your revision list (which we will discuss in a future post) for later. In fact, I encourage this. Make a note and then move on with the story. Finish the scene. You will probably feel better getting that problem down in a place it won't be forgotten—but also so you can forget about it now and get on with your draft.

You will thank yourself for it later.

Plot holes can be filled in future drafts. Even better, progressing your story may even help you come up with better solutions to those problems.

It will also probably save you time, since your plot (and other details) will likely change as your story changes. Wasting your time on a plot hole that might not even exist in the long run won't be worth your time fixing until later in you writing process.

You First Draft Won't Be Perfect

Your first draft will probably come out ugly. It’s imperfect, it’s messy, and chances are it’s full of spelling mistakes and grammar errors and every writing “don’t” that exists.

But that’s okay because that’s exactly what a first draft should look like. Even better, no one has to see your first draft unless you ask them to read it. There's nothing to be embarrassed about if it's not your best draft.

It won't be your best draft, but it is your first step to constructing your future polished draft.

In truth, I have never let anyone see my first drafts. If I can help it, the first draft of Headspace will never see the light of day.

But if you can accept that this is the nature of the first draft, then you will have overcome your first block. Instead of focusing on perfection, you now know that all you have to do is focus on what’s in front of you: the story, the tone, and getting to know your characters.

Once you make it over this hurdle, you will be able to use the tools I give you throughout this series with greater efficiency. And all of these steps will get easier the more you practice applying them to your first draft process.

In the next post in this series, we will take a first look at these tools and get ready to start planning that ugly first draft. 

Planning is a great next step—now that you understand what you should care about in your first draft, and what you shouldn't bother with (yet).

Which of the three elements do you struggle to accomplish in your first draft? Why do you think you struggle with this? Let us know in the comments .

Today is about some quick planning.

For fifteen minutes , write the big ideas for the beginning, middle, and end of the story idea you've been working on with this series ( how to write faster ). This will help you develop a small plan for your first draft, and give you a goal to work with until you've finished it.

Completing your first draft will also help you focus on the other two elements needed in your first draft—but that are best discovered while writing your manuscript—tone and characters.

When you're done, don't forget to share your beginning, middle, and end in the comments for feedback. And be sure to comment on someone else's post, too!

J. D. Edwin

J. D. Edwin is a daydreamer and writer of fiction both long and short, usually in soft sci-fi or urban fantasy. Sign up for her newsletter for free articles on the writer life and updates on her novel, find her on Facebook and Twitter ( @JDEdwinAuthor ), or read one of her many short stories on Short Fiction Break literary magazine .

I get hung up on the details and language. I think of the scenes in this story in vivid vignettes where everything is just so. I have no idea what the characters are saying, or how it moves the story forward, but I can spend a paragraph detailing the cigarette burning down to the butt and falling off the lip of the Tab can.

of course, my biggest challenge is writing the story. I’ve written so many “details in past years, that it hindered me from just telling an Entire story from beginning to end. Thanks JD! After reading your clear process, I’m Finally In My Way!

Writing a synopsis of the story really helped me regain a sense of momentum. I love the idea of a revision list and not getting stalled over plot holes.

One concern I have is that I either over tell/show or don’t go far enough. I’m a decent storyteller out-loud, but when it comes to writing something that is readable for others, that’s a whole new world for me. I’m sure to be a stumbler, but am glad I found a place to at least make a stab at doing it right.

I was doing some of the things you mentioned NOT to do, like worrying about the fine details, trying to use fancy words and styles, and not listening to my character. I will study this lesson, perhaps several times, and see if I can’t improve some of my bad habits when preparing my manuscript.

At the beginning of my story the lead character has come to realize a critical need. He must reexamine his worldview about how to deal with interpersonal relations in both his social and professional spheres. His challenge is to develop a greater empathy with and tolerance for the views and viewpoints of others. He must overcome not only a predisposition to regard his own conclusions as singular and correct, but also to tolerate contrary views and approaches of others. He responds to this challenge by accepting a new job with wider responsibities in a distant location (seeking a “geographic cure”).

The middle of my story deals with how his attempt to change professional. environments and responsibiities brings his shortcomings. into focus. He learns how to deal with differing viewpoints and challenges in order to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and tolerance.

His progress in this. quest. is impeded by a jealous rival who works to thwart his efforts by gaslighting and other means. My character’s task is to discover this rival’s plot, expose his campaign and place him in a position where he can no longer continue to disrupt the local professional environment.

The climax comes when my protagonist accomplishes the necessary goals in his professional sphere, but finds that he has not been able to deal satisfactorily with more intimate personal challenges (the B story).

This denoument forms part of the premise for a sequel.

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An Overview of First Draft Examples: What You Need To Know

Are you curious about how to go from your first draft to your final draft during the writing process? Learn more about how to polish first draft examples below!

After all of your ideas are on paper, it can be a challenge to take your work and move it from a blank page all the way to the publication stage. Even best-selling authors and non-fiction writers have to revise their work before they finish it. They need to fix their point of view, fill in potholes, and they may even have to proofread sentence structure. This is even an opportunity to eliminate areas of unintentional plagiarism.

Whether you are on your second track or third draft, you need to take a closer look at your initial statement and make sure it matches your ideas. This is also an opportunity for you to correct typos and commas, further polishing your draft.

Whether you are a non-fiction writer or a blogger doing some brainstorming and creative writing, you need to appreciate and respect the editing process. Make sure you have your word choice down and learn more about moving from the first draft to the final draft!

The First Draft Is More Abstract

The final draft is more focused, the final draft is more about the audience than yourself, 1. on writing: a memoir of the craft, by stephen king.

• 2. Ernest Hemingway on Writing, by Ernest Hemingway and Larry W. Phillips

3. The Simple Guide to the Writing Process, by Patricia Martin

4. the writing process: a step by step approach for everyday writers, by david hatcher and lane goddard, final word on first draft examples, how do you write your first draft , what are the benefits of writing a first draft , the differences between a first draft and a final draft.

When you are writing a story , there are a lot of differences between your first draft and your final draft. In general, your first draft is going to contain everything you want to say. In contrast, your final draft will include everything you need to say. If you keep these differences in mind, you should be able to produce a beautiful, professional, finished product. 

One of the first differences between a first draft and a final draft is that the first draft will be more abstract. In contrast, the details of the final draft are going to be more significant.

In general, your final draft should not contain everything that you think is clever or interesting; however, it should include details that are relevant to the main purpose and that add meaning. Even though the first draft may contain a lot more abstractions, the final draft is going to focus on the details that are most important to the rest of the story.

It is not unusual for the final draft of your story to be significantly longer or shorter than your first draft; however, it does not need to be. It needs to be more focused on your first draft.

Even though this often means that the final draft gets shorter as you remove unnecessary information, it is also entirely possible that you have produced a skeleton first draft that you will fill in later. In this case, the final draft may get longer. Again, there is no length requirement. Instead, you simply need to make sure that your final draft is focused and to the point. 

Finally, you may notice that the first draft is written more for yourself while the final draft is written more for your audience. When you produce your first draft, you should write from the heart.

You may feel like your words are flowing from your fingers or your pain, creating a beautiful essay that is entirely about things you find interesting. Eventually, you will have to make a concession that not all this information is needed. Therefore, your final draft will likely be more about what you think the audience has to know. In this manner, your final draft is more about your audience than yourself.

Whether you are writing an essay , a research paper, or a short story, you need to keep these differences in mind. That way, you can keep your story on track and on point.

Top Works on First Draft Examples

If you are curious about the writing process, you may want to look at the information published by some of the best-selling authors of all time. Fortunately, a lot of these books are available on Amazon. Some of the top examples of books you may want to use to help you produce your first draft include:

Stephen King is one of the best-selling authors of all time. He is known for his Illuminating work, his meticulous attention to detail, and his thought-provoking works. As a result, many people have taken a close look at his writing style , trying to figure out what makes it tick. Now, people no longer have to wonder, as he has published a memoir that focuses on his writing style.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft  is a helpful book for any aspiring author. This book will provide people with an insight into his experiences, habits, and tactics that allow him to produce such notable works of literature.

In addition, writers can learn more about the challenges that Stephen King encounters during his own writing process that they may be able to apply to their own work. That way, new writers may be able to develop new ideas, overcome writer’s block, and figure out what they have to do to produce a finished product. 

“When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story, he said. “When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.”

2.  Ernest Hemingway on Writing, by Ernest Hemingway and Larry W. Phillips

If you are interested in producing a good first draft of a book, then you may want to take a closer look at this collection of memoirs from Ernest Heminway. Without a doubt, Ernest Hemingway is one of the greatest writers of all time. A prolific writer who produced a wide variety of works during his career, he serves as a testament to all other writers who want to improve the quality of their work. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that many people are looking to learn more about his writing process. 

This book represents a collection of reflections from one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. He shares his thoughts on what has made his writing so profound, and he gives advice to those who would like to follow in his footsteps. He talks about one of the biggest challenges that he encountered during the course of his career, and he discusses what he needed to do to overcome them. 

One interesting point is that during the course of his career, Ernest Hemingway believed that it was bad luck to talk about writing. Despite that, he realized that he had a duty to share his thoughts with other people. So he talked about writing in his novels, stories, letters, and interviews. In many ways, he wrote just as much about writing as he did stories. Now, this book provides individuals with an opportunity to learn more about work habits, discipline, and the skills required to become a good writer. 

“All you need to write is the blue-backed notebooks, the two pencils and the pencil sharpener (a pocket knife was too wasteful), the marble-topped tables, the smell of early morning, sweeping out and mopping, and luck were all you needed. For luck, you carried a horse chestnut and a rabbit’s foot in your right pocket.”

If you are concerned about the quality of your paper, another book you may want to take a look at is called The Simple Guide to the Writing Process by Patrician Martin. This book is a guide to the basics of the writing process. In particular, it is particularly useful for those who are trying to overcome writer’s block. Some people may not have enough information to write, while others might be confused about the organization of their work.

The book covers many important topics for people writing a wide variety of works, ranging from essays to short stories and even social media posts. Individuals who read this book will learn about the writing process, figure out how to brainstorm enough information to write, and even learn about graphic organizers to keep their information straight.

If you are interested in becoming a better writer, you may want to take a closer look at this book. It might help you overcome some of the biggest challenges during the editing process between the first draft and your final draft.

“Education is one of the only ways that we can improve ourselves at a low cost.” 

The Writing Process: A Step by Step Approach  is another book that may help you improve the quality of your work. Even though a lot of people believe that writing is a way to record sentences we have in our heads, it is also a way for us to share our ideas. This is a book that will help you change your approach to writing. With a simple, straightforward set of steps, you can figure out how to organize your ideas, what to do first, and how to improve your word choice.

Furthermore, you can also figure out when you have said enough in your writing. As you go from your first to your final draft, you may have difficulty figuring out which words to include, which words to cut out, and what ideas you need to elaborate on. This is a book that can help you do that. You can learn the basics of writing, figure out how to proofread your work, and learn how to do so much more than simply write a five-paragraph essay. 

“Readability is hard to define. Some writing can be clearly understood in one smooth, easy reading. But other writing is hard, unpleasant work, putting the reader through loop-backs, head-scratching, and displeasure.”

Ultimately, it can be challenging to move from your first to your final draft. Your first draft is everything that you want to say. If you think you want to include it in your work, then you should write it down.

At the same time, remember that not everything you want to say has to be included in your work. Eventually, you will have to fine-tune your ideas to help your work stay on track. That is where you need to move through multiple drafts until you have your final, finished work.

If you are having a difficult time with the writing process, you may want to look at a few books that can help you improve your work. Whether you want to learn from a teacher or one of the best-selling authors of all time, there are options available that can help you improve the quality of your work. 

FAQs About First Draft Examples

There is no single way to write a first draft. You simply need to make sure you get all of your ideas down on paper. Some people prefer to write too much and then cut later. Other people prefer to write a skeleton draft and then fill it out at the end.

You probably have a lot of ideas in your head that you want to get down on paper. Even if you do not know how to organize them, you should write them down. This will be your first draft. Then, you can figure out how to reorganize and rearrange your ideas into a professional, polished product.

7 Things NOT To Worry About During Your First Draft

August 7, 2017

Let’s start off with a fact: most (if not all) first drafts are terrible. Even Ernest Hemingway says so .

There’s not really any avoiding this, not even for the most talented or experienced writer. But when you think about it, the concept of a less-than-stellar first draft is actually quite liberating. It means you’re free to write without expecting too much of yourself, without constraint or worry or overthinking.

At least, that’s how it is in theory. But in practice, many writers still suffer from worries and setbacks during their first drafts. It can be hard to completely let go of what’s holding you back and just write, write, write.

If this sounds familiar – if you’re in the midst of a first draft and finding yourself stalling, stressing, or stuck – read on. We’re about to cover seven things you DON’T need to worry about during your first draft.

After all, what are second (and third, and fourth) drafts for?!

1. Writing quality

Here’s the first worry you should banish while working on a first draft: ‘the quality of my writing isn’t up to scratch’.

We don’t say this to convince you that it  is up to scratch; we say it because it absolutely isn’t, and that is  absolutely OK .

Nobody’s first draft reads like a beautiful bestselling novel. In fact, most writers’ first drafts don’t read very smoothly or elegantly at all. And the sooner you understand and accept this, the sooner you’ll finish that draft.

We understand that many writers are perfectionists (especially if you also happen to be a freelance editor ). You might be in the habit of writing and rewriting each sentence as you go, constantly doubling back to read and edit when you’ve just written.

While this kind of perfectionism isn’t necessarily a  bad thing, it’s far from ideal when you’re working on a first draft.

Revising and editing as you go makes for an extremely slow process, and can therefore halt the momentum of your storytelling. Obsessing over writing quality can also stilt your creativity – the last thing you need during your first attempt at writing your story!

Word choice, sentence structure, technical details like spelling and punctuation: these can all be set aside and worked on in later edits. For now, just let the words flow however they will so you can get the story on the page.

Just remember that the first draft is as bad as the book is ever going to be.” —Robin Stevens

2. Voice and style

Finding your voice and developing a unique writing style are among the trickiest things you’ll do as an author. For this reason, we recommend that you don’t focus on them during your first draft  at all .

Why? Because the only way to truly find your voice and style as a writer is just to write . Write what comes naturally, how it comes naturally.

It won’t be the most polished or perfect thing first time around, but it will give you something to work with later. The essence of your writer’s voice will be there, ready to hone and refine.

First drafts are not the place to be obsessing over the perfection of your writing style. First drafts are for getting lost in the story as you tell it to yourself. Working on the  way  you tell the story is strictly for the editing phase.

The first draft reveals the art; revision reveals the artist.” —Michael Lee

3. A flawless structure

Structure is one of the most important aspects of a novel – and one of the most difficult things to get right.

If you’re a ‘plotter’ rather than a ‘pantser’, you’ve probably considered your novel’s structure in great depth in your pre-writing planning process. But don’t fall into the trap of trying to perfect your structure before even starting to write.

Despite it being a bit of a cliché, the old ‘can’t see the forest for the trees’ adage is perfect for this situation.

When you’re writing a first draft, you’re so caught up in navigating your way through the story that it can be hard to see the grand scheme of things. And the grand scheme of things is where you need to be before you can properly consider your novel’s structure.

When you’re drafting, write whichever way works best for you. If it’s easiest to simply dash things down in the order they enter your head, do it. Don’t worry about whether your structure makes sense or is effective and engaging.

Don’t worry about little structural things, either, like breaking chapters in the right place . All of this can be fixed later, when you have a completed draft to work with and can see the bigger picture with a fresh perspective.

After all, what else is  structural editing  for?

I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shovelling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.” —Shannon Hale

4. Descriptions

We all love reading a novel filled with beautiful descriptions. Whether it’s a vividly painted portrait of a setting, or a detailed description that helps us picture a character, descriptions immerse us in the story and make it that little bit more ‘real’ for readers.

During your first draft, however, it can be all too easy to agonise over descriptions, rather than focusing on getting the story down.

Dawdling over descriptions and taking too much time to perfect them the first time around is a surefire way to slow your momentum when drafting. It can even become a method of procrastination, helping you avoid getting on with some of the more difficult elements of a draft.

Our advice: unless description flows quickly and naturally from your fingers as you’re writing your first draft, leave out the details and come back to them later. In your revisions, you can work on layering intricate details and painting a more vivid picture for readers.

The first draft is a skeleton … just bare bones. The rest of the story comes later with revising.” —Judy Blume

Good novels tend to be rich in their thematic content. After all, one of the most prominent functions of books is to make us think and reflect – about ourselves, our world and the nature of life itself.

When you consider what a book is about, there are two components: its plot and its themes. Plot is what happens in the story; themes are the ideas that arise from this. As Courtney Carpenter at Writer’s Digest suggests:

To put it in its most simple terms, theme is what our story means . How it relates to reality and life in general. What is says about life and the infinite roster of issues, facets, challenges and experiences it presents.”

Now, this is all well and good – until a writer starts worrying about themes during their first draft.

If you’re finding yourself stressing about your themes while you write your first draft, not only will you be held back from letting the story flow, you might also risk forcing themes into your novel. And if there’s anything a reader can spot from a thousand miles away, it’s a theme being shoved in their faces or spoon-fed to them.

Now, we’re not saying you shouldn’t think about themes at all while drafting your novel. Rather, we’re recommending that you have a basic idea of the themes your story might cover, but also realise that many of your themes will be explored unconsciously.

It won’t be until you finish writing and revisit the story that you realise what your themes truly are. Then, you can work on exploring them further during the revision process, fleshing them out with nuance and depth.

First drafts are for learning what your novel or story is about.” —Bernard Malamud

6. Minute details

Picture this. You’re writing away on your first draft, then you pause briefly to consider a small detail. Your character might be utilising a weapon, for example, and you might want to make sure it’s the right type; or you might wonder whether the weather conditions you’ve written are viable for your story’s location.

‘I’ll just check this quickly,’ you think, jumping onto Google… But before you know it, you’ve disappeared down a research rabbit-hole, and all your precious writing momentum is lost.

Sound familiar?

If so, you might not be writing as smoothly, quickly or effectively as you could be. You might be wondering why you’re not making as much progress as you hoped, or why the story isn’t quite flowing as you write.

To combat this, you need to get into the habit of passing over minute details and flagging them to come back to later. Treat them as speed bumps rather than road blocks during your first draft; pass over them and keep your momentum going.

This can be especially difficult for speculative fiction writers. When you’re writing fantasy and sci-fi, world-building is such a huge part of the process, and detail is often extremely important.

But remember: you can always come back and layer detail over your story in later drafts, and you can check everything for logic and consistency during the editing process.

Don’t get it right – get it written.” —James Thurber

7. Following an exact outline

Now, don’t get us wrong – we’re big fans of planning when it comes to novel-writing. If you outline your novel , you’re more likely to be able to push through the first draft quickly and efficiently using that rough sketch to guide you.

However, sticking rigidly to an exact outline can sometimes do more harm than good. You might risk stifling your creativity and restricting your story’s potential.

Remember to leave yourself free for the joy of discovery. If your characters suddenly take you down an unplanned, unfamiliar path, don’t be afraid to go with them. If your story starts taking a different direction than the one you intended, try it out and see what happens.

You can always revert to your original plan later if it doesn’t work. During your first draft, just enjoy the process and allow the story to unravel as naturally as possible.

The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” —Terry Pratchett

Writers, what are your tips for overcoming difficulties with a first draft? Share them with us in the comments below!

This post was written by Claire Bradshaw

27 comments.

Claire, This post hits on a lot of great advice. I am an author of picture books, with a novel I am marketing, and chapter books in the works. My favorite tool when drafting is the “comment” tool in Word. When I’m writing a passage and I know something will need to be fixed later, I simply put a comment such as “find the right Aztec clothing” in the comment box, and move on with my writing. It gives me the peace of mind to know what needs to be revised while not stopping the flow of the first draft. Thanks again for the words of wisdom.

Megan Higginson

Hi, James. I do this too. Once I started leaving ‘Comments,’ my writing sped up quickly.

Claire, thank you so much for all these great tips. I agree with them all.

Claire Bradshaw

You’re most welcome! Glad to hear the tips were useful for you, and that you’ve also been using the great Word comments trick James mentioned. It definitely takes a lot of the pressure off during that difficult drafting stage!

All the best with your writing 🙂

Thanks for your comment! So glad you found the post helpful.

Fantastic idea about using the comment tool in Word. Sounds like it makes your process a whole lot more streamlined (which I’m sure comes in handy, as it sounds like you’re a very busy author!).

All the best with your writing and marketing. 🙂

Peter Gibson

good article Claire, i agree 100% i have been down many research rabbit holes and then I have to snap out of it and get stuck in to it. The best thing I read before I started going gang busters, was to make the first draft a compost. Then rake the shit out later. Any advice or feedback is helpful I think. PS. I am also from Newy.

Great to hear from another Novocastrian! And very pleased to hear you enjoyed the article. It’s so easy to get distracted by research, isn’t it? Definitely agree with the ‘compost’ approach of throwing everything in to start with and refining later!

Best of luck with your writing. 🙂

Chantelle Christie

Oh my this was super helpful Claire! I get lost so much in the rabbit hole of research that most days I feel like this draft will never end. I could relate to almost everything you said. I got so frustrated today that I said to myself “You either need a writing mentor or a support group, this requires help” so I thank you for posting this article. Now I can happily give life to my story instead of belly aching over every little detail until edits.

Hi Chantelle,

So glad you found the article helpful! I totally know how you feel (and I can imagine every other writer does too!) when it comes to getting caught up in detail and research during a first draft. It’s nice to plan and be prepared, but there does come a time where the prep and planning need to give way to actual writing – hard as that part may be!

Wishing you all the best with your story 🙂

Yep, I’ve done #1 the whole time.

All the way through, I’ve been “I don’t like this”, “I should fix that”, “This is terrible” and the actual writing’s not finished yet.

But I’m most of the way through it…after almost a year and a half.

Congrats on your progress so far, Mark! Totally understand the self-doubt and self-editing impulse, but it sounds like you’re powering through it really well 🙂 Keep going!

Just write! Get your ideas down while you have them and deal with the mess later.

Totally agree, Anne! It’s super important not to stand in your own way during the first draft 🙂

This is great! Thank you, I really needed it. I let my best friend read the first 20 pages of my first draft ages and ages ago (not a good idea as I now realise because first drafts are just baaaaad) but I was talking to her tonight about my novel which I’m still working on and saying how I know parts are cringey but I’m enjoying writing it, and she said something about how those pages I showed her ages ago were cringey and not my best writing but she didn’t want to tell me back then. I don’t think she realises I’m still working on that story (just writing a different character pov at the moment) because that comment still crushed me a little. I know it’s not my best, but it’s discouraging to hear it from someone, you know? Anyway thanks for reminding me that first drafts are bad- and that that’s ok and in fact to be expected. When I edit it and rewrite it I’ll shape it into what it’s meant to be, but for now I just need to keep on writing and enjoy myself!

You definitely have the right idea – absolutely keep writing and enjoying yourself, and focus on rewriting, polishing and improving later! Totally understandable that you felt upset by your friend’s comments, but as you said yourself, it’s important to remember that it was the first draft they saw, not the finished product. Show them again once you’ve finished editing and rewriting and you’ll get a different response for sure!

Best of luck with your novel. 🙂

Thank you so much for this excellent post! The web is clogged with writing advice that honestly feels far from encouraging, but this post was just what I needed to read right now. I have indeed fretted over all of the above, and it has absolutely stifled my creative process. Trying to get it right from the get-go has made the entire process excruciating, and I’ve even considered quitting altogether. But I think I finally get it now… Just tell myself the story! Cracking on.

You’re very welcome, and I’m glad to hear the post was helpful to you! It can be so hard to let go of all those worries and, as you said, just tell yourself the story, but once you figure out how to, you’ll be on a roll for sure. 🙂

Best of luck with your writing!

I’ve just started writing my first fiction and the first draft has all of the issues you recommend to ignore. I’m getting along much faster now that I’ve read your post (even though its not readable!) Since I am a novice at this, I was surprised at how once I stopped worrying about the book and focused on the story, the characters and their story became more real to me. Thank you for the insight!

You’re welcome! So glad to hear the post has been helpful for you, and that the writing process has become a little smoother now you’ve been able to stop worrying. Best of luck with the rest of your draft. 🙂

Oh my gosh! I am so glad I found this article! Actually, I found it during a google “rabbit hole” I went down doing some quick research! I have 3 unfinished manuscripts and one that I started over a decade ago. I think in all cases I stopped because it was too stop and go and I eventually gave up as the process was so doggone slow! Reading my first one that I started when I was 22, I found it super cringe and just straight up yuck. LOL Now. throughout the whole writing process, I find myself experiencing self doubt (“who am i even to write this?”) questioning my ability to write and my literary knowledge as I have my GED and never went to college. The knowledge I have comes from lots and lots and LOTS of reading I’ve done over the course of the years and an insane imagination. That’s pretty much it. Thank you so much for your article! I feel so much better!

Good luck to everyone! We can do this!

So pleased to hear the article was helpful for you, Issy! Self doubt and impostor syndrome are common to pretty much every writer at some stage, and it can be really hard to keep going when you feel like you’re dragging your feet. But like you said, you have plenty of knowledge and experience with stories, so have confidence in yourself and keep plugging away at those drafts!

Best of luck 🙂

Igor da Silva Livramento

I’ve read this post about twenty times by now. Since I am struggling with some busy schedule as of now, I’ve halted the planning phase. When I get back to it, I will be sure to take my time (which does not mean procrastinating!) and then I’ll move on head first into writing the dang thing. All I know is that a character appeared to me in a dream and I will not lay it to waste! But alas, now is not the time to write fiction. Not yet. Soon, very soon, though… Cheers from a brazillian reader!

Dave Hickman

Sounds good Igor! No need to rush your planning.

Using dreams as inspiration for your writing is a seldom-used technique, but one which some writers use to great effect. If you have these types of dreams often you should keep a notepad next to your bed and keep a basic dream log every morning, and refer back to it from time to time. Over an extended period of time you could build up a fantastic collection of unusual ideas which you can use in your stories =)

Thank you angel! Write on time! Thank you so much the universe!

Richard James

Strange how this landed in my e-mail a day after I read some of my SECOND draft and thought ‘God this awful, how the hell am I going to write this properly?’ It was a sucker punch! And then I got this e-mail and I’m very thankful for it! Very thankful!!! And thanks for mentioning rabbit holes…..hhmmm let me just Google how a light switch actually works…UH OH!!!! Ten hours later……….

Many many thanks again,

Glad to have been of such a huge help, Richard!

Angela Jean

Very interesting article. I’m writing a spec fiction ms and I agree with the distraction of world building. I saw some comments about the comments feature in Word. Now I do XXX beside anywhere that needs obvious research or improvement. I also tell myself “it’s okay, the editor (me) will fix this” when I cringe while getting the stuff down. A comment I read a year or so ago was to get the content out of your head to make way for new ideas. Very true. I ruminate on ideas that haven’t hit paper so this has worked very well for me, remembering this. All the best and thanks for the read x Angela

Thanks so much for the quick editing tip Angela – we really appreciate your input on this!

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Indiana University Indianapolis

University writing center, university writing center blog, the importance of first drafts.

During the first draft most have no idea where they are going. Instead of just staring at the screen for hours and hours, all you need to do is just start typing. The first draft is where you get out the main ideas, but what some don’t realize is how sloppy it can actually be.

“The first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later.” (Lamott 528). No one is going to see the first draft, and another thing many forget (including myself) is to assure yourself that it’s just ideas, not your final draft.

“Very few writers really know what they are doing until they’ve done it. Nor do they go about their business feeling dewy and thrilled.” (Lamott 528). This is my favorite quote because it is very relatable for all writers. This even qualifies for academic and extracurricular use.

When it comes to exploring different ideas for stories it can be difficult because you don’t know where to start. Just write the ideas out and let it flow because I almost guarantee that it will become some of your best work.

But overall, to all of you college students out there, embrace yourself and your work. It may take many drafts to help you get there but it will all be worth it. It takes all that hard work and more to become the writer that you, college students, dream to be. Stay strong and write on.

Lamott, Anne. “Shitty First Drafts.” Bird by Bird: Some instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor, 1994. 21-27. Print.

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10 Things To Do After You Write Your First Draft

Remember : no one can write a great essay in one draft; a good paper requires revision, revision and more revision!

• Revisit the Prompt: After focusing so much on completing a draft, sometimes it’s easy to skip over the most basic purpose of your paper— answering the prompt. Read over the assignment and make sure that your paper addresses every single question your professor asks.
• Revisit the Thesis: Reread your thesis, and ask yourself: does your whole paper prove/support/pertain to your thesis? Make sure you’ve stuck to your thesis throughout each part of your essay, and remember that you should rewrite your thesis whenever you can make it a better guide for your essay. Sometimes the best theses are written after you’re done with everything else.
• Look at each paragraph by itself: Try to edit each paragraph by itself before looking at all the paragraphs together. Take a look at the “claim” of each paragraph, and determine whether each distinct chunk of your essay is fully developed. Does each paragraph have its own point? Have you supported the claim of each paragraph with evidence? Have you analyzed the evidence you used in each paragraph? Avoid super long and super short paragraphs.
• Look at the sequence of your argument: After you’ve determined what each paragraph argues, try to examine the sequence of your argument. Does the order of your paragraphs make sense? Could you reorder them to make the paper more logical? Do the transitions between paragraphs flow smoothly?
• Revisit the Conclusion and Introduction: Make sure that your conclusion and introduction do not contradict each other and that they do not just simply repeat the same ideas. The introduction should be a brief introduction into the question/ problem you’re answering, while the conclusion should go beyond just the main point you’ve stated (such as: the significance of your conclusion, further questions, etc.).
• Read your paper aloud: Reading the paper aloud will allow you to reexamine the flow and progression of your paper. It will also allow you to catch the grammatical mistakes, inconsistent tones, or awkward sentence structures that you might miss by simply reading the paper quickly to yourself. Pay close attention to active/passive voice and consistency of verb tense.
• Read and re-read your paper for different problems: Each time you read through your paper, try to tackle one thing at a time by having an important question in the back of your mind as you revise. Focus on issues such as: Have you addressed your target audience? Have you eliminated unnecessary or redundant sentences/ ideas? Have you analyzed, and not merely summarized?
• Talk about your paper with your friends: Try to have conversations about your ideas—sometimes talking can help you a lot with writing. Discussing the issues or each main ideas of a paper can help you discover for yourself what you really want to write about. Your friends can also help be a critical listener, and give you a chance to practice presenting your ideas to an audience.
• Think about your professor and class: Many professors have their own preferences for writing, and it can be useful to either speak with them about what they are looking for, or to pay attention to how they have marked your papers in the past. It is also a good idea to consider how your paper fits it with the rest of your class material and to try to draw connections with what you have learned in class and what you’re writing.
• Just Keep Swimming!: Remember that no paper is ever perfect, and that a good paper requires revising, revisiting and re-thinking. Writing is a never-ending process!

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Script Apart: Advice on First Drafts from 'The Acolyte' Screenwriter Leslye Headland

Leslye Headland, writer of 'The Acolyte' has a saying she finds useful when embarking upon a new screenplay: “The first draft is a dangerous neighborhood. You shouldn’t be wandering there alone.”

To the acclaimed filmmaker, best known for the Netflix series Russian Doll and recent Star Wars series The Acolyte , your first pass at a script is always destined to be imperfect. Listen to the full episode below to discover many more…

Getting Through the First Draft

“Finish the first draft. Just finish it!” she insisted when I spoke to her for my podcast Script Apart this week.

Spend too long mulling over every line of dialogue in search of instant perfection, and the likelihood is you’ll never get past that draft. Instead, it’s better to write as quickly as possible. Don’t loiter. Get out alive.

“Don’t go back and start editing. I know it’s tempting but the best thing you can do is write the bad version of the script. Use lines from other movies. Use the dumbest lines you can think of. Sometimes, put in something in brackets: ‘Say something here about the language of love.’ And then move on. Just don’t get stuck in that first draft,” Headland laughed, as we talked through how her first draft of The Acolyte pilot was—by her own admission—"terrible," bogged down in Game of Thrones -esque politics about the Jedi order that she ultimately cut as she rewrote.

Variations of this advice have existed as long as screenwriting has been a profession, and understandably so—nothing saps the excitement from a story you were eager to tell like laboring over the first draft for too long. Something about Headland’s way of putting it though, imagining a first draft as a “dangerous neighborhood,” made that advice resonate with me more than ever before, however.

You can improve an imperfect finished script. The same can’t be said for a screenplay that doesn’t really exist yet, because there’s not yet a completed draft. Which is why from now on, I’ll be approaching my first draft imagining it as a trip to Tatooine: a wretched hive of scum and villainy, as a famous Jedi once described it.

Try it yourself to see how it unlocks the force of your first draft.

Listen to the full episode of Script Apart , supported by ScreenCraft, WeScreenplay, and Final Draft, above.

Read More: What Screenwriters Can Do When Lost in the First Draft

Check out our Preparation Notes so you start your story off on the right track!

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