The First Draft

Getting the first draft on the page can be tough, especially if you’re not excited about the topic. Writing can feel frustrating, and if you struggle to enjoy it, you’re not alone. Here are some helpful strategies to get you started:

• Accept that your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to exist. Let go of the pressure to get everything right. You can write messy sentences, use clichés, or make mistakes. Revision comes later.
• Focus on getting words down. If you’re stuck, you can use words like “I think” or “maybe” to help you think on the page.
• Copy a quote from a source and respond to it, or reflect on a quote from someone you admire.

The goal is to get your writing muscles working—your mind will start making connections as you go. Don’t wait to “feel” like writing or for inspiration to strike. Both tend to happen only once you start writing.

Don’t fear a messy first draft—it means you’ve started, which is more than many do. Now, move on to the second draft. It will still be rough, but better than the first. Start early so you have time for multiple revisions. If you wait until the last minute, you’ll only get one draft, and it will show in your writing.

Figure 1. Take a look at this example with notes a student wrote on her rough draft. Once you complete your own rough draft, you will want to engage in a revision and editing process that involves feedback, time, and diligence on your part.

The Second Draft

The second draft is about organizing your ideas logically and effectively. If your first draft is thorough, this step should be straightforward. Organize the main points that you plan to make, find supporting evidence for each point, and spend a few sentences explaining what conclusions you are able to draw from the information. Most assignments expect you to draw your own conclusions, so avoid weakening your argument with phrases like might, I think, or maybe. Edit them out for a stronger, more confident tone.

The Third Draft and More

The third and any subsequent drafts refine and polish your writing. These are the drafts that will hook your reader and help you earn the grade that you want. During these revisions, make sure you craft an engaging introduction and a conclusion that leaves a lasting impression. If your paper still feels disorganized, revisit your first draft and restructure it as needed.

Your main argument may evolve by this stage—that’s normal. However, you may need to go back to your first draft when this happens. This is also where the concept of show, don’t tell becomes important—rather than simply stating information, create an experience that allows readers to engage with your ideas and draw their own conclusions. Your audience wants to be informed, but they also want to understand your perspective on the topic.

During this draft, ensure your own voice is present and that you’re synthesizing ideas from multiple sources rather than just summarizing. Demonstrate a clear understanding of your topic while keeping your writing engaging. At this point in your writing, you can add action verbs, remove passive verbs, and use more examples. If your paper feels dull to you, it will likely feel the same to your readers.

Revising

Although we often use the terms first draft, second draft, third draft, etc., know that there are no set boundaries on what constitutes each draft. Your teacher may include specifics in an assignment, but if not, then there are no set definitions of what the drafting process looks like. The importance of writing multiple drafts is to revisit and revise your paper through multiple passes. If you hit a point where you’re not sure what the next step should be, here are three key questions to ask.

Figure 2. During your revision process, ensure that all of your claims are supported by evidence. This will strengthen your credibility as a writer.

1) Does the argument hold together?

Does your essay move convincingly from one point to the next? Maybe you decide to move your key points around and change the structure of the essay.

Do your paragraphs carry the argument clearly? You might want to look at the links between paragraphs to make the relationships between them more clear.

2) Is your argument supported by evidence?

Every point you make should have some evidence to support it. Maybe there’s still some reading you need to do to find the evidence you need.

3) Does the essay have an effective introduction and conclusion?

At this stage, you have a good idea of what the essay as a whole will look like. So now is the time to write and refine your introduction and your conclusion. These are much easier to write at this second stage than straight off at the start of your work on the essay.

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