drafting

(noun)

The preliminary stage of a writing project in which the author begins to develop a more cohesive product.

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(verb)

The process of beginning to write and revise a paper, with the understanding that no one else will see it.

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Examples of drafting in the following topics:

  • Step 4: Drafting

  • Getting Help Meeting College Writing Expectations

    • Your university can provide several resources to help you through the process of planning and drafting an academic paper.
    • Writing in drafts makes academic work more manageable.
    • Drafting gets your ideas onto paper, which gives you more to work with than the perfectionist's daunting blank screen.
    • Saturday: Look again at the draft and continue to make changes/additions/deletions.
    • Sunday: Write a final draft.

  • Writing While You Research

    • Even if you are not officially at the drafting stage of your paper, that's okay.
    • It can be tempting to get bogged down in the research process and avoid moving on to actually writing a first draft.

  • Step 3: Outlining

    • After you choose your topic and assemble your research, organize your ideas before you start drafting.
    • An outline is a great way to troubleshoot and firm up your argument before you commit to it in a draft.
    • You can (and probably will) change the structure of your argument when you draft your paper, and perhaps again when you revise.
    • Leave enough time after creating your outline to get at least a night’s sleep before writing your first draft.

  • Introduction to the Writing Process

    • In high school, students usually submit their work in multiple stages—from the thesis statement to the outline to a draft of the paper, and finally, after receiving feedback on each preliminary piece, a completed project.
    • You might wonder how to approach the drafting phase without feeling overwhelmed, or you might be curious about the brainstorming methods we recommend.

  • Step 4: Drafting

    • The drafting phase creates a coherent path for the reader to follow from thesis to conclusion.
    • The first draft is the time to focus on doing that.
    • Writing drafts makes the work more manageable.
    • With that in mind, here are some ways to maximize the benefits of drafting:
    • Allow time between drafts: One of the great benefits of writing a series of drafts is that it allows your brain to sift through the information layer by layer.

  • Step 5: Revising

    • Drafting and revising is a dialogue between the inner artist and the inner critic.
    • In the prewriting stage, we ask the inner critic to take a nice long nap all the way through the first drafting phase, but now we awaken it and put it to work.
    • Revision begins after you've finished your first draft and is repeated as often as necessary from that stage forward.
    • It's useful, though, to take at least a day and a night away from the draft, rather than jumping into revising immediately.
    • If not, though, recognize that you're repeating the steps you used in drafting.  

  • Turning Your Claim Into a Thesis Statement

    • Because your entire argument must relate to it, it is important that you know what your thesis is before you start drafting your paper.
    • Since all thesis statements need to relay the same pieces of information, you can start drafting yours by following the formula: "I am working on the issue of _____ in order to prove that _____.

  • Discussing Writing in Class

    • The advice given above on class discussions also applies when you and your peers are given time in class (or in a group study session, in the writing center, etc.) to workshop drafts of each other's papers.
    • Give the author two positive comments, and three suggestions for improvement in the next draft.

  • Saying Why It Matters

    • As you draft your introduction, you should seek to answer the following questions: Why did you take the time and effort to conduct this experiment?