By Dana P Skopal, PhD
Writing is rarely completed without a number of drafts – be it a document for work, such as a report, or an assignment at university. You need to revise your first draft, as your first version may often be a brain-dump of information.
As writers we need to understand the four key steps of planning, drafting, editing and proof-reading. However, drafting and editing are linked, and some view this as revising document versions. Drafting usually involves writing the main sections of your report /assignment, after which you often evaluate if you have made a strong report recommendation/solution or an appropriate response to the assignment question. After this evaluation, a writer can revise the first draft by adding or deleting information. The next stage is editing, which allows you to make changes to ensure your meaning is clear and your sentences make sense (and your message is coherent). Drafting and editing can be recursive, as drafting leads to editing, which can lead to further revising with new ideas if gaps are evident.
In our work in large organisations and in the university, we see people write several drafts but their main message remains unclear. Writing to get your message across means you should know your main argument – that is, what message does your reader need to understand. If you are not certain of what the main point is, then no matter how many drafts you write, your document may be confusing for your reader.
For some writers, drafting may come before a real plan emerges. To check your message, you should be able to explain your key points in two minutes to a colleague. Even record yourself on your mobile phone. If you know your material, you can put an effective argument together when you are not bogged down looking at the words on the computer screen. Effective writing involves planning and thinking as well as drafting and revising versions.
So when faced with producing a document or an assignment, read and know your information. Then think, plan, draft and revise your text. Planning, drafting and writing are all intertwined. Next, there is the final step of proof-reading.
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