How to Write a First Draft

Every piece of writing – articles, poems, essays, novels or editorials – begins with a first draft. For this reason, you need to know exactly how to go about that all important first draft.

Of course, the first draft is not the finished product. It is just a beginning. So there really isn’t any need striving for perfection at this stage. This is the most important thing to note even before you begin your first draft.

Other tips for writing a first draft are clearly explained in very simple terms below.

1) Plan:

Even if you Harold Bloom himself, you must plan your work. This plan is a road map, as it were, that will take you to the destination at which you want to arrive. How do you plan your work? In simple terms, your plan is also an outline of what you want to write. This should give you an idea of length, content and writing style. Will you write in the first person, second or third person? Which narrative technique will you adopt? All these should be settled before you begin. So, you plan your work and then you try to work your plan. Easy as pie!

2) Flow:

In writing a first draft, you need to just write as quickly as possible and write as much as possible. You may consult your outline from time to time to ensure that you are on the right path. But the thing is that you need to flow. This is very important or else your first draft will get held up and the work will simply run into a hitch.

3) Don’t Edit:

This is where a lot people waste much valuable time. If you are writing a first draft and you pause mid way into the writing to edit and correct, you’ve lost the plot. Two things will happen. First, the flow of your thoughts will be broken. Again, your writing will be a jumbled mass of discordant ideas. Just finish writing the first draft and then begin to edit or re-write.

4) Leave Space:

If you are writing and you get stuck, don’t waste valuable time searching for the right word or the right expression. Just leave space or draw a line to indicate the missing expression and continue. By the same token, leave space for places where you have to verify the right date, city or other specific information. By doing this, you have continued with your work and you can always find the specific word or expression later when you are editing.

5) Be Productive:

You need to write your first draft with the approach of a production manager. Time yourself and try to finish up within that stipulated time. If you don’t have a sense of production, your first draft will take ages and still remain unfinished.

Finally, understand that a first draft is a beginning and not an end in itself. For this reason be ready to work on it until you are happy with the finished product. This is how to write a first draft and make a success of it .