Drafting is an integral part of the writing process as it allows your work to improve and evolve.
Whether you're writing a story or an essay, you'll often find that your ideas and intentions change throughout the writing process.
Think Of Drafting As Pruning A Plant
Imagine that your initial idea is a young plant. The more you water it (or give it attention through writing), the bigger it grows. When the plant has reached a good size (i.e. The end of the first draft) you can then go back and prune and shape the plant, removing loose leaves and unwanted branches.
How To Redraft Successfully
It's important to draft, but it's just as important not to over-draft. If you edit your writing too much, you're in danger of losing the flow or making it seem as if you've tried too hard. Here are some tips for successful drafting:
- If you're writing fiction, resist the urge to go back and re-read what you've just written. Keep writing; you can redraft when you finish. Sometimes re-reading your work can make you doubt yourself and deter you from finishing, which is why it's best to wait until you've already finished. At least then you'll have something to work with!
- If you're writing an essay or an article, pay close attention to structure. Sometimes it can be easy to go off on tangents that, although interesting, are not relevant to the question or title.
- Finish your first draft and print it out. For some reason, it's a lot easier to spot mistakes when you're going over your work with a red pen.
- Don't be too hard on yourself - a first draft is allowed to be bad! If everything we wrote was perfect the first time, there'd be no need for drafting and editing.
