Writing the First Draft

Before engaging in the writing of the first draft you should have various materials to help you out, namely your outline and your thesis statement. With the outline and thesis ready, you will have an organized and logical idea of the essay. You should also, by this stage, be aware of the sources that you intend to use to support your claims.

You are now ready with all your material to begin to write. Remember that your writing can be rough and you can go back and forth as many times as you wish to polish your work. Refer to your outline every now and then to be sure that you are not going off topic.

If you are having trouble with a specific paragraph you can skip and move to the next idea. Afterwards, you can go back and work on certain ideas that are more complicated.

For more information on specific paragraphs refer to the sections on introductions, body paragraphs and conclusions.

Remember that the first draft is the base from which your work will develop. The effort you put into the first draft saves time and effort on second drafts. Do not procrastinate; do not put off writing your first draft, and always allow yourself enough time to produce quality work. If you cram the writing of your draft into one session, not only will you be stressed and tired, but you will not have an opportunity to look back at your work before you turn it in. And even the most professional writers find something to correct when they have a second look.