Drafting essay paper

For most kinds of writing, an introduction announces a main idea, several body paragraphs develop it, and a conclusion drives it home. You can begin drafting, however, at any point. For example, if you find it difficult to introduce a paper that you have not yet written, you can draft the body first and save the introduction for later.

Drafting is the stage of the writing process in which you develop a complete first version of a piece of writing. Even professional writers admit that an empty page scares them because they feel they need to come up with something fresh and original every time they open a blank document on their computers.

If you are typing your rough draft, remember to SAVE OFTEN. There is nothing worse than a power outage or dying laptop to cause you to lose hours of work. Just remember: This is a rough draft. Don't freak out if it isn't perfect--just get through it.

Write your draft in chunks. Some people like to start with their introduction, some prefer to start with their body paragraphs. Whichever your preference, make the process more manageable by breaking up the essay into chunks--take it one paragraph at a time and give yourself a small break between each one. Consider hand-writing your first draft.