Drafting
Printed Page 48-51
Drafting
When you have at least a preliminary outline, it is time to start drafting. Some writers like to draft within the outline created on their word-processing program. Others prefer to place a paper copy of their outline on the desk next to their keyboard and begin drafting a new document that follows that outline.
USING TEMPLATES
Read more about design in Ch. 11.
For your draft, you might consider using an existing template or modifying one to meet your needs. Templates are preformatted designs for different types of documents, such as letters, memos, newsletters, and reports. Templates incorporate the design specifications for the document, including typeface, type size, margins, and spacing. Once you have selected a template, you just type in the information.
See a Tech Tip on modifying templates.
Using templates, however, can lead to three problems:
- They do not always reflect the best design principles. For instance, most letter and memo templates default to 10-point type, even though 12-point type is easier to read.
- They bore readers. Readers get tired of seeing the same designs.
- They cannot help you answer the important questions about your document. Although templates can help you format information, they cannot help you figure out how to organize and write a document. Sometimes, templates can even send you the wrong message. For example, résumé templates in word processors present a set of headings that might work better for some job applicants than for others.
In addition, the more you rely on existing templates, the less likely you are to learn how to use the software to make your documents look professional.
Drafting Effectively
Try the following techniques when you begin to draft or when you get stuck in the middle of drafting.
- Get comfortable. Choose a good chair, set at the right height for the keyboard, and adjust the light so that it doesn’t reflect off the screen.
- Start with the easiest topics. Instead of starting at the beginning of the document, begin with the section you most want to write.
- Draft quickly. Try to make your fingers keep up with your brain. Turn the phrases from your outline into paragraphs. You’ll revise later.
- Don’t stop to get more information or to revise. Set a timer, and draft for an hour or two without stopping. When you come to an item that requires more research, skip to the next item. Don’t worry about sentence structure or spelling.
- Try invisible writing. Darken the screen or turn off the monitor so that you can look only at your hard-copy outline or the keyboard. That way, you won’t be tempted to stop typing to revise what you have just written.
- Stop in the middle of a section. When you stop, do so in the middle of a paragraph or even in the middle of a sentence. You will find it easy to conclude the idea you were working on when you begin writing again. This technique will help you avoid writer’s block, the mental paralysis that can set in when you stare at a blank screen.
USING STYLES
See a Tech Tip on using the styles group.
Styles are like small templates that apply to the design of smaller elements, such as headings. Like templates, styles save you time. For example, as you draft your document, you don’t need to add all the formatting each time you want to designate an item as a first-level heading. You simply highlight the text you want to be a first-level heading and use a pull-down menu or ribbon at the top of your screen to select that style. The text automatically incorporates all the specifications of that style.
If you decide to modify a style—by italicizing a heading, for instance—you need to change it only once; the software automatically changes every instance of that style in the document. In collaborative documents, styles make it easier for collaborators to achieve a consistent look.
To watch a tutorial on creating styles and templates in Word, go to Ch. 3 > Additional Resources > Tutorials: macmillanhighered.com/ launchpad/techcomm11e.