The body of a paper develops support for a thesis, so it’s important to have at least a working thesis before you start writing.

If you have sketched a preliminary plan, try to draft your paragraphs accordingly. If you do not have a plan, pause a moment and create one. Draft the body of your essay by writing at least a paragraph about each supporting point you listed in the planning stage.

Keep in mind that often you might not know what you want to say until you have written a draft. It is possible to begin without a plan—assuming you are prepared to treat your first attempt as a “discovery draft” that may be radically rewritten once you discover what you really want to say.

Whether or not you have a plan when you begin drafting, you can often figure out a workable order for your ideas by stopping each time you start a new paragraph to think about what your readers will need to know to follow your train of thought.

Once you discover the shape of your argument, you probably need to revisit and revise the introduction.

USING SOURCES RESPONSIBLY: As you draft, keep careful notes and records of any sources you read and consult. If you quote, paraphrase, or summarize a source, include a citation, even in your draft. You will save time and avoid plagiarism if you follow the rules of citation and documentation while drafting.

For more on citing and documenting sources, see MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.