Quick Help: Guidelines for drafting

• Set up a computer folder or file for your essay. Give the file a clear and relevant name, and save to it often.
• Save and name your files to distinguish among drafts. Since you will likely change your text over time, save a copy of each version. If you are sending a copy to classmates for review, give the file a new but related name. For example, for a first draft saved as religion essay d1, save a copy as religion essay d2. Then, when you receive responses, you can leave the copy of your first draft as is and make revisions on religion essay d2.
• Track changes within a document file to try out new versions. Most writing software allows you to track changes you make within a draft, seeing how new material would look and deciding later whether to keep or discard the changes. This function is useful when you are working on a piece of writing with another writer or when you aren’t sure which version of your draft you like best.
• Have all your information close at hand and arranged according to your organizational plan. Stopping to search for a piece of information can break your concentration or distract you.
• Keep track of any sources you plan to include. Keep a working bibliography (12c), and make notes in your draft of any information that comes from your research. If you find useful information online, you can cut and paste it into a document to ensure that you have the information exactly as you found it; however, highlight or save it in a different color so that you don’t mistakenly borrow writing that is not your own. (Chapters 13 and 14)
• Try to write in stretches of at least thirty minutes. Writing can provide momentum, and once you get going, the task becomes easier.
• Don’t let small questions bog you down. Just make a note of them in brackets—or in all caps—or make a tentative decision and move on.
• Remember that first drafts aren’t perfect. Concentrate on getting all your ideas written down, and don’t worry about anything else.
• Stop writing at a place where you know exactly what will come next. Doing so will help you start easily when you return to the draft.