Writing Effectively at The World Health Organization

DRAFTING

Drafting is the process of getting your ideas into sentences and paragraphs according to your outline. The transition from planning to drafting can be challenging.

Just as it was in the prewriting stage, your primary task is to get the words down on the page. The structure you have established during pre-writing and the information you have gathered will help guide your writing. At this point, you should not be concerned with the finer points of style and mechanics. You will have time to work on those aspects of your draft later. Trying to get it all perfect the first time is the surest way of developing a case of writer’s block. So don’t worry about making mistakes in your writing during this stage. It is much easier to revise a first draft than it is to write it in the first place.

Another strategy you can try is to write your document in the order that works best for you. Do not try to write an introduction first or stick to a beginning-to-end structure unless that is what you prefer. Write the sections that come easiest to you and then go back and try the harder ones.

People often underestimate the efficiency of drafting, thinking they can complete their writing task more quickly by writing their final product in one brave effort. However, time spent in drafting will save you time overall. The time spent on these preliminary steps is worth it!

© WHO 2011