Tricks for Drafting

Drafting is the stage of the writing process where you get the ideas you've captured in pre-writing into a draft ready for revision. It is also the stage where the dreaded notion of "writer's block" most often comes into play. Writer's block, that is, the inability to write, usually happens for one of two reasons: 1) you are trying to do too much and a kind of verbal constipation occurs; or, 2) the anxiety associated with the text you are crafting triggers a procrastination response. For help with how to overcome procrastination, look at my earlier post on the subject. You might also follow this link for some solid advice on some tactics for overcoming writer's block:

http://www.tcc.edu/students/resources/writcent/HANDOUTS/writing/writblock.htm

For advice about how to avoid verbal constipation, read on.

Drafting is about one thing, getting your ideas out of your head and into a form that can be revised. That is. It is, however, far from uncommon for writers who are just learning the craft to try to do too much besides asking themselves, "What do I say next?," and then writing down what comes to mind. Instead, they are try to revise their ideas or discover what they can say or proofread or some combination of all three while they try to draft a text. All you should try to do when drafting is getting the ideas discovered in pre-writing into a form which can be revised and proofread. You do this one at a time and section by section.

Trying to do everything at once results in taking a fairly tough job--crafting a draft--and making it much, much harder than it has to be. A good analogy is trying to cook every dish in a complicated meal while setting a formal table and entertaining guests. Just as a good meal shared with others requires planning out what needs to be done first, second, etc., so does crafting a successful text. Put off starting the entree until the last moment before your guests arrive, and you might as well send out for pizza.

Good writing takes time and focus, especially crafting long or complicated texts well. Just as not every meal is complicated to cook, you can write some kinds of texts with little forethought or planning. Just as a large meal requires a different level of planning, trying to craft a long, complicated text at the last moment is a recipe for disaster. Until you know the kinds of texts you can just write and those which need careful planning and a lot of time to draft and revise, give yourself more time than you think you need. A good rule of thumb is to double your first estimate and then add in ten percent.

Give yourself permission to take the time needed, to plan ahead, and to do each step in turn, and then you can succeed. Try to do everything at once without any plan, and--most likely--you will fail. Repeatedly fail, and you soon find yourself hating to write and thinking you can never learn. Learn to hate writing and you will loose confidence in your ability to write, and every time you write, you will feel anxious, because you want to succeed; indeed, you need to succeed, but you expect failure. Go through this cycle long enough, and you will avoid writing. Once the avoidance becomes habitual and unconscious, you'll have writer's block. So? Take the time needed to succeed and build confidence, not set yourself up to fail.

As always, write or call with questions.

Steve