Create a Draft

When you start writing you should begin with a draft of your information. Regardless of whether you are writing a paragraph or a book you should write down the basic thought or information that you are trying to put across to your audience.

Many times a writer will go back to the draft for reference or as a starting point if the first efforts are not satisfactory. By preparing a draft you will not need to worry about whether you remembered the points that needed to be covered or what the purpose of the writing was.

You may only need a few words or brief sentences for your draft. Writing your thoughts as well as your references or quotes down ahead of time will free your mind to create compelling content without trying to hold all the important details in your head as you work.

If you are writing an article or report you should just write the thoughts down as they come to you for your first draft. You can go back and edit it when you've put everything on paper. If you're writing longer content, such as a book, you need to create a table of contents along with a brief summary of each chapter as a basis for getting started.

Do not be concerned with proofreading or accuracy on your first draft. If you need to do more research or check a fact you can go back and do it later. Getting started can be the hardest part for most writers. Avoid getting caught up in making it perfect the first time and you will find it much easier to progress from beginning to end without too much stress.

Make it Clear

When you've finished your first draft you will need to read it over from start to finish and make notations of areas that need clarification or rewording.

Sometimes the information you write down makes sense to you but is not clear to others. This can easily happen when your writing is based on information you already know but are taking for granted that your audience is also aware of. Even if your readers SHOULD have some knowledge of your topic, if you don't clarify the basis for your comments they may find the information confusing or misleading.

Carefully read over your information or ask for an objective opinion. If you must do the final check for yourself it is easier to catch mistakes if you leave the information for a while and go back to it later for a fresh look. Try to look at it from the perspective of your reader and determine if they would understand the language or explanations easily.

Accuracy and Proofreading

When your writing is finished it is important to check it for accuracy. Are dates, statistics or facts accurate? Are you using proper spelling, especially for names and places?

It is very easy for readers to double check your information when they are browsing the internet. If something strikes them as being ?off? they may actually go see if what you state is referenced somewhere else on the internet.

Proofreading should always be done before publishing your content. Using a spell checking program on your computer will catch most spelling errors but you should try to have a second party review the final copy to catch mistakes that you may have overlooked.

Writing your own content can give you a great sense of accomplishment and ownership. While trying to maintain a professional writing style can be very important, it is also effective to allow your own personality and style to shine through and permits your audience to connect with you.

As interesting as the writing process is, there are some warnings to keep in mind when you choose to write for yourself.

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