How to write a first draft: a small, workable process

Define the job of this draft

Write one sentence that names the reader, the question and the useful result. For example: “This note explains to new volunteers how to prepare the room for the weekly workshop.” That is specific enough to guide the content without deciding every sentence in advance.

Choose a manageable unit. If the whole report feels too large, draft the section that answers one question. You can work out of order when that makes the next step clearer, provided you come back and join the sections into a coherent explanation.

Make a short outline

List the questions the reader needs answered, then put them in an order that makes sense. For the workshop example, that might be: what to bring, how to arrange the room, what to check before people arrive and what to do at the end. Each item can become a short section.

Under each heading, add the facts or examples you already have. Mark a missing source or uncertain detail plainly. A placeholder such as “[confirm the room capacity]” helps you keep writing while making the gap visible. It must be resolved before publication.

• Purpose: what the reader will be able to do or understand.
• Opening: the answer or context needed to begin.
• Main sections: the questions in a useful sequence.
• Examples: the details that make the explanation concrete.
• Close: the next action, result or remaining question.

Write the explanation in ordinary words

Pretend you are explaining the section to one person who needs the answer. Put that explanation on the page, even if the sentences are uneven. Use your real examples rather than filling gaps with claims that only sound plausible.

For the room setup, “Put six chairs around each table, leaving the doorway clear” is already a useful sentence if those numbers and instructions are confirmed. “Create an inspiring environment” sounds smoother but leaves the volunteer unsure what to do. Specific content gives you something to edit.

If speaking helps, dictate one section, then read it back. Spoken explanations often contain repeated starts and unfinished references such as “that thing”. Replace those with the actual noun and organise the thought before calling it finished.

Review structure before polishing sentences

Read the headings and first sentence of each section. Can you follow the argument or task? Move sections that arrive too early, combine repeated points and add an example where the reader would otherwise have to guess. This pass is about the reader’s route through the document.

Purdue’s business-writing revision guidance stresses revising from the reader’s perspective. Use that idea as a question: what information does this person need at this point? You can then make a separate pass for shorter sentences, consistent terms and unnecessary repetition.

Turn the draft into a version you can share

Check every placeholder, name, date, link and factual statement that depends on a source. Make sure any example you invented is labelled as an example. Review the opening after the body is written, because the draft may now answer a narrower or different question than you planned.

For a practical note, ask someone unfamiliar with the task to explain the next action after reading it. For an article, ask what answer they took away and where they wanted more detail. Their response gives you a concrete revision target. Save the first draft if you want to compare changes, then work on the shareable version.