Opening the book…
Drafting is the stage of the writing process in which you develop a complete first version of a piece of writing. Even professional writers admit that an empty page scares them because they feel they need to come up with something fresh and original every time they open a blank document on their computers. Because you have completed the first two steps in the writing process, you have already recovered from empty page syndrome.
You have prewriting and planning already done, so you know what will go on that blank page: what you wrote in your outline. This means that you are on your way to the first draft. You just need to type up what is in your outline. Do that first then later in step 4, revising, you can determine what needs to be added to your essay. The Chapters in Section 2 entitled “Writing Paragraphs” and “Writing Essays” will also help you review how to really develop your pre-wring and outlining in the drafting step of the writing process to express your ideas clearly and fully.
Making the Writing Process Work for You
The following approaches, done alone or in combination with others, may improve your writing and help you move forward in the writing process:
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Just start. Just getting started can be the hardest part. Having an outline should help but don’t put off just sitting down and typing the draft. This is the “zero draft,” the beginning and it does not need to be perfect. You will improve it in the revising and editing steps of the writing process. You put extra stress on yourself by waiting to get started and it can be a form of self-sabotage. Remember you can’t do well if you don’t try.
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Write one paragraph at a time and then stop. As long as you complete the assignment on time, you may choose how many paragraphs you complete in one sitting. Pace yourself. On the other hand, try not to procrastinate. Writers should always meet their deadlines.
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Take short breaks to refresh your mind. This tip might be most useful if you are writing a multipage report or essay. Still, if you are antsy or cannot concentrate, take a break to let your mind rest. But do not let breaks extend too long. If you spend too much time away from your essay, you may have trouble starting again. You may forget key points or lose momentum. Try setting an alarm to limit your break, and when the time is up, return to your desk to write.
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Be reasonable with your goals. If you decide to take ten-minute breaks, try to stick to that goal. If you told yourself that you need more facts, then commit to finding them. Holding yourself to your own goals will create successful writing assignments.
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Keep your audience and purpose in mind as you write. These aspects of writing are just as important when you are writing a single paragraph for your essay as when you are considering the direction of the entire essay.
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Take a step back. When you have completed typing the draft, take some time away from it. When you have been working on an essay for quite a bit of time, taking time away from it can distract and relax your mind so that you can look at it again with fresh eyes. If you have time, put it away for a day or two. This is key to the revising step next as revising means “re-seeing” your work.
MLA Formatting Basics
When you begin to type your essay, format it correctly using the most current MLA, Modern Language Association, version for most English classes will be important. It is best to set some of the format before beginning to type.
MLA format:
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Use a typeface that is easy to read, such as Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, and a font size of 12-point
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Use one-inch margins all around. Align your essay text to the left margin.
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Double space the entire document
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Insert page numbers using the Page Number Header in the upper right corner of each page. Type your last name to the left of these. o Example: (Smith 1)
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Set the program to take out extra line spacing in the document o For example, Word adds extra line spacing if not re-set
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Begin document with your name, your professor’s name, class title, and date at top left of page – not in the header
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Center the title of your essay o Capitalize the main words of the title
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Indent paragraphs using the tab key o it should be set to tab 5 spaces as the default
The following is an example of how the first page should be formatted, and its text also provides an explanation of how to format using Word:
Student Name Last Name 1
Professor’s Name
Fundamentals of English (class name)
28 Feb. 2022
MLA Formatting of Papers
If you read this paper, it is actually directions for formatting papers in the MLA style. To begin, check the formatting settings; they are in the task bar
or accessed under the “Paragraph” section in the task bar. Use either 10- or 12-point font; check whether your professor has a preference. Bold font should
never be used, just regular plain readable font. Make sure to double space the entire document, beginning with your name to the end. Watch out for odd
spacing that Word applies. Line spacing can be changed in the paragraph section of the tool bar. The margins should also be set at one inch, top,
bottom, left and right; this is often the default setting. Ask for help formatting if you are unsure.
Your name, professor name, class, and date begin at the top left of the page; never put them in a header. The only thing that goes in a header is
your last name and the page number. To do this, go to Insert along the top tool bar, then choose Page Number instead of header. Using this will
automatically number the pages of your essay. From the drop-down box under page number, choose Top of the Page and under that choose Plain Number 3
which puts the page number to the right side. After you click it, move your cursor to the left of the number and type your last name followed by a
space. This completes the page numbers, and you may exit the header. In the online version, the page numbers are represented like this: <#>. Do not
type anything there, just move your cursor to the left of the number and type your last name followed by a space. In the online version, the page numbers
will not show as in this version but will be indicated by a header flag to the left of the page. They will show up when you print your essay.
After completing the page # header and heading information, move on to the title. Center the title using the centering tool in the paragraph section
of the tool bar or Control E. Only capitalize the major words in a title. Never capitalize the whole title or use bold font. It should be the same font and size
as the rest of the paper. Remember to change back to left justification after centering the title to begin the first paragraph. Use the tab key to indent the
paragraph(s). Then, keep on typing. Do not hit return/enter until you begin a new paragraph; the program will automatically indent new paragraphs after
the first one. Formatting before beginning to type the paper will save you from having to make more formatting corrections in the end.
Do not play with the formatting to make your paper appear longer. Professors can see this, believe it or not. They may ask you to explain and re-do
your paper. It also may affect your grade, more so than if you had just turned in a paper shorter than required. Trying to trick a professor like this does not
reflect well on your character.
Some reasons why it is important to correctly follow the formatting style:
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It shows that you know how to do it.
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If you do know how, doing it correctly shows your attention to detail.
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If you are concerned about creativity, formatting is not the place for it. Your writing is where you should show your creative and original thinking.
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If you do not know how to do it, please ask your professor, a classmate, or see a tutor. It shows that you can follow directions.
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It does make an essay easier for the professor or anyone else to read.
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This makes it easier for a professor to grade as well.
Naming Documents
Take time to name your documents clearly and specifically when saving your essays or any document so that you can locate them easily when you go back to them. This saves time and confusion. It is especially important to do this on online documents since platforms like Word Online automatically name your documents as “Document #.” If you do not change those titles you can end up with a list of documents titled: Document 1, Document 2, Document 3, … Document 39. Having document titles in this format is a recipe for disaster. You may have trouble locating an essay or assignment for submission or worse submitting the wrong one in an earlier version or for a completely different assignment. That makes you look like a poor organizer and that you are not conscientious about your work.
When naming be careful of generic names like Essay #1 or Research Essay. It would be better to name the document with an indication of what class it is for. For example, Comp 1 Essay #1 or Comp 2 Research Essay are more specific titles. This will avoid confusion with a research essay done in a history class or a sociology class. Staying organized in this way will make finding and revising essays or assignments easier. Take the time to do it.
This page titled 3.4: The Writing Process Step 3- Drafting was last modified on Sun, 14 Jun 2026 05:59:17 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by The Butler Community College English Department.
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