Writing the Paragraphs in the First Draft from The Longman Writer Chapter 6

After prewriting, deciding on a thesis, and developing & organizing evidence, you’re ready to write a first draft --- ---a rough, provisional version of your essay in which you provide: paragraphs that support your thesis all relevant examples, facts, and opinions sequence your material as effective as you can

You may find that… But that’s OK--- Remember, writing is a PROCESS your thesis has to be reconsidered or reshaped a point no longer fits you have to return to prewriting to generate additional material But that’s OK--- Remember, writing is a PROCESS

How do I move from the outline to the first draft? There is no RIGHT WAY to do it Some people rely heavily on prewriting, scratch notes, and outlines. Others only glance at them occasionally. Some people type their first draft. Others prefer to start with a handwritten draft.

Using your outline to draft Make the outline’s main topics (your roman numerals) the topic sentences of your paragraphs Make the outline’s subtopics (your capital letters) the subpoints of each paragraph Make the outline’s supporting points (Arabic numerals) the key examples and reasons in each paragraph Make the outline’s specific details (lower-case letters) the secondary examples: facts, statistics, expert opinions, and quotations

What if I get a new idea? It is OK (actually, great) if you get fresh ideas while drafting. Go ahead and throw promising new thoughts in and go back and evaluate them during revision.

What if I get stuck? It’s OK (actually, it’s quite normal) REMEMBER, it’s a ROUGH draft; it doesn’t have to be perfect! Relax. Don’t be critical. Work quickly. Don’t worry about perfect spelling or grammar Feel free to skip down to another part of the paper Consider rereading what you’ve already written – OUT LOUD

Write the supporting paragraphs 1st Since the introduction depends heavily on everything that follows and is the bait to catch the reader’s attention, consider writing the body paragraphs 1st Go ahead and write out your thesis, though, to keep you focused Keep your supporting paragraphs focused with a topic sentence (a main point from your thesis or roman numeral from your outline) Think of this as a mini-thesis for each paragraph See The Longman Writer for specific examples and tips

Make your supporting paragraphs specific Provide examples that answer who, what, which and similar questions Replace general nouns and adjectives with precise/specific ones Old car – beat-up car – rusty, dented, old Chevy pick-up Replace general verbs with vivid ones They seemed excited – They whistled and cheered Replace abstract words with concrete ones Use imagery (words that appeal to the 5 senses) Provide adequate support for your points

Grab the reader’s attention--- Write the Introduction Hook the reader with one of the following: A brief anecdote A quotation Onomatopoeia A dramatic fact or statistic Briefly providing some background information

Wrap it up--- Write the Conclusion Don’t just stop writing after your final point. Your reader deserves a satisfying ending Consider saving a compelling fact, statistic, quote, or detail for the end Consider returning to and referencing an image, idea or anecdote used in the introduction Consider driving home your point by rephrasing your thesis You may sum up your argument, make a prediction based on the information you provided, or call your reader to some sort of action

JUST START WRITING Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by the blank page