Write the Body of your Composition
In writing a draft, your main concern is to get your ideas down on paper. To a certain extent, let the topic take you where it will. Keep writing and do not be overly concerned about the exact wording or whether you punctuate correctly; concentrate on producing a lively flow of ideas and information. Be alert to new ideas about your topic, ideas that are fresh and potentially fruitful. You will revise and edit later.
Try writing your body in two stages. First, concentrate on the paragraphs and look at each individually. Do you provide enough details and examples? Second, look at the paragraphs as a group. Do the paragraphs work together as a unit? Do you need transitions to connect the individual parts logically and make them flow smoothly?
In other section, which deals with paragraphs, you will find advice on writing the topic sentence (PARA la) and the controlling idea (PARA Ib): strategies for paragraph development (PARA 2b) including coherence (PARA 3); and the use of transitions (PARA 3b).
As you write the draft, be mindful of your outline but do not become a slave to it. You may find yourself departing from the outline because you discover something new about your subject through writing about it. Let this happen, but make an “X” or a note in the margin indicating that you may be deviating from your plan. These notes will remind you of what you were thinking as you wrote and allow you to reconsider those thoughts in revising.
WPTips
Triple-spacing for Revision
If you triple-space between lines, you can easily make handwritten revisions on a printout (hard copy). Carry your hard copy with you to read at odd moments; sometimes when you are relaxed and not feeling pressed to produce, you will get new insights into your topic. Before printing out a final copy,. type changes, reformat, and double-space your file.
