Drafting and finishing
Drafting turns prepared material into connected prose. Protected time, a workable starting point and ways around temporary blocks help produce a first draft; finishing requires limits on polishing and a decision to let the manuscript go.
Readiness and uninterrupted time
Preparation can become an obstacle when an author remains indefinitely in prewriting and data gathering. Once the topic, research tools, notes, outline and references are together, the first draft can begin.
The creative work of a first draft needs several uninterrupted hours, whereas data collection, outlining and later revision can be done in discontinuous periods. With adequate preparation, a suggested allowance for drafting an average-length article is two to three hours.
A first draft aims to put thoughts into logical order, leaving spelling, minor grammar, word choice and verification of details until revision. Stopping to look things up or edit can interrupt concentration and the flow of ideas, so editing time should be planned separately.
Writing can also clarify understanding of a complex subject: explaining it on the page helps explore uncertainties in the thinking. Medical writers may begin without detailed knowledge of a specialty, disease or intervention; prewriting and trial and error help them accumulate and synthesise information for a protocol or patient pamphlet.
Starting points
Several approaches can help get the first words down.
- Start at the beginning and continue sequentially, an approach some experienced authors can use while controlling the finished length.
- Expand the outline in pieces, moving between sections as ideas arise and fitting the pieces into the planned structure afterwards.
- Create tables and figures first; deciding column headings and content can clarify the whole piece.
- Write a tentative abstract to focus thinking, although the final abstract is generally best written last because it summarises the completed article.
- Answer “What I Really Mean to Say is …” in one to three sentences and see whether words begin to flow.
Research-manuscript drafting can similarly begin with data figures, followed by the descriptive narrative organised around them.
Avoidance and writing rituals
When writing is due, coffee, more web research, rearranging a desk, telephone calls or email can seem more urgent. An action such as sharpening pencils may signal readiness for one writer and impede another. A dedicated writing space or a ritual such as lighting a candle can stimulate productivity through learned association.
Writing difficulties are common even among experienced authors. Remaining at the desk long enough to work is one practical recommendation.
Temporary blocks
Waiting for perfect ideas, fear of criticism or excessive self-criticism can contribute to writer’s block. Reading key references for context can help with block and procrastination.
Suggested ways to get unstuck are to:
- Brainstorm quickly, expand new ideas and consider cases as examples.
- Revisit each outline heading and add phrases describing what the section should present.
- Review notes, adding ideas, short paragraphs, examples and quotations.
- Leapfrog to a section of interest and fill gaps later.
- Change the writing medium, such as moving from a computer to pen and paper.
- Reread the draft for ideas that can be developed.
- Try a different writing time, including a time outside the usual preferred period.
- Imagine presenting the material to colleagues the next morning and plan that lecture.
- Discuss the project with an insightful colleague.
- Restate a key section already written.
- Rest the mind through a walk, music, television or meditation.
Limits to polishing and completion
No paper can satisfy every preference for content, structure, style, length or spelling. Excellence and necessary revision remain goals, but eventually the writer must judge the work as good as it can be made and finish it. Beyond a point, polishing may not justify the time it takes; project priorities should be balanced against available time and resources.
A completion strategy is to set a deadline and keep it, even if meeting it requires evenings or weekends. A reward tied to finishing and sending the manuscript, such as a long weekend away, can also help achieve closure.