OUTLINING AND DRAFTING: THE WRITER'S FIRST STEPS

 

Outlining and Drafting: The Writer’s First Steps
An outline is, in essence, a to-do list for writing. Nothing is more mysterious than that. It gives you a sense of direction, a roadmap for what you wish to say. Once your outline is sketched, you move on to the first draft—el borrador—where you begin to give shape to your ideas.
The First Draft: Writing “en sucio”
The first draft, also known as a rough draft, is the stage where you simply write down your ideas as they come. You may follow your outline closely or discover, as often happens, that new ideas appear while you write. If so, let the outline bend. It exists to serve you, not restrain you.
A rough draft’s purpose is to organize and develop thoughts, not to shine. When drafting, you should avoid stopping to polish your style. Do your best, of course, but resist the temptation to revise while writing. As Google aptly puts it: first drafts don’t have to be perfect; they just have to be written.
The Second Draft: Shaping the Text

Once the rough material is on the page, you begin your second draft—or even your final draft—where revision truly begins. Here you: 
correct and edit
remove needless words
polish grammar
eliminate ambiguity in punctuation
catch repetitions
choose more precise synonyms
fix typos and spelling mistakes
This stage transforms raw writing into a fair copy, a clear and accurate reflection of your ideas and a strong demonstration of your communication skills.
How Many Drafts Are Enough?
Writers often underestimate the number of drafts a good text requires. To put things into perspective: Abraham Lincoln prepared five different drafts of the Gettysburg Address. Crafting a memorable piece of writing usually takes more than one pass—often several.