Technical Writing For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 4

Crafting a Draft

IN THIS CHAPTER

Psyching yourself up

Writing your draft

Editing and revising your draft

Get down to it. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.

—WILLIAM FAULKNER, AUTHOR

You may be wondering why this chapter is so short. When you use the Technical Writing Brief (discussed in Chapter 3) and you plan properly (as Chapter 2 explains), you’ve provided the structure to draft your document with ease. With proper planning, writing the draft is just like adding meat to the bones. If you don’t plan properly, you may sit and sit and stare at your computer hoping that pearly words appear on the screen. They won’t.

Psyching Yourself Up

The most difficult part of writing the draft is getting started. Therefore, don’t wait for inspiration; just sit down and do it. Following are some helpful hints to put you in the “write” frame of mind:

• Get comfy. Try to get as comfortable as you can because comfort enhances concentration. For those who work in cubicles or shared office space, creating the environment you want isn’t always easy, but you can do a few things for yourself. If you like to air your feet, slip your shoes off. ...