#9: Can I start writing now?

Once you have a clear idea of the focus of your write up, it’s time to hit the keyboard. Here’s how the flow goes.

Get a rough draft out quickly
As with every project, there is a deadline to meet. So, write as quickly as possible to get your rough draft out by following the outline that you’ve planned. Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation or style yet. What you want is to put it all on the page. Resist the strong urge to edit and revise as you write, leave that till the copy-editing stage.

Revise the rough draft
The next step is to revise what you’ve written, i.e. copy-edit the rough draft, to give you your first draft.

• Take time to read through the rough draft slowly.
• Simplify sentences and reword awkward, wordy phrases.
• Smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs.
• Replace vague words or terms with more precise wording.
• Check for errors in grammar, spelling and punctuations.

Edit the first draft before submitting to client
Sometimes, if time allows, put the first draft away for a day. Let your mind freshen up and then go back for another round of editing. This way, you may be able to pick up errors that are overlooked during the first revision. It is also essential to have another writer or editor to copy-edit your first draft before it is e-mailed to the client.