Appendix C Planning, Drafting and Proofreading PLANNING Whenever you have an important essay, letter, report or article to write, it’s well worth taking time to work out in advance exactly what you want to say. Consider also the response you hope to get from those who read the finished document and decide on the tone and style which would be most appropriate. " Next, jot down, as they come into your head, all the points that you want to include. Don’t try to sort them into any order. Brainstorm. (It’s better to have too much material at this stage than too little.) " Then, read through these jottings critically, rejecting any that no longer seem relevant or helpful. " Group related points together. These will form the basis of future paragraphs. " Sequence these groups of points into a logical and persuasive order. " Decide on an effective introduction and conclusion. DRAFTING Now you are ready to write the first draft. " Concentrate on conveying clearly all that you want to say, guided by the structure of your plan. " Choose your words with care. Aim at the right level of formality or informality. " Put to one side any doubts about spelling, punctuation, grammar or usage. These can be checked later. (If you wish, you can pencil queries in the margin, or key in a run of question marks – ?????.) " When you have finished this first draft, read it critically, concentrating initially on content. (It can help to read aloud.) Have you included everything? Is your meaning always clear? Should some points be expanded? Should some be omitted? Have you repeated yourself unnecessarily? 193 TEAMFLY Team-Fly ® " Read the amended text again, this time checking that you have maintained the appropriate tone. Make any adjustments that may be needed. " Examine the paragraphing. Does each paragraph deal adequately with each topic? Should any paragraphs be expanded? Should any be divided? Should the order be changed? Does each paragraph link easily with the next? Are you happy with the opening and closing paragraphs? (Sometimes they work better when they are reversed.) Should any paragraphs be jettisoned? " Are you happy with the layout and the presentation? " If you have made a lot of alterations, you may wish to make a neat copy at this stage. Read through again, critically, making any adjustments that you feel necessary. You may find third and fourth drafts are needed if you are working on a really important document. Don’t begrudge the time and effort. Much may depend on the outcome. PROOFREADING When you are happy with the content, style and tone, you are ready to proofread. Proofreading means scrutinising the text for spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage and typographical errors. " Make yourself read very slowly. Best of all, read aloud. Read sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph. Read what is actually there, not what you meant to write. " Check anything that seems doubtful. Check all the queries you tentatively raised earlier. Don’t skimp this vital penultimate stage. Don’t rely wholly on a computer spellcheck; it will take you only so far (and, in some cases, introduce errors of its own). " If you know you have a particular weakness (spelling, perhaps, or not marking sentence boundaries – commas are not substitutes for full stops!), then devote one read-through exclusively to this special area. " When you are satisfied that you have made this important document as good as you possibly can, you are ready to make the final neat version. If, in the process, you make any small errors, don’t simply cross them out and don’t use correction fluid. Rewrite. When the last word is written, you can be 194 APPENDIX C PLANNING, DRAFTING AND PROOFREADING satisfied that you have done your very best. Good luck! Note: If you have a form to fill in, it is well worth making a few photocopies before you start. Practise what you want to say on the photocopies. Fit what you want to say carefully in the space available. Then complete the original form. It’s well worth the extra time taken. APPENDIX C PLANNING, DRAFTING AND PROOFREADING 195 . you only so far (and, in some cases, introduce errors of its own). " If you know you have a particular weakness (spelling, perhaps, or not marking sentence boundaries – commas are not substitutes. version. If, in the process, you make any small errors, don’t simply cross them out and don’t use correction fluid. Rewrite. When the last word is written, you can be 194 APPENDIX C PLANNING, DRAFTING