Chapter 8: Writing the First Draft

What You Will Make

Produce a complete provisional draft and a short list of unresolved tasks. Complete means that the main parts have been attempted, not that every sentence is polished. You must resolve source gaps before submitting.

Draft One Reasoning Step at a Time

Choose the planned point for which you have the clearest evidence. State the point, introduce the relevant detail, and explain the connection. You can draft a body paragraph before finalising the introduction. Return to the opening once you know what the draft actually argues.

When you get stuck, leave a precise working note such as check whether paragraph 3 supports hesitation. Avoid vague notes like “add something here.” Never fill the gap with an invented quotation or citation.

Follow the Example Through a Draft

In the fictional “Empty Chair” exercise from Chapters 3–5, a workable sequence is: introduce the chair’s change; explain the blocked seat; examine the invitation and hand; draw together willingness and remaining uncertainty.

Suppose your first draft says “Mina becomes completely confident,” but the final gesture makes you uncertain. Record revise thesis to distinguish action from feeling. Change the thesis and conclusion after examining the detail, instead of deleting the difficult evidence to protect your first answer.

A first draft might also repeat the backpack detail in two paragraphs. Leave a note to give each paragraph a different job. You do not need to solve every sentence problem before seeing the whole structure.

Try It Yourself

Set a manageable writing session and choose its output: one body paragraph or a rough opening, for example. Draft that part, then write the next section’s job in a sentence before stopping. Repeat until the whole plan is represented.

At the end, list the three most important unresolved tasks in order. Example: verify the quotation; revise the thesis; remove duplicated background. Correcting a spelling error can wait until you know which sentences will remain.

Check Your Work

• Does every planned point have a draft section or a specific explanation of why it was changed?
• Are source uncertainties visible and actionable?
• Does the provisional conclusion follow the draft’s evidence?
• Have you saved a dated copy and a next-actions list?

Keep the source notes with the draft. The next chapter turns this provisional work into deliberate revision.