Generative writing
The best way to draft is to use a technique called generative writing. It is similar to freewriting (see Lesson 1.x), but instead of rambling about anything that comes to mind, you focus on a specific topic. The goal is to generate as many words as possible without stopping to edit or overthink.
In scientific writing, the typical paragraph length in journal articles is about 250 words. When drafting, aim for a bit more—around 350–400 words per paragraph—so you have enough material to trim, refine, and reorganise during revision. This extra space makes it easier to cut redundancy and sharpen your argument without ending up too short.
Mess is allowed
We are not going for a perfect draft here, but a messy first draft. That means you don’t have to write perfect sentences or intelligent academic prose, even the spelling is allowed to be wrong – as long as you can still read what your wrote later, of course ;).
Use writing prompts
If you get stuck, writing prompts can help restart the flow. These are short, direct phrases or questions that nudge your brain into producing text, such as the example phrases used in Lesson 2.2. Two good resources to find useful phrases are the University of Manchester Phrasebank and ChatGPT.
Don’t edit while you draft
Editing while writing is a common mistake that can seriously slow down your progress. Here is what’ll typically happen. You’ve decided to write 500 words today and sit down in good spirits, coffee and keyboard at the ready. But by 11am you’ve barely written three sentences. What’s happening?
Every time you write a sentence, or even half of a sentence, you start making changes.
- Perhaps you need to look up a reference.
- Or maybe you decide you want to do a synonym search,
- you’re not sure of the spelling of a word.
- you’ve written a few sentences but don’t like the way they flow, so you end up fiddling around with it.
In all these instances, you are writing instead of drafting. You might not even be aware that you’re doing it. It’s tricky, because editing can also feel productive – but when you need to be drafting, it’s not.
A useful technique is to make use of short codes in your text while you’re writing, to remember that you need to edit something later. That way you don’t have to remember that you want to edit something, but you can just leave it until you’re ready to start editing. For example, [REF] for references you still need to look up, or [syn] for finding a better synonym.
Don’t think while you draft
While you’re drafting, you will inevitably think of new ideas. You may be tempted to run with this new train of thought, but remember that you’ve got to get some actual words on paper that are on topic.
It can be difficult to realise you are thinking instead of drafting, because both can look exactly the same – getting words on paper. To make things even harder, sometimes it’s actually better to follow a train of thought, because it leads to new insights. So how do you know when to get back on topic, and when to follow your meandering thoughts? Here’s what I recommend:
- Check if it’s on-topic. If the new idea directly strengthens the argument or section you’re working on, go ahead and pursue it.
- Capture tangents without derailing. If the idea is interesting but off-topic, jot it down in a “later” list so you don’t lose it, then return to your main thread.
- Timebox your wanderings. Give yourself five minutes to chase the new thought. Then pause and ask: Does this belong here, or does it deserve its own section? If it’s the latter, park it and move on.
Balancing focused drafting with curiosity is difficult! But the more you practice, the better you will become at recognising that your thoughts have wandered off – and at consciously choosing what to do next – the easier it gets to trust yourself with both.
Further reading: The Perfect Sentence Vortex and How to Escape It (2013) Research Degree Insiders. Available at: https://researchinsiders.blog/2013/03/05/the-perfect-sentence-vortex-and-how-to-escape-it/