Give a working draft one clear purpose
Before editing individual sentences, describe what the reader should be able to do after reading.
Drafts, structure & useful revisions
Writing Workshop
Notes on clear drafts, useful labels and the work of revising a short text.
A draft becomes useful through a series of small choices: what the reader needs, which detail explains the point and where the next paragraph should begin. This workshop collects practical readings about making those choices clearly.
Explore the notebook
Start here
Begin with the reader and the draft
Use file names as small pieces of context
A helpful name makes a document distinguishable from its neighbours.
Give each paragraph one useful job
Paragraphs help a reader follow the order of an explanation. Each should add a distinct piece of reasoning or evidence to the point already in view.
Move from the purpose to the final pass
Start with drafts when the purpose is unclear, or paragraphs when the route through the text feels uneven. Examples and revision help test the explanation; labels, titles and handoffs help someone return to it later.
Read in sequence or choose one question from the index. The collection offers editing practices and ordinary examples, without claiming to measure a particular organisation or writing process.
Choose a note from the full index, or read how this notebook is arranged.