Pfeiffer Library: Drafting: What Is Drafting?

Definitions

What is Drafting?

Drafting is the process of creating your assignment.

The Drafting phase of the Writing Process can take up quite a bit of time, and includes other elements of the writing process such as editing/revision, and peer review.

If you're trying to start here, we recommend you visit these other guides to plan out your work before you begin the drafting process:

Brainstorming
Library guide for generating ideas.
Creating Outlines
Guide for planning the layout of an essay prior to the drafting process.

Drafting is like the creamy center of the writing process. To read more about the elements of the writing process, we recommend the following resource:

Dziak, M. (2018). Writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing). Salem Press Encyclopedia.
The writing process is the series of actions taken by writers to produce a finished work. Writers, educators, and theorists have defined the writing process in many different ways, but it generally involves prewriting tasks, writing tasks, and post-writing tasks. More specifically, these tasks include planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing, in approximately that order.

Types of Drafts

Rough Drafts

Rough drafts are the first segment of the drafting process, where you're placing information on the page. A rough draft may undergo editing by the writer, but it is not the polished version of the assignment (hence why it's "rough").

Final Drafts

Final drafts have been edited numerous times by the author, and may also undergo the benefit of a peer review.

The final draft is considered your perfect copy of the assignment, where all errors have been removed and the work has undergone numerous phases of revision.