second draft of essay

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What is accidental plagiarism, writing a second draft.

Steps for Crafting a Second Draft of an Essay

• Reread your first draft slowly, caring about how each of your main points are expressed, how the thesis holds up to the rest of your essay, and the technical side of your writing such as grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• Fill in the blank spaces you might have left while writing the first draft; include content you noted in the margin while writing your first draft. Stated succinctly, clean up the clutter: complete all sentences and expand a little on all ideas that weren’t fully elaborated on.
• Take a closer look at the order your arguments are organized in and see whether they hold together. This means the essay should flow from one point to another in a convincing manner. At this step, you might want to change certain key points, or even the structure of the whole essay.
• Analyze each argument you introduce and decide whether the evidence is sufficient, and whether the argument is appropriate to your topic. In other words, consider whether your arguments answer the question: “Does this argument match my thesis and develop its concept properly?” Mind including several alternative perspectives as well.
• Pay additional attention to the introduction and conclusion section. Think of several catching phrases for the introduction that would draw in reader’s attention and logically lead to the thesis statement. Also, think about the best way to summarize your arguments and thesis statement in the conclusion.

Key Points to Consider

• The second draft is usually easier to craft because you already have the material written down, so your task is more about trimming it than writing from scratch. However, you might want to experiment and write the second draft from scratch based on what you have written in the first copy.
• The second draft implies that you start filling in the blueprint of your essay you drafted so far with specific details. Therefore, at this point, it may turn out that you need to conduct additional research to verify your data, or create more convincing arguments. An insufficient supporting base can be noticed easily, so make sure all information you present in your future essay is credible.
• You can’t cram all your ideas into one piece of writing. If you have made notes about several ideas on the same issue or argument, you must choose only one of them. This way your arguments will be precise and pinpointed.
• In the second draft, you can start paying attention to punctuation, grammar, style of writing, and other technical issues you ignored in the first draft copy.

Do and Don’t

Common mistakes when crafting a second draft of an essay.

– Proceeding to the second draft immediately after completing the first one. You may want to finish this process as soon as possible, but the truth is when your head is full, you can hardly think of anything worthwhile.

– Introducing multiple arguments per paragraph, thus trying to put all your ideas into one paper. This way you can’t enhance your writing, because for your arguments to sound convincing, it must be heavily supported by evidence; since essays usually have a word limit, you can hardly support all the arguments you want to come up with appropriately. Choose only the most significant arguments.

– Forgetting the importance of revising your initial thesis statement. Reformulate it, or even completely change it if you see that it doesn’t appear to correspond with your arguments.

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More from Stages of the Writing Process

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Samples for writing a second draft, parental control as a necessary measure in the upbringing of modern children (part 2) essay sample, example.

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Marissa Meyer

From idea to finished, step 5: the second draft.

Once I’ve had some time away from my first draft, it’s time to start in on revisions. Naturally, the first stage in revisions is . . . the second draft!

The second draft is the most complicated stage of my writing process, and half the time I feel like I have to re-learn this part with each new book, but I’ll do my best to break it down into something that seems halfway logical…

Note: This is the stage where I start using Scrivener, an organizational software program for writers. I’m a big fan of Scrivener, but it’s certainly not necessary. I’ll include notes following each step for how I used to do this before I had Scrivener.

1. Transfer the manuscript into Scrivener.

I started using Scrivener with Cress, and I love it. It really plays to my neurotic sense of organization (more on that later). But I still prefer to write my first drafts in Word, because it’s easier for me to keep track of word counts and my daily word goals.

So for me, the first step of writing the second draft of a book is to transfer the text of the first draft into Scrivener. I separate each scene into a different Scrivener chapter file.

Not using Scrivener? No problem. Skip this step.

2. Read through the first draft.

Reading through the first draft is often a humbling experience. No matter how inspired I was, no matter how thorough my outline, no matter how excited for the story—the first draft is inevitably a disaster. So it goes.

But before we can make anything better, we have to figure out what’s wrong with it, which is why this initial read-through is very important.

I am not making changes when I read this draft. I might fix a typo here or there, but anything more complicated than that gets marked as something to fix later. I try to read the first draft as quickly as possible (within a day or two), so I can get a feel for the big picture.

While I’m reading, I’m simultaneously doing three things:

1. I’m updating the synopses (aka notecards summaries) for each chapter in the Scrivener file. This way, when I’m done, I’ll be able to look at the 2-3 sentence summary for each chapter and know what happens in it.

Not using Scrivener? You can do the same thing by making a list in a separate Word file, i.e.:

Chapter 1: Scarlet is delivering food to the tavern. We learn that her grandmother is missing.

Chapter 2: Scarlet meets Wolf in the tavern. She sees Cinder on the netscreens and stands up for her. Brawl breaks out.

Chapter 3: Blah blah blah…

I also call this making my “scene list.”

2. I’m updating my list of BIG changes I want to make (I almost always have a list started from back when I was writing the first draft and already thinking up things that needed fixing). I’m looking for things like plot holes, flimsy characterization, twists that seem contrived, villains that are too boring or too easily defeated, romances that don’t sizzle, and the like.

3. I’m noting smaller changes on a chapter-by-chapter basis. I note these changes in the “Document Notes” portion of Scrivener, so that they’re kept separate for each chapter. These will be things like: Insert Iko into this chapter. Or, Give Cinder something to do during this conversation—maybe have her fixing something? Or, Give Thorne a knife here (he needs it later).

3. Plan the Revisions, Starting with the Big Stuff

Once I’ve finished my read-through, I’m starting to have a sense of what’s working in the book and what’s really, really not working. I review those BIG issues I want to fix and start brainstorming solutions.

For example, in the first draft of Scarlet, Wolf had amnesia—he couldn’t remember anything of his life prior to arriving in this small town in France. But in reading that draft, I was unhappy with how passive of a character this made him. I wanted him to be filled with internal conflict that stemmed from conflicting loyalties to Scarlet and to his Pack (which wasn’t possible when he had no idea who or what a Pack was).

So I decided to do away with the amnesia entirely, which changed the basis of a lot of scenes throughout the book. Chapters and chapters had been dedicated to Scarlet and Wolf trying to find out more about his past—hunting down police records and the like—and those chapters now either had to be deleted or altered to fit with Wolf’s new reality. To change something that had been so integral to the plot before is never an easy task, but I knew as soon as I made the decision that the story would be stronger for it.

I go through my entire list of BIG changes this way—figuring out why something isn’t working and trying to come up with something I can do to make it better or stronger. Some solutions come easily, some will plague me for weeks or months. Many things that are bothering me at this stage won’t have feel completely fixed until the third or fourth drafts of the book, but I do my best to start working toward solutions now.

Once I’ve landed on a solution that I think is going to work, I start moving chapter-by-chapter through the book and notating what would need to change in each chapter to exact that change.

In the case of Wolf no longer having amnesia, I went through each chapter and, if it was a chapter in which Wolf’s amnesia was mentioned or impacted the plot, I made a note like: Remove discussion of his amnesia. Or, This chapter no longer relevant—delete. Or, Change conversation and dynamic—Wolf comes to the farm because he has info on Scarlet’s grandmother, not because she was nice to him and he has nowhere else to go. Or whatever.

I do this for each “issue” that the first draft had, for every scene. Sometimes a chapter might require only one or two changes, sometimes it will be more than a dozen (and may need to be entirely rewritten).

4. Reviewing Plot Structure and Rearranging Scenes

Often, the massive changes required of a second draft mean that scenes will be deleted or added or moved around. This is the number one reason I like Scrivener—it makes it really easy to re-order chapters, no cutting & pasting required.

As I rework different elements of the plot, I’ll often use the “corkboard” function in Scrivener to see if the order of chapters are still making sense and rearrange as necessary. I’ll update the synopses of chapters as they evolve so I can always see, at a glance, how the story is progressing from scene to scene to scene.

I’ll once again think about plot structure. Is my “inciting incident” accounted for, and can it be more intense? Is the suspense building consistently and leading to a satisfactory climax, or do I need to up the stakes somewhere?

Not using Scrivener? A technique I used before (and still sometimes use when a plot is extra complicated and I need more flexibility than Scrivener gives me), is that I print out my scene list (see #2, above), cut each chapter into its own strip of paper, and spread those out on a large table. Then I can rearrange them in the same fashion, once again able to see the “big picture” all at once. Be sure to leave space in each scene to add notes as you brainstorm.

(Re-arranging the plot without Scrivener.)

5. Developing Subplots

During the outlining and first draft stages, I’ll no doubt uncover some subplots and they’ll no doubt factor into the major arcs of the story, but they don’t usually get fleshed out until the second draft because I was focused on the major plot before.

Now it’s time to start exploring those subplots in more depth, expanding them, and connecting them to the main plot in a way that feels natural.

In the first drafts of both Scarlet and Cress I was almost entirely focused on the major plots of the title characters—Scarlet and Wolf seeking out Scarlet’s grandmother; Cress and Thorne trying to survive the desert and get back to the ship. Meanwhile, I had a chapter here and there of the secondary plot (Cinder trying to learn more about her past; Cinder trying to stop Levana), but it was relatively sparse until the point where the subplots merged.

It wasn’t until the second draft of each book that I really focused on these and other subplots, i.e., pretty much any Kai or Levana scene!

When I’m planning out my second draft, I take stock of the subplots—what’s going on with the minor characters? Does the villain have their own arc? Are there things happening in the story world that need more development (such as a war or the ongoing spread of a plague)?

Once I pinpoint a subplot, I ask myself if it has a beginning, middle, and end, just like with a major plot, and if those points flow together in a natural way.

NOTE: SCARLET SPOILERS AHEAD.

In the first draft of Scarlet, I’d written the chapters in which Cinder and Thorne escape from prison and make it to the Rampion, and I’d written the end where they find Scarlet and Wolf and drag them out up into space. I maybe had a scene or two in between, but otherwise, there wasn’t much happening with those two characters.

So in planning out Draft Two, I had to figure out what they were doing in between these two major points of the story. How and why do they go find Scarlet? How are they spending their time aboard the ship? What is Cinder’s goal in this book and how does she pursue that goal? How can I maintain some romantic tension between Cinder and Kai when they never see each other? And also… Iko!

All these questions lead to ideas for new scenes. After that, it’s a matter of fitting them into the major plot (Scarlet and Wolf) in a way that felt balanced and natural. Easier said than done, ha!

END SCARLET SPOILERS

For more complicated books, like Cress and Winter, I used Scrivener to add keywords denoting subplots in each chapter, so that when I was looking at my corkboard I could see how often and at what intervals each subplot was mentioned. That way, I can see at a glance that, for example, Kai hasn’t been mentioned in the last twenty chapters (nooooo!!), which tells me that I should insert a Kai-centric chapter, or at least remind the reader about him somewhere in those twenty chapters.

Not using Scrivener? I’ve done a similar trick using colored sticky notes or colored game pieces from board games and placing them on my scenes (as described above).

6. Always Make it Worse

And by “worse,” I obviously mean “better.”

I often find that I go way too easy on my characters in the first draft. Characters fall in love and get that first kiss way too early. The villain is too easily vanquished. The protagonist too quickly finds a solution to their problems.

The second draft is where I start making it worse for the characters. How can I challenge them? How can I test them? How can I push them beyond their limits? What cruel, awful things can I do to them now?

Sounds sadistic, I know, but this is where conflict and suspense come from. If you’re going too easy on your character, the reader will get bored.

Always be asking yourself, during every draft: How can I make this worse?

7. Write (Rewrite / Revise) until you have your Second Draft

By the end of all this prep work, I should have a manuscript that’s been rearranged and restructured in a way that will (hopefully) tell the story in the most optimal, suspenseful way possible. In each chapter I’ve listed a series of notes for the things that need to change in that specific chapter. I’ve added placeholders for brand new chapters and summarized what they’re going to be about. I’ve moved any chapters that are no longer applicable into a “deleted scenes” folder (because I’m paranoid about actually deleting anything).

Then… I start rewriting!

Like with the first draft, I give myself goals, such as “revise 2 chapters per day.” I also aim to write lineally, but like with the first draft, if I get stuck or am inspired to work on a chapter later in the book, I’ll do that if that’s what I need to keep up my momentum.

Compared to my fast first drafts, the second draft is sloooooooow. Anywhere from three to nine months slow. (At least, that feels really, really slow to me.) In this draft, I’m not so much trying to get through the story fast, rather I’m trying to savor the story and let my imagination explore the world and the characters and the plot while I’m rewriting it, so that I’m open to fun, new, magical ideas if they come to me. I’m much more focused on making the story click together as a whole and make sense and start to be somewhat readable.

My second drafts change a lot. With Cinder, I’d estimate I only salvaged about 10% of the first draft. Alternatively, with Heartless, I’d say about 50% of the second draft was new material. So the percentage has gotten better with each book, but . . . I’m still rewriting a lot, a lot.

It still won’t be perfect—far from it!—but this is the draft where it starts to feel like a real book.

After I’ve finished, I give it another simmering period before moving on to additional revision drafts, which I’ll get into next week.

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Scott Berkun

How to write a second draft.

As I’ve been working on The Year Without Pants , I wrote recently about how to revise a first draft , including what I call The Big Read : where you sit down and read through the entire draft in as few sittings as possible.

The result of that big read is a manuscript that looks something like this:

This set of pages had more notes than average, but every page has commentary from me. I avoid rewriting as I read, focusing instead on giving myself as much advice and input for the actual rewrite, which happens later. There are many different kinds of suggested changes I note for myself:

• Trivial typos, phrase changes, and line edits . If I catch something quickly I’ll suggest a change, but otherwise I’ll mark it with a question mark or circle.
• Sentences or paragraphs that are redundant.  If it reads redundant to me, it definitely will to a reader. I edit harshly. Having a complete first draft makes this easy, since I know no single paragraph matters as much to readers as it might to me.
• Questions I need to answer to justify keeping a passage . As a reader I note things that don’t make sense, need better explanation, or sections with style problems such as unfunny jokes, distracting self-aggrandizement or even arguments that I myself question.
• Notes on things repeated across chapters (probably should be killed).  In a book length draft there is always unintended repitition where I make the same point twice or more without acknowledging it. This is bad. It’s like talking to someone with no short term memory.
• Within chapter flow suggestions . Is the opening strong? the closing? Does each story and point flow? Can I reorder paragraphs to make it stronger?
• Across book flow suggestions (should a chapter be earlier? later? killed?) – these are the scariest changes to consider. Moving large blocks of text around ripples through a book, forcing many other passages that need to be changed. This is why the big read is important: it’s the only way for me to keep most of the book in mind during the second draft. If I worked on a 2nd draft over several weeks, I’d have a harder time remembering where everything is and how it was written and have more fear of big changes.

Second drafts also incorporate feedback from other people. This is a challenge: everyone gives feedback differently and none match what I do for my own drafts. For the Year Without Pants I had feedback from 10 different people to consider:

• 5 co-workers from WordPress.com
• 4 old friends who are good at tearing drafts apart
• My editor at Jossey-Bass

My solution was to compile the feedback into a single file I could skim through at any time during the 2nd draft process. I’d keep the manuscript open in one window, the notes from everyone else open in other windows and my hand edited print out of the first manuscript by my side. Then I could jump between them if needed to compare their thoughts.

The actual Rewriting is far easier than Draft writing

While it’s not easy, the actual writing of a second draft feels much easier than a first. My creative powers can be applied to improving, rather than inventing. I can never predict which chapters will give the most trouble, but there are always 2 or 3 that I do heavy work on, rewriting or reorganizing large portions. Most chapters are simply me following my own notes from the read, filling in the blanks and answering the questions I asked.

I always have the goal of making the book shorter as it goes through revisions. Even if I add new sections or revise old ones I want the majority of my actions to be ones of concision. The book should get tighter and tighter as I work, with my effort clarifying the writing, making the book easier to read.

When the 2nd draft is done, it gets handed to a copyeditor who helps polish up my grammar. Check out my post on What Copyeditors do , with examples from my books.

7 Responses to “How To Write a Second Draft”

Interesting look into your process, Scott. I hear you on moving big chunks around. That’s why I like to think of the structure of a book in the same vein as that of a house. Sure, you can move around pieces, but it’s harder once you’ve laid the foundation. You can pick up and move a sofa, just not a bathroom.

One of the most gratifying aspects for me about writing is finding the right structure for my books–the right flow.

I love having everything fall into place, but it takes a great deal of work. We’ll all seen poorly structured books. If something doesn’t line up well, people like you and me will just put the book down forever.

I LOVE seeing this, thanks so much for the look inside! I did a ‘big read’ and kind of freaked when I saw how much I was crossing out and rearranging, but it was so much easier to see at this stage.

I’ve read my drafts so many times, I feel like I could recite the whole thing!

I thought I would share my own self-editing with newer writers, to encourage anyone not to stop with only one draft.

I only write little articles or essays, for myself or my blog, without any real-world deadlines. Meaning: I don’t know anything about how much time “published” writers can afford to spend on editing. I call myself a “real” writer because I write.

Right now, on computer, I edit for hours (one or two) until I run out of improvements, then I call it a day. And the next day—surprise—I see more to improve, taking one or two hours. Repeat the next day too. This is good for keeping me humble but not discouraged, as I am learning from editing myself. Maybe one day I’ll be skilled enough to do all my edits in one day. (I should ask another writer whether this is realistic)

Maybe I should go back to printing out hard copy. I used to take my manuscript (double spaced) to the cafe and edit for hours—I never get tired of reading my own stuff. Finally my pages would get too marked up, so I’d take it home and re-type it. And then I’d find more to edit and end up with a cluttered page needing re-typing again.

I never asked another writer if this was normal: I just figured I was paying my dues to get better, by improving my piece as best it could be. They say no piece is ever finished, as in ever perfect. No, the piece is just abandoned as you have to get one with life and go write another.

With my computer I used to take satisfaction in reducing my word count—oops! I just realized I have been forgetting to do that; good thing I wrote this comment!

My self-editing never hurts my ego because my letters on the page are not me: I have boundaries. And if I had a real editor then like an actor in rehearsals, or an athlete at practise, I would not take any directives from my director/coach/editor personally. Such feedback is meant to be impersonal.

First of all I want to say wonderful blog!

I had a quick question which I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your head prior to writing. I have had a hard time clearing my thoughts in getting my ideas out there. I truly do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes tend to be wasted just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or tips? Many thanks!

I would like to suggest what I learnt once. Cut out random words from headings in newspapers then jumble them up in a bottle. Draw out 3 – 5 words randomly, then write a story using the words in a set timeframe. eg 5 minutes. This frees the creative juices and makes you focus on what you are trying to achieve – to write!

[…] blog posts on writing second drafts that contain much that applies to fiction writing.  The first, How to Write a Second Draft, is an easy read with quick bullet points on what to look for when deciding what changes to make. […]

[…] You Need To Know About Your Second Draft How To Write A Second Draft The Crash: Braving Your Second […]

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Building the Essay Draft

Building a strong essay draft requires going through a logical progression of stages:, explanation.

Development options

Linking paragraphs

Introductions

Conclusions.

Revising and proofreading the draft

Hints for revising and proofreading

Tip: After you have completed the body of your paper, you can decide what you want to say in your introduction and in your conclusion.

Once you know what you want to talk about and you have written your thesis statement, you are ready to build the body of your essay.

The thesis statement will usually be followed by

• the body of the paper
• the paragraphs that develop the thesis by explaining your ideas by backing them up 
• examples or evidence

Tip: The "examples or evidence" stage is the most important part of the paper, because you are giving your reader a clear idea of what you think and why you think it.

Development Options

• For each reason you have to support your thesis, remember to state your point clearly and explain it.

Tip: Read your thesis sentence over and ask yourself what questions a reader might ask about it. Then answer those questions, explaining and giving examples or evidence.

Show how one thing is similar to another, and then how the two are different, emphasizing the side that seems more important to you. For example, if your thesis states, "Jazz is a serious art form," you might compare and contrast a jazz composition to a classical one.

Show your reader what the opposition thinks (reasons why some people do not agree with your thesis), and then refute those reasons (show why they are wrong).  On the other hand, if you feel that the opposition isn't entirely wrong, you may say so, (concede), but then explain why your thesis is still the right opinion.

• Think about the order in which you have made your points. Why have you presented a certain reason that develops your thesis first, another second? If you can't see any particular value in presenting your points in the order you have, reconsider it until you either decide why the order you have is best, or change it to one that makes more sense to you.
• Does each paragraph develop my thesis?
• Have I done all the development I wish had been done?
• Am I still satisfied with my working thesis, or have I developed my body in ways that mean I must adjust my thesis to fit what I have learned, what I believe, and what I have actually discussed?

Linking Paragraphs

It is important to link your paragraphs together, giving your readers cues so that they see the relationship between one idea and the next, and how these ideas develop your thesis.

Your goal is a smooth transition from paragraph A to paragraph B, which explains why cue words that link paragraphs are often called "transitions."

Tip: Your link between paragraphs may not be one word, but several, or even a whole sentence.

Here are some ways of linking paragraphs:

• To show simply that another idea is coming, use words such as "also," "moreover," or "in addition."
• To show that the next idea is the logical result of the previous one, use words such as "therefore," "consequently," "thus," or "as a result."
• To show that the next idea seems to go against the previous one, or is not its logical result, use words such as "however," "nevertheless," or "still."
• To show you've come to your strongest point, use words such as "most importantly."
• To show you've come to a change in topic, use words such as "on the other hand."
• To show you've come to your final point, use words such as "finally."

After you have come up with a thesis and developed it in the body of your paper, you can decide how to introduce your ideas to your reader.

The goals of an introduction are to

• Get your reader's attention/arouse your reader's curiosity.
• Provide any necessary background information before you state your thesis (often the last sentence of the introductory paragraph).
• Establish why you are writing the paper.

Tip: You already know why you are writing, and who your reader is; now present that reason for writing to that reader.

Hints for writing your introduction:

• Use the Ws of journalism (who, what, when, where, why) to decide what information to give. (Remember that a history teacher doesn't need to be told "George Washington was the first president of the United States." Keep your reader in mind.)
• Add another "W": Why (why is this paper worth reading)? The answer could be that your topic is new, controversial, or very important.
• Catch your reader by surprise by starting with a description or narrative that doesn't hint at what your thesis will be. For example, a paper could start, "It is less than a 32nd of an inch long, but it can kill an adult human," to begin a paper about eliminating malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

There can be many different conclusions to the same paper (just as there can be many introductions), depending on who your readers are and where you want to direct them (follow-up you expect of them after they finish your paper). Therefore, restating your thesis and summarizing the main points of your body should not be all that your conclusion does. In fact, most weak conclusions are merely restatements of the thesis and summaries of the body without guiding the reader toward thinking about the implications of the thesis.

Here are some options for writing a strong conclusion:

Make a prediction about the future. You convinced the reader that thermal energy is terrific, but do you think it will become the standard energy source? When?

Give specific advice. If your readers now understand that multicultural education has great advantages, or disadvantages, or both, whatever your opinion might be, what should they do? Whom should they contact?

Put your topic in a larger context. Once you have proven that physical education should be part of every school's curriculum, perhaps readers  should consider other "frill" courses which are actually essential.

Tip: Just as a conclusion should not be just a restatement of your thesis and summary of your body, it also should not be an entirely new topic, a door opened that you barely lead your reader through and leave them there lost. Just as in finding your topic and in forming your thesis, the safe and sane rule in writing a conclusion is this:  neither too little nor too much.

Revising and Proofreading the Draft

Writing is only half the job of writing..

The writing process begins even before you put pen to paper, when you think about your topic. And, once you finish actually writing, the process continues. What you have written is not the finished essay, but a first draft, and you must go over many times to improve it--a second draft, a third draft, and so on until you have as many as necessary to do the job right. Your final draft, edited and proofread, is your essay, ready for your reader's eyes.

A revision is a "re-vision" of your essay--how you see things now, deciding whether your introduction, thesis, body, and conclusion really express your own vision. Revision is global, taking another look at what ideas you have included in your paper and how they are arranged.

Proofreading

Proofreading is checking over a draft to make sure that everything is complete and correct as far as spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and other such matters go. It's a necessary, if somewhat tedious and tricky, job one that a friend or computer Spellcheck can help you perform. Proofreading is polishing, one spot at a time.

Tip: Revision should come before proofreading: why polish what you might be changing anyway?

Hints for revising and proofreading:

• Leave some time--an hour, a day, several day--between writing and revising. You need some distance to switch from writer to editor, some distance between your initial vision and your re-vision.
• Double-check your writing assignment to be sure you haven't gone off course . It is all right if you've shifted from your original plan, if you know why and are happier with this direction.  Make sure that you are actually following your mentor's assignment.
• Read aloud slowly . You need to get your eye and your ear to work together. At any point that something seems awkward, read it over again. If you're not sure what's wrong--or even if something is wrong--make a notation in the margin and come back to it later. Watch out for "padding;" tighten your sentences to eliminate excess words that dilute your ideas.
• Be on the lookout for points that seem vague or incomplete ; these could present opportunities for rethinking, clarifying, and further developing an idea.
• Get to know what your particular quirks are as a writer. Do you give examples without explaining them, or forget links between paragraphs? Leave time for an extra rereading to look for any weak points.
• Get someone else into the act. Have others read your draft, or read it to them. Invite questions and ask questions yourself, to see if your points are clear and well-developed. Remember, though, that some well-meaning readers can be too easy (or too hard) on a piece of writing.

Tip: Never change anything unless you are convinced that it should be changed .

• Keep tools at hand, such as a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a writing handbook.
• While you're using word processing, remember that computers are wonderful resources for editing and revising.
• When you feel you've done everything you can, first by revising and then by proofreading, and have a nice clean, final draft, put it aside and return later to re-see the whole essay. There may be some last minute fine-tuning that can make all the difference.

Don't forget--if you would like help with at this point in your assignment or any other type of writing assignment, learning coaches are available to assist you.  Please contact Academic Support by emailing [email protected] ; calling 1-800-847-3000, ext 3008; or calling the main number of the location in your region (click  here for more information) to schedule an appointment.

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How to Write a Second Draft

So much of our energy goes into finally completing the first draft. It can feel like a marathon with no end but typing those final words provides such a profound sense of relief. Unfortunately, I’m here to tell you it’s far from over. It’s only getting started. After all, as the famous saying goes: Writing is rewriting.

Today, I’m going to go over the six key steps of writing a second draft in chronological order. While it’s important to realize that everyone has a slightly different process, I’ve chosen steps that will help any screenwriter in their redrafting journey.

Put the Script Away

First thing’s first, put the script away for a while. I’d wager that you’re pretty sick of the story at this point or at the very least you’re very familiar with it. Familiarity tends to breed mistakes and oversight when re-reading, so putting it away for a while provides some distance from the story, allowing you to give it a more objective analysis at a later stage.

How long you put it away for is entirely up to personal preference. I tend to put a script away for a couple of weeks and try not to think about it once. Others put their scripts away for months before looking at them again.

Just remember that while getting through the first draft is a major accomplishment, the script isn’t finished yet. Don’t let it sit in your drawer forever as a finished product. There’s still work to be done. Use this distancing time to start a new project instead.

Put on Your Critic Hat

After a few weeks/months you’re ready to take the draft out and give it a re-read. How? Dan Harmon ( Community , Rick & Morty ) suggests that you completely change your perspective from being the writer to being a petty critic . Print out your script, hold it in your hands, get a red pen, and go to town on the draft. Don’t spare the feelings of whatever poor writer wrote it. Any flaw you find, circle it and make notes. It’s your job to tear this script down to its very foundations.

While I prefer to print the script out at this stage you can also do it digitally. Arc Studio Pro offers a commenting feature where you can directly add notes to specific points of the script to be reviewed later.

Once that first draft is riddled with more red ink than black, you’ll have a much better understanding of what it is you need to do to whip this script into shape. It’s important to remember that unless you’re an extremely rare and gifted writer, your first draft will be bad. That’s totally ok, it’s the same for every other writer. What matters is what you do next.

List the Problems

Take off the critic hat and put the writer hat back on. As you scan through the notes that you made, sort them into two distinct categories: Big problems, and small problems.

Big problems are those issues that a simple line change won’t fix. This can be structural, characterization, a gaping plot hole, an entire scene that needs to be rewritten. These are the problems that truly hold your script back from being good and will take some effort to fix. As you read through the script write these big problems out, physically. If the big problem pops up again later on, underline it. The biggest problems will end up underlined lots and lots.

Small problems are those issues that can be solved in a few minutes with a bit of intuition and craft. This is when an action line makes the geography of a scene unclear, a line of dialogue isn’t quite right, or silly mistakes like typos or remnants of discarded scenes still floating around in the current draft. Making bad exposition great also fits well here. Maybe the dialogue could be improved. Write these out beside the big problems.

Now it’s time to solve them.

Cut Ruthlessly

When I was first redrafting I constantly added more and more to my scripts like a series of increasingly ineffective bandages. It bloated my scripts and tended to multiply problems rather than solve them.

Instead of adding more to your script, cut, and cut ruthlessly. Single words, lines, beats in scenes, or entire scenes themselves. Honestly ask yourself at every moment whether any individual element is absolutely needed. If you’re anything like me you’ll start to see how expendable a lot of the first draft actually is. Entire characters can be merged or cut, whole scenes are peripheral, entire speeches are unnecessary.

However, this process can be tough. How do you know if you’re not cutting the gem that makes your script unique?

Find the Heart of Your Script

Now’s a good time to write out exactly what it is that you found appealing about this idea when you first came up with it. Try and recapture that excitement you felt and physically write out those specific elements that really stimulated you. Once you’re happy with this list, you’ve found the heart of your script. These are the things that should guide your cutting process. Anything that doesn’t contribute to what made you excited about this idea in the first place and doesn’t directly serve the story should be cut.

The amount of problems I can fix in a script just by pressing the backspace key never ceases to amaze me. Entire plot holes disappear as I trim the fat and the essential heart of the story reveals itself. If all goes well, it should match what you wrote earlier.

Re-read Again and Problem Solve

Now that you’ve cut lots and identified the heart of the script, re-read it again. It might be quite different than the script you’ve started with. As you read, cross out any of the listed problems that have been fixed just by cutting alone. As you re-read you may discover new problems too. That’s totally ok, just make sure to add them to the list.

It’s at this precise moment that I’ve seen writers despair. They’re faced with a massive list of problems that tell them how bad their script is. The important thing to remember throughout this process, but especially here, is that your script isn’t done yet. Until you solve the very final problem, the script isn’t finished, and therefore it can’t be bad. Nothing can be bad if it hasn’t finished yet, it’s still a work in progress.

Now it’s time to problem solve. One-by-one, choose a problem on your list and figure out how to fix it. Don’t go reading about similar problems in other scripts, spend time on intensely focusing and thinking on that specific problem. Just like cutting, it never ceases to amaze me how many solutions the brain can generate to a problem if all its energy can be pointed in a single direction.

Some problems may take minutes to solve, some may take days. If you spend 30 minutes on a problem and have no solution, move on and come back to it later. Take a walk, breathe in the fresh air, and mull over the problem again. Don’t just go for the first solution you think of, come up with a veritable smorgasbord of ideas and only cherry pick the best.

It’s worth noting that for larger structural problems Arc Studio Pro’s drag and drop feature in the outline stage is an invaluable tool for experimenting with alternate structures without rewriting wide swathes of your script.

At the end of this process you’ll have patched up these glaring problems that the critic in you saw earlier. At this point it’s probably a good idea to do one final brush up before sending your script to others for more feedback. I’d also recommend reading through this article before you finish up. While it is nominally about the first draft, it’s also a great checklist to work through to make sure your script is the best it can possibly be. And don’t forget to use Arc Studio Pro’s dedicated feedback feature set .

There’s no doubt that writing the second draft of a script can be an emotionally challenging period of self-doubt and frustration. However, by following the steps listed above you can mitigate the worst of these low moments. With a second draft completed now’s the time to send the script out to others and solicit feedback , which starts the whole process over one more time.

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10 Assignment Part Two: Writing a Second Draft

Follow these instructions to prepare the second draft of your first essay:

• Review the feedback from your instructor and/or tutor carefully. If you have questions, ask for help.
• Then edit your essay. Use the same Google document. Start by making the corrections that your teacher or tutor suggests. After you make a correction, click on checkmark to hide the comment.
• First, focus on the content . What are you trying to say with your essay? Is it clear? Do you have enough supporting information to explain your ideas?
• Then focus about organization . What does the reader need to know first before other things? Do you have information in a logical order? Does each new idea of your essay build on the previous idea?
• Does your introduction have an interesting hook, helpful background information, and a clear thesis statement?
• Does the thesis statement have both a topic and a claim? And does it preview the major points of your essay?
• Does each body paragraph have a clear and strong topic sentence? Do all of the supporting details explain the idea of the topic sentence?
• Does the conclusion restate the thesis, summarize the main ideas, and wrap things up?
• Have you followed all of the formatting guidelines? Did you center a title? Did you indent each paragraph? Do you have page numbers? Is it double-spaced?
• Now, put it away for a day or so. Let it rest so that you can look at it later with fresh eyes.
• Finally, proofread carefully for small details, such as grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Use the essay self-check and grading rubrics to review your work before you submit it to your teacher.
• Optional: Visit a tutor or Reading Writing Center again for more feedback. Show your instructor a record of your visit in order to receive extra credit on this revised essay.

Pay close attention to the due date your instructor gives you. That is your deadline to finish this second draft. If you used the same Google document, then you do not need to share the document with your instructor again. Your instructor can still open it.

Coalescence Copyright © 2023 by Timothy Krause is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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8.3 Drafting

Learning objectives.

• Identify drafting strategies that improve writing.
• Use drafting strategies to prepare the first draft of an essay.

Drafting is the stage of the writing process in which you develop a complete first version of a piece of writing.

Even professional writers admit that an empty page scares them because they feel they need to come up with something fresh and original every time they open a blank document on their computers. Because you have completed the first two steps in the writing process, you have already recovered from empty page syndrome. You have hours of prewriting and planning already done. You know what will go on that blank page: what you wrote in your outline.

Getting Started: Strategies For Drafting

Your objective for this portion of Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” is to draft the body paragraphs of a standard five-paragraph essay. A five-paragraph essay contains an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. If you are more comfortable starting on paper than on the computer, you can start on paper and then type it before you revise. You can also use a voice recorder to get yourself started, dictating a paragraph or two to get you thinking. In this lesson, Mariah does all her work on the computer, but you may use pen and paper or the computer to write a rough draft.

Making the Writing Process Work for You

What makes the writing process so beneficial to writers is that it encourages alternatives to standard practices while motivating you to develop your best ideas. For instance, the following approaches, done alone or in combination with others, may improve your writing and help you move forward in the writing process:

• Begin writing with the part you know the most about. You can start with the third paragraph in your outline if ideas come easily to mind. You can start with the second paragraph or the first paragraph, too. Although paragraphs may vary in length, keep in mind that short paragraphs may contain insufficient support. Readers may also think the writing is abrupt. Long paragraphs may be wordy and may lose your reader’s interest. As a guideline, try to write paragraphs longer than one sentence but shorter than the length of an entire double-spaced page.
• Write one paragraph at a time and then stop. As long as you complete the assignment on time, you may choose how many paragraphs you complete in one sitting. Pace yourself. On the other hand, try not to procrastinate. Writers should always meet their deadlines.
• Take short breaks to refresh your mind. This tip might be most useful if you are writing a multipage report or essay. Still, if you are antsy or cannot concentrate, take a break to let your mind rest. But do not let breaks extend too long. If you spend too much time away from your essay, you may have trouble starting again. You may forget key points or lose momentum. Try setting an alarm to limit your break, and when the time is up, return to your desk to write.
• Be reasonable with your goals. If you decide to take ten-minute breaks, try to stick to that goal. If you told yourself that you need more facts, then commit to finding them. Holding yourself to your own goals will create successful writing assignments.
• Keep your audience and purpose in mind as you write. These aspects of writing are just as important when you are writing a single paragraph for your essay as when you are considering the direction of the entire essay.

Of all of these considerations, keeping your purpose and your audience at the front of your mind is the most important key to writing success. If your purpose is to persuade, for example, you will present your facts and details in the most logical and convincing way you can.

Your purpose will guide your mind as you compose your sentences. Your audience will guide word choice. Are you writing for experts, for a general audience, for other college students, or for people who know very little about your topic? Keep asking yourself what your readers, with their background and experience, need to be told in order to understand your ideas. How can you best express your ideas so they are totally clear and your communication is effective?

You may want to identify your purpose and audience on an index card that you clip to your paper (or keep next to your computer). On that card, you may want to write notes to yourself—perhaps about what that audience might not know or what it needs to know—so that you will be sure to address those issues when you write. It may be a good idea to also state exactly what you want to explain to that audience, or to inform them of, or to persuade them about.

Writing at Work

Many of the documents you produce at work target a particular audience for a particular purpose. You may find that it is highly advantageous to know as much as you can about your target audience and to prepare your message to reach that audience, even if the audience is a coworker or your boss. Menu language is a common example. Descriptions like “organic romaine” and “free-range chicken” are intended to appeal to a certain type of customer though perhaps not to the same customer who craves a thick steak. Similarly, mail-order companies research the demographics of the people who buy their merchandise. Successful vendors customize product descriptions in catalogs to appeal to their buyers’ tastes. For example, the product descriptions in a skateboarder catalog will differ from the descriptions in a clothing catalog for mature adults.

Using the topic for the essay that you outlined in Section 8.2 “Outlining” , describe your purpose and your audience as specifically as you can. Use your own sheet of paper to record your responses. Then keep these responses near you during future stages of the writing process.

My purpose: ____________________________________________

____________________________________________

My audience: ____________________________________________

Setting Goals for Your First Draft

A draft is a complete version of a piece of writing, but it is not the final version. The step in the writing process after drafting, as you may remember, is revising. During revising, you will have the opportunity to make changes to your first draft before you put the finishing touches on it during the editing and proofreading stage. A first draft gives you a working version that you can later improve.

Workplace writing in certain environments is done by teams of writers who collaborate on the planning, writing, and revising of documents, such as long reports, technical manuals, and the results of scientific research. Collaborators do not need to be in the same room, the same building, or even the same city. Many collaborations are conducted over the Internet.

In a perfect collaboration, each contributor has the right to add, edit, and delete text. Strong communication skills, in addition to strong writing skills, are important in this kind of writing situation because disagreements over style, content, process, emphasis, and other issues may arise.

The collaborative software, or document management systems, that groups use to work on common projects is sometimes called groupware or workgroup support systems.

The reviewing tool on some word-processing programs also gives you access to a collaborative tool that many smaller workgroups use when they exchange documents. You can also use it to leave comments to yourself.

If you invest some time now to investigate how the reviewing tool in your word processor works, you will be able to use it with confidence during the revision stage of the writing process. Then, when you start to revise, set your reviewing tool to track any changes you make, so you will be able to tinker with text and commit only those final changes you want to keep.

Discovering the Basic Elements of a First Draft

If you have been using the information in this chapter step by step to help you develop an assignment, you already have both a formal topic outline and a formal sentence outline to direct your writing. Knowing what a first draft looks like will help you make the creative leap from the outline to the first draft. A first draft should include the following elements:

• An introduction that piques the audience’s interest, tells what the essay is about, and motivates readers to keep reading.
• A thesis statement that presents the main point, or controlling idea, of the entire piece of writing.
• A topic sentence in each paragraph that states the main idea of the paragraph and implies how that main idea connects to the thesis statement.
• Supporting sentences in each paragraph that develop or explain the topic sentence. These can be specific facts, examples, anecdotes, or other details that elaborate on the topic sentence.
• A conclusion that reinforces the thesis statement and leaves the audience with a feeling of completion.

These elements follow the standard five-paragraph essay format, which you probably first encountered in high school. This basic format is valid for most essays you will write in college, even much longer ones. For now, however, Mariah focuses on writing the three body paragraphs from her outline. Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” covers writing introductions and conclusions, and you will read Mariah’s introduction and conclusion in Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” .

The Role of Topic Sentences

Topic sentences make the structure of a text and the writer’s basic arguments easy to locate and comprehend. In college writing, using a topic sentence in each paragraph of the essay is the standard rule. However, the topic sentence does not always have to be the first sentence in your paragraph even if it the first item in your formal outline.

When you begin to draft your paragraphs, you should follow your outline fairly closely. After all, you spent valuable time developing those ideas. However, as you begin to express your ideas in complete sentences, it might strike you that the topic sentence might work better at the end of the paragraph or in the middle. Try it. Writing a draft, by its nature, is a good time for experimentation.

The topic sentence can be the first, middle, or final sentence in a paragraph. The assignment’s audience and purpose will often determine where a topic sentence belongs. When the purpose of the assignment is to persuade, for example, the topic sentence should be the first sentence in a paragraph. In a persuasive essay, the writer’s point of view should be clearly expressed at the beginning of each paragraph.

Choosing where to position the topic sentence depends not only on your audience and purpose but also on the essay’s arrangement, or order. When you organize information according to order of importance, the topic sentence may be the final sentence in a paragraph. All the supporting sentences build up to the topic sentence. Chronological order may also position the topic sentence as the final sentence because the controlling idea of the paragraph may make the most sense at the end of a sequence.

When you organize information according to spatial order, a topic sentence may appear as the middle sentence in a paragraph. An essay arranged by spatial order often contains paragraphs that begin with descriptions. A reader may first need a visual in his or her mind before understanding the development of the paragraph. When the topic sentence is in the middle, it unites the details that come before it with the ones that come after it.

As you read critically throughout the writing process, keep topic sentences in mind. You may discover topic sentences that are not always located at the beginning of a paragraph. For example, fiction writers customarily use topic ideas, either expressed or implied, to move readers through their texts. In nonfiction writing, such as popular magazines, topic sentences are often used when the author thinks it is appropriate (based on the audience and the purpose, of course). A single topic sentence might even control the development of a number of paragraphs. For more information on topic sentences, please see Chapter 6 “Writing Paragraphs: Separating Ideas and Shaping Content” .

Developing topic sentences and thinking about their placement in a paragraph will prepare you to write the rest of the paragraph.

The paragraph is the main structural component of an essay as well as other forms of writing. Each paragraph of an essay adds another related main idea to support the writer’s thesis, or controlling idea. Each related main idea is supported and developed with facts, examples, and other details that explain it. By exploring and refining one main idea at a time, writers build a strong case for their thesis.

Paragraph Length

How long should a paragraph be?

One answer to this important question may be “long enough”—long enough for you to address your points and explain your main idea. To grab attention or to present succinct supporting ideas, a paragraph can be fairly short and consist of two to three sentences. A paragraph in a complex essay about some abstract point in philosophy or archaeology can be three-quarters of a page or more in length. As long as the writer maintains close focus on the topic and does not ramble, a long paragraph is acceptable in college-level writing. In general, try to keep the paragraphs longer than one sentence but shorter than one full page of double-spaced text.

Journalistic style often calls for brief two- or three-sentence paragraphs because of how people read the news, both online and in print. Blogs and other online information sources often adopt this paragraphing style, too. Readers often skim the first paragraphs of a great many articles before settling on the handful of stories they want to read in detail.

You may find that a particular paragraph you write may be longer than one that will hold your audience’s interest. In such cases, you should divide the paragraph into two or more shorter paragraphs, adding a topic statement or some kind of transitional word or phrase at the start of the new paragraph. Transition words or phrases show the connection between the two ideas.

In all cases, however, be guided by what you instructor wants and expects to find in your draft. Many instructors will expect you to develop a mature college-level style as you progress through the semester’s assignments.

To build your sense of appropriate paragraph length, use the Internet to find examples of the following items. Copy them into a file, identify your sources, and present them to your instructor with your annotations, or notes.

• A news article written in short paragraphs. Take notes on, or annotate, your selection with your observations about the effect of combining paragraphs that develop the same topic idea. Explain how effective those paragraphs would be.
• A long paragraph from a scholarly work that you identify through an academic search engine. Annotate it with your observations about the author’s paragraphing style.

Starting Your First Draft

Now we are finally ready to look over Mariah’s shoulder as she begins to write her essay about digital technology and the confusing choices that consumers face. As she does, you should have in front of you your outline, with its thesis statement and topic sentences, and the notes you wrote earlier in this lesson on your purpose and audience. Reviewing these will put both you and Mariah in the proper mind-set to start.

The following is Mariah’s thesis statement.

Here are the notes that Mariah wrote to herself to characterize her purpose and audience.

Mariah chose to begin by writing a quick introduction based on her thesis statement. She knew that she would want to improve her introduction significantly when she revised. Right now, she just wanted to give herself a starting point. You will read her introduction again in Section 8.4 “Revising and Editing” when she revises it.

Remember Mariah’s other options. She could have started directly with any of the body paragraphs.

You will learn more about writing attention-getting introductions and effective conclusions in Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” .

With her thesis statement and her purpose and audience notes in front of her, Mariah then looked at her sentence outline. She chose to use that outline because it includes the topic sentences. The following is the portion of her outline for the first body paragraph. The roman numeral II identifies the topic sentence for the paragraph, capital letters indicate supporting details, and arabic numerals label subpoints.

Mariah then began to expand the ideas in her outline into a paragraph. Notice how the outline helped her guarantee that all her sentences in the body of the paragraph develop the topic sentence.

If you write your first draft on the computer, consider creating a new file folder for each course with a set of subfolders inside the course folders for each assignment you are given. Label the folders clearly with the course names, and label each assignment folder and word processing document with a title that you will easily recognize. The assignment name is a good choice for the document. Then use that subfolder to store all the drafts you create. When you start each new draft, do not just write over the last one. Instead, save the draft with a new tag after the title—draft 1, draft 2, and so on—so that you will have a complete history of drafts in case your instructor wishes you to submit them.

In your documents, observe any formatting requirements—for margins, headers, placement of page numbers, and other layout matters—that your instructor requires.

Study how Mariah made the transition from her sentence outline to her first draft. First, copy her outline onto your own sheet of paper. Leave a few spaces between each part of the outline. Then copy sentences from Mariah’s paragraph to align each sentence with its corresponding entry in her outline.

Continuing the First Draft

Mariah continued writing her essay, moving to the second and third body paragraphs. She had supporting details but no numbered subpoints in her outline, so she had to consult her prewriting notes for specific information to include.

If you decide to take a break between finishing your first body paragraph and starting the next one, do not start writing immediately when you return to your work. Put yourself back in context and in the mood by rereading what you have already written. This is what Mariah did. If she had stopped writing in the middle of writing the paragraph, she could have jotted down some quick notes to herself about what she would write next.

Preceding each body paragraph that Mariah wrote is the appropriate section of her sentence outline. Notice how she expanded roman numeral III from her outline into a first draft of the second body paragraph. As you read, ask yourself how closely she stayed on purpose and how well she paid attention to the needs of her audience.

Mariah then began her third and final body paragraph using roman numeral IV from her outline.

Reread body paragraphs two and three of the essay that Mariah is writing. Then answer the questions on your own sheet of paper.

• In body paragraph two, Mariah decided to develop her paragraph as a nonfiction narrative. Do you agree with her decision? Explain. How else could she have chosen to develop the paragraph? Why is that better?
• Compare the writing styles of paragraphs two and three. What evidence do you have that Mariah was getting tired or running out of steam? What advice would you give her? Why?
• Choose one of these two body paragraphs. Write a version of your own that you think better fits Mariah’s audience and purpose.

Writing a Title

A writer’s best choice for a title is one that alludes to the main point of the entire essay. Like the headline in a newspaper or the big, bold title in a magazine, an essay’s title gives the audience a first peek at the content. If readers like the title, they are likely to keep reading.

Following her outline carefully, Mariah crafted each paragraph of her essay. Moving step by step in the writing process, Mariah finished the draft and even included a brief concluding paragraph (you will read her conclusion in Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” ). She then decided, as the final touch for her writing session, to add an engaging title.

Writing Your Own First Draft

Now you may begin your own first draft, if you have not already done so. Follow the suggestions and the guidelines presented in this section.

Key Takeaways

• Make the writing process work for you. Use any and all of the strategies that help you move forward in the writing process.
• Always be aware of your purpose for writing and the needs of your audience. Cater to those needs in every sensible way.
• Remember to include all the key structural parts of an essay: a thesis statement that is part of your introductory paragraph, three or more body paragraphs as described in your outline, and a concluding paragraph. Then add an engaging title to draw in readers.
• Write paragraphs of an appropriate length for your writing assignment. Paragraphs in college-level writing can be a page long, as long as they cover the main topics in your outline.
• Use your topic outline or your sentence outline to guide the development of your paragraphs and the elaboration of your ideas. Each main idea, indicated by a roman numeral in your outline, becomes the topic of a new paragraph. Develop it with the supporting details and the subpoints of those details that you included in your outline.
• Generally speaking, write your introduction and conclusion last, after you have fleshed out the body paragraphs.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

First Draft Definition: Key Differences Between First and Second Drafts

by Callie Sutcliffe | 0 comments

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Have you ever wondered which draft you are working on? Do you wonder what the difference is between your first draft, your second draft, and editing your book? Let's break down the first draft definition and the differences between drafts.

When writing multiple drafts of a book, you may be halfway through your rough draft and decide to start over. Or you may have written the entire manuscript, but then wish to scrap it and start fresh.

And when considering this, you question: “Am I writing a first draft? Am I editing my novel?”

What does “first draft” mean —or “second draft,” for that matter?

Knowing the differences between first drafts, second drafts, and editing your book will elevate your ability to tackle the writing and editing process. It will help you understand what to focus on when you're writing—and have fun while you do it!

If you've been having trouble finishing your own first draft and want help and encouragement in the process, consider joining our 100 Day Book program and join thousands of writers who finally finished their dream books! Check out 100 Day Book here.

What Does “First Draft” Mean?

The first draft is a completed manuscript that has NOT been edited; in other words, a rough initial draft of your piece of writing. In most cases, a first draft requires further work to be publication-ready.

To put it simply, the first draft is a pile of words thrown together.

If you have written most of your story, but never finished it, and you decide to start over, is that a first draft?

Until that amazing, miraculous, hard-earned moment where you type the words “The End,” you have not completed your manuscript. It is still in the first draft stage.

What if you’re starting from the first page and rewriting a story that is already over halfway finished?

It is still the first draft because you are reworking a story that you have not finished. Completing your entire manuscript is an essential step to achieve before you begin the editing process.

Writing a first draft provides you as the writer with a chance to meld your thoughts together and to further develop your ideas. It is the preliminary stage in the writing process.

Without a first draft, there’s nothing to edit. There’s no way to skip this essential step in the writing process!

From Mess to Masterpiece

It's exciting to go from a blank page to typing those hard-earned words: THE END. But what happens next? Do you just begin a new project, or start over?

Answer: you edit .

Your first draft is complete when you are ready to move on to your second draft, the next phase of writing your book.

You might have met your word count goal, or written way more than you expected to. Or maybe you didn't hit your goal word count, but you did reach the end of the story (or, for a nonfiction book, the end of the content you want to include).

Regardless of how your first version of your story turned out, your second draft is the unskippable next step .

It's arguably even harder than writing the rough sketch of your book, which is what you created in your first draft.

But that doesn't mean you can't succeed.

What Does “Second Draft” Mean?

The second draft of a piece of writing is the result of one round of editing. A writer “working on a second draft” is working on a first round of revision and edits, generally focused on structural concerns like major plot points and the flow of ideas.

A completed second draft may be a finished, publishable manuscript, but it will usually require further editing.

Editing is complex. And editing the second draft is different from writing the first draft because you already know where you are going with the story and how the story ends.

You probably already have the main three-act structure written. You’ve decided on the conflict and resolution. You have created your hero’s journey , your main characters, and the hard choices your protagonist needs to face.

You wrote your first draft.

Sure, it might be messy, and you might change some of those major elements along the way when writing the second draft. But the core of your story is already on the page.

As you edit your second draft, you will take that story and make it better.

To do this, you will read your book from start to finish and look at your book as a whole. You will consider the structure of your book and discover loopholes that need to be fixed.

It can be as simple as adding missing scenes, cutting unnecessary ones, or rewriting scenes that are not moving the story forward the way you intended.

You may even find you need to rewrite parts of your book entirely!

The Genius of Feedback

Part of the editing process is the need for another pair of eyes to read your work. As writers we are often blinded by our own thoughts. We tend to see what we mean to say, but we do not always see what our readers will be thinking when they read our works.

Getting feedback from other writers shines light on how our readers will receive what we are writing.

Here at The Write Practice, we believe in community-driven feedback and critiques. As you work on your second draft, you might find suggestions critical in fostering creative growth and stimulating ideas. It is also a great way to get into the minds of your readers.

Critique isn’t always easy to hear. It can be painful at its best, deeply wounding at its worst, and can sometimes cause lasting impact to our writing and our self-confidence. Whether you call in beta-readers or hire an editor, getting and using feedback will make your writing stronger. 

That being said, criticism is also incredibly useful for creativity and far more effective for generating ideas than brainstorming alone .

Here’s how Berkeley psychologist Charlan Nemeth puts it:

“While the instruction ‘Do not criticize’ is often cited as the important instruction in brainstorming, this appears to be a counterproductive strategy. Our findings show that debate and criticism do not inhibit ideas but, rather, stimulate them relative to every other condition. . . . Authentic dissent can be difficult, but it’s always invigorating. It wakes us right up.”

Being critiqued by fellow writers prepares you for the world of literary criticism, sparks ideas that will help you make your book the best it can be, and it helps you grow as a writer.

Check out our Book Editing Checklist to see where you are in the editing process and how to get your story ready for publishing.

Want feedback from a supportive community of writers? Join us in The Write Practice Pro and share your writing for insightful critique! Join the community »

Should You Hire an Editor?

A lot of people wonder if they should invest in an editor. It costs money, it feels vulnerable, and you fear they may want to change your story. Does this sound about right?

There are several reasons why someone would hire an editor. Here are three important ones:

• A professional editor can offer distance and objectivity. As valuable as having peer-driven feedback is to you as a writer, it can often lead to uncertainty and confusion due to conflicting opinions.
• A professional editor will point out your weaknesses as well as your strengths. They remain objective and offer advice on how to take your story to the next level. They help improve and draw out the storyline(s).
• A professional editor will offer insight and understanding into your genre. They’ll provide feedback about the obligatory scenes and conventions in your genre to ensure your story is moving forward. This is often something that is difficult to achieve on your own.

It can be scary sending your work to an editor. Fear of judgement and rejection often worms its way through you at first.

However, a professional editor knows this and will be both honest and kind. Over time, you’ll establish a relationship with them, one that will often last through your entire writing career.

To put it in simplest terms, a professional editor is essential in helping you shape your manuscript into a story that works and is ready for publication.

Ready to hire an editor? Our team of editors will help you tackle your second draft and take your manuscript to the next level. Hire your editor »

How Many Drafts Does it Take to Write a Book?

The number of drafts from idea to publication looks different for every writer. However, the majority of writers will need at least three drafts to complete their story. Here’s how this can look:

• First Draft: This is also known as the discovery draft , where all writers write with the objective of getting their ideas on the page.
• Second Draft: The beginning of the editing phase. Also known as the structural edit , where you work on the global story arc, fill in the plot holes, omit and/or rewrite where needed.
• Third Draft: The proofreading phase. This is a final polish where you’ll correct things like typos and errors in grammar and spelling.

For most writers, four or even five drafts work better for developing the story and getting it ready for publication. Proofreading should always be the last stage of your editing process.

A five-draft process looks this:

• First Draft: Your discovery draft.
• Second Draft: The beginning of the editing phase. A structural edit to ensure all the essential elements are in the story.
• Third Draft: This might be a second structural edit, where you’ll refine the changes you made in the second draft.
• Fourth Draft: This line edit will focus on the line-by-line writing, cleaning up paragraphs and sentences so your ideas are as clear as possible.
• Fifth Draft: The final proofread, one last polish to fix any remaining typos or errors.

A lot of new writers don’t always have the patience to sit down and write multiple drafts. Practice makes perfect (well, maybe not perfect in this sense, but definitely better). The more you practice your craft and create a daily habit of writing , the more experienced you will become, and the easier it will be to know your writing and how to structure your story along the way.

Experienced writers might need only three or even two drafts, but that is because they’ve written so many books that story fundamentals are baked into their first draft process, almost on an unconscious level. You can get to that point by wading through the editing process and practicing your art every day.

Ready to write or edit your book? The 100 Day Book program will take you from idea to finished draft. It’s designed for you, whether you’re working on your first or second draft. Write your book »

Do you prefer writing your first draft or editing your second draft? Let us know in the comments .

Your practice for today is to spend fifteen minutes revising a piece of your writing. It might be a short story you’ve written, an excerpt of your work in progress, or even a practice you’ve shared on another Write Practice article.

Bonus points if you are revising a piece that has already been critiqued by an editor or other writers!

When you are finished, share your work in the Pro Practice Workshop here . And don’t forget to comment on other writers’ revisions!

Callie Sutcliffe

Author of Women's Fiction and Contemporary Romance. TWP moderator and customer service manager. I build relationships and write things.

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• Peterborough

Drafting the English Essay

• Creating an outline
• The use of "I" (first-person)
• Historical present
• Drafting body paragraphs
• The introduction
• The conclusion

Creating an Outline

Making an outline before you start to write has the same advantage as writing down your thesis as soon as you have one. It forces you to think about the best possible order for what you want to say and to think through your line of thought before you have to write sentences and paragraphs.

Remember that an essay and its outline do not have to be structured into five paragraphs.  Think about major points, sections or parts of your essay, rather than paragraphs. The number of sections you have will depend on what you have to say and how you think your thesis needs to be supported. It is possible to structure an essay around two major points, each divided into sub-points. Or you may structure an essay around four, five or six points, depending on the essay's length. An essay under 1500 words may fall naturally into three sections, but let the number come from what you have to say rather than striving for the magic three.

Creating an outline also helps you avoid the temptation of organizing your essay by following the plot line of the text you are writing about and simply retelling the story with a few of your own comments thrown in. If you conscientiously make an outline that is ordered to best support your thesis, which is there in print before your eyes, your essay’s organization will be based on supporting your argument not on the text’s plotline.

Read more on organizing your essay

Writing the Draft

If you have followed good essay-writing practice, which includes developing a narrowed topic and analytical thesis, reading closely and taking careful notes, and creating an organized outline, you will find that writing your essay is much less difficult than if you simply sit down and plunge in with a vague topic in mind.

Always keep your reader in mind when you write. Work to convince this reader that your argument is valid and has merit. To do this, you must write clearly. The best writing is the product of drafting and revising.

As you write your rough draft, your ideas will develop, so it is helpful to accept the messy process of drafting. Review your sections as you write, but leave most of the revision for when you have a completed first draft. When you revise, you can refine your ideas by making your language more specific and direct, by developing your explanation of a quotation, and by explaining the connections between your ideas. Remember that your goal is clear expression; use a formal tone, avoid slang and colloquial terms, and be precise in your language.

Stylistic Notes for Writing the English Essay

The use of "i".

The judicious use of "I" in English essays is generally accepted. (You may run into a professor who doesn't want you to and says so, and, in that case, don't). The key is to not to overuse "I". When writing your draft, you may find it helpful to get your thoughts flowing by writing "I think that..." but when you revise, you will find that those three words can be eliminated from the sentences they begin.

For example:

I think that these poems also share a rather detached, unemotional, matter-of-fact acceptance of death.

Revised: These poems share a rather detached, unemotional, matter-of-fact acceptance of death.

I think death, dying, and the moments that precede dying preoccupy Dickinson.

Revised: Death, dying, and the moments the precede dying preoccupy Dickinson.

The Historical Present

Instructors generally agree that students should use the the present tense, which is known as the historical present, when describing events in a work of literature (or a film) or when discussing what authors or scholars say about a topic or issue, even when the work of literature is from the past or uses the past tense itself, or the authors and scholars are dead.

Examples of historical present:

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Bottom is a uniformly comedic figure.

Kyi argues that “democracy is the political system through which an empowerment of the people occurs.” 

It is considered more accurate to use the present tense in these circumstances because the arguments put forward by scholars, and the characters presented and scenes depicted by novelists, poets, and dramatists continue to live in the present whenever anyone reads them. An added benefit is that many find the use of the historical present tense makes for a more lively style and a stronger voice.

Drafting Body Paragraphs

The body of the essay will be made up of the claims or points you are making, supported by evidence from the primary source, the work in question, and perhaps some secondary sources. Your supporting evidence may be quotations of words or phrases from the text, as well as details about character, setting, plot, syntax, diction, images and anything else you have found in the work that is relevant to your argument.

Writing successful paragraphs

You may find yourself quoting often, and that is fine. The words from the text are, after all, the support for the argument you are making, and they show that your ideas came from somewhere and are grounded in the text. But try to keep your quotations as short and pertinent as possible. Use quotations effectively to support your interpretation or arguments; be sure to explain the quotation: what does it illustrates and how?

Effectively integrating evidence

Make sure you don't use or quote words whose definition or meaning you are not sure about. As a student of English literature, you should make regular use of a good dictionary; many academics recommend the Oxford English Dictionary . Not knowing what a word means or misunderstanding how it is used can undermine a whole argument. When you read and write about authors from previous centuries, you will often have to familiarize yourself with new words. To write good English essays, you must take the time to do this.

Sample Body Paragraph

This body paragraph is a sample only. Its content is not to be reproduced in whole or part. Use of the ideas or words in this essay is an act of plagiarism, which is subject to academic integrity policy at Trent University and other academic institutions.

“Because I could not stop for Death” describes the process of dying right up to and past the moment of death, in the first person.  This process is described symbolically. The speaker, walking along the road of life is picked up and given a carriage ride out of town to her destination, the graveyard and death. The speaker, looking back, says that she “could not stop for Death – / [so] He kindly stopped for” her (1-2).  Dickinson personifies death as a “kindly” (2) masculine being with “civility” (6). As the two “slowly dr[i]ve” (5) down the road of life, the speaker observes life in its simplicity: the “School,” (9), “the Fields of Gazing Grain” (11), and the “Setting Sun” (12), and realizes that this road out of town is the road out of life. The road’s ending at “a House that seemed / A Swelling of the Ground” (17-18) is a life’s ending at death, “Eternity” (24).  Once in the House that is the speaker’s grave, that is, after death, the speaker remains conscious. Her death is not experienced as a loss of consciousness, a sleep or oblivion. Her sense of time does change though:

Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity – (20-24) 

It has become difficult for the speaker to tell the difference between a century and a day. But she knows it has been “Centuries” since then, so the implication is that her consciousness has lived on in an eternal afterlife.

What works in the sample paragraph?

• The topic sentence makes a clear claim that the rest of the paragraph develops through details, quotations and analysis.
• The quotation is followed by the writer’s analysis of the quoted words and argument about their implication. This is the best way to use textual evidence.

The Introduction

Often, the introduction is the hardest part to write. Here you make your first impression, introduce the topic, provide background information, define key terms perhaps, and, most important, present your thesis, upon which the entire essay hangs. Many people find it easiest to write the introduction last or to write a very rough introduction that they change significantly once the draft is complete.  

Strategies for writing the introduction

Sample Introduction

This introductory paragraph is a sample only. Its content is not to be reproduced in whole or part. Use of the ideas or words in this essay is an act of plagiarism, which is subject to academic integrity policy at Trent University and other academic institutions.

Emily Dickinson was captivated by the riddle of death, and several of her poems deal with it in different ways. There are many poems that describe, in the first person, the process of dying right up to and including the moment of death, often recalled from a vantage point after death in some sort of afterlife. As well, several poems speculate more generally about what lies beyond the visible world our senses perceive in life. This essay examines four of Dickinson’s poems that are about dying and death and one that is more speculative. Two are straightforwardly about dying, while the other two present dying symbolically, but taken together they show many similarities.   Death is experienced matter-of-factly and without fear and with a full consciousness that registers details and describes them clearly. All the poems examined hint at an afterlife which is not described in traditionally Christian terms but which is not contradictory to Christian belief either. Yet death remains a riddle. While one poem may emphasize an afterlife of peace, silence and anchors at rest, others only hint at an ongoing consciousness, and one both asserts that something beyond life exists while also saying that belief is really only a narcotic that cannot completely still the pain of doubt. Dying, the moment of death, and what comes after preoccupy Dickinson: in these poems, death and eternity both “beckon” and “baffle” (Dickinson, “This World is not Conclusion” 5).

What works in this sample introduction?

• This essay has a good, narrowed, focused topic.
• The introduction does not include a general statement about life or poetry. The essay is about five poems by Dickinson, and right from the beginning, its focus is on that.
• The thesis of the essay is one sentence, but it may be more. Note that this thesis statement does not list supporting points; a good thesis statement provides the organizing principle of the essay, and the essay writer has decided to let the supporting points appear throughout the body of the essay.

The Conclusion

An effective conclusion unifies the arguments in your essay and explains the broader meaning or significance of your analysis. It is best to think of the conclusion as an opportunity to synthesize your ideas, not just summarize them. It is also your chance to explain the larger significance of your argument: if your reader now agrees with your thesis, what do they understand about the theme, the text, or the author?

Strategies for writing the conclusion

Sample Conclusion

This concluding paragraph is a sample only. Its content is not to be reproduced in whole or part. Use of the ideas or words in this essay is an act of plagiarism, which is subject to academic integrity policy at Trent University and other academic institutions.

In many ways, “On this wondrous sea” sums up the attitude toward death and eternity seen in all the poems examined. Death is experienced without fear, and life is shown as leading up to death and eternity. What exactly this eternity is like is only hinted at in most of these poems. So, what is beyond continues to “baffle,” but none of the poems present death as extinction with nothing beyond; rather what is beyond “beckons.” Death and eternity are something known, a grave that is a house, a consciousness living on, a shore to which we come “at last” after a life both stormy and “wondrous.”

What works in this sample conclusion?

• This paragraph does not just repeat the introduction. It pulls together the main ideas contained in the entire essay to try to point out their larger significance. Rather than a point-by-point list, it is a summary of what it all means taken together.
• Understanding The English Essay
• Developing a Topic and Thesis for an English Essay
• Using Secondary Sources in an English Essay
• Glossary of Common Formal Elements of Literature
• Documenting Sources in MLA Style (Modern Languages Association)

The Second Draft: How to Survive Your First Round of Editing

by Lewis / April 7, 2020 / Editing

The second draft is when writers lose their bearings.

Sure, they just finished writing their first draft, but when it comes time to face the problems in that draft they simply don’t know where to start. Should they rewrite a weak character, tweak their finale, reorder their scenes, fix their prose—the list goes on and on.

Really, the problem here is one of scope. If you want to survive this first round of editing your novel, you can’t tackle everything all at once! Instead, you need something specific to focus on, and for your second draft that’s your novel’s structure.

_______________________________

This article is loosely based on the first four chapters of my book, The Ten Day Edit .

Not only will this book include more detail on how to approach your second draft, but it’ll also walk you through your third and final drafts as well. If you enjoy this post, I hope you’ll consider checking it out! 🙂

The Second Draft Is Nothing Like the First…

• 1 The Second Draft Is Nothing Like the First…
• 2 What to Focus on During Your Second Draft
• 3.1 Get in the Right Mindset:
• 3.2 Become a Reader Again:
• 3.3 Figure Out What You Have:
• 3.4 Research, Research, Research:
• 3.5 Sit Down and Write:
• 4 Knowing When to Call It Done

You see, in ceramics you can’t begin creating until you’ve prepared your raw materials. The clay needs to be softened and shaped first—only then can you turn it into something recognizable.

Your novel’s first draft is no different.

When you write your first draft, what you’re essentially doing is preparing your clay, gathering the raw materials you need to form your story. This stage of writing is nothing but raw creativity and getting words on the page—no matter how flawed or funky they may be.

The second draft, however, changes all that. This is when you switch into editing mode, taking this rough form and whittling it down into a cohesive and coherent story. That’s a big shift for a lot of writers, and for some it can feel nearly impossible.

Suddenly, you can’t just open the floodgates and let words spill out. Instead, you need to think analytically and pick apart your story to expose its weaknesses. Not only is that stressful because of what a large and daunting task it is, but it’s also emotionally draining. Your story is part of you, and it hurts to face its shortcomings.

This goes for the entire editing process too, not just your second draft.

Still, your second draft is the first threshold you have to cross in the editing process—and it’s not as impossible as it seems. Rather, the key is knowing how to organize your efforts so you can work smarter, not harder!

What to Focus on During Your Second Draft

At its core, your second draft is about fixing your novel’s big-picture, structural problems.

But why start there?

Well, think of it this way: why polish your prose and tweak individual scenes if you end up rewriting those sections anyways? This is a big part of what trips up so many writers when they start editing their novels—they focus on everything at once and end up overwhelmed when they inevitably scrap edits that took them days to complete, all because it no longer works in their revised story.

Instead, you want to narrow your focus to just the big-picture things like character development, story structure, pacing, and worldbuilding—the things that will make or break your story as a whole. As a part of that process, you may end up moving around scenes, cutting chunks out of your novel, or rewriting sections entirely. Fortunately, all of this hard work is very worth it, and you should end up seeing a radical improvement by the end of your second draft.

Of course, every writer approaches the editing process slightly differently.

Some like to edit by scene or chapter by chapter, while others edit their entire novel all at once. Personally, I edit by acts, but at the end of the day do what works with your writing style.

Regardless of how you edit your novel, this process is all about rewriting . It’s going to take time and patience, but below are five steps that will not only prepare you for handling your novel’s second draft, but also the mental hurdles that come along with it—no matter what your editing process might look like.

5 Steps for Surviving Your Novel’s Second Draft

Get in the right mindset:.

First and foremost, when it comes to editing your novel, you need to accept that you might not like everything you find along the way.

Depending on how long it’s been since you finished your first draft, you’re probably still on a bit of a writer’s high. Unfortunately, the second draft is where you’ll come crashing down. Not only will you need to face the flaws in your first draft, but you’ll also need to face the reality that your writing might not be as good as you thought it was.

This is hard for a lot of writers to accept, but here’s the secret—that’s ok!

The best thing you can do for both your novel and your sanity is to prepare yourself for this reality now , before you dive into editing. Accept the fact that your draft will be flawed and a bit weird, and then accept the equally important fact that those flaws are fine. There would be no point in editing if your novel was already perfect, after all!

Become a Reader Again:

While writing your first draft you were in full on writer mode, tuned into your creative brain and exploring all the exciting twists and turns your story had to offer.

However, your reader will approach your novel from a different perspective. Whereas writers can indulge in tangents, readers are looking for something satisfying and cohesive—something few first drafts are. This means that, to begin editing, you need to switch back into your readers’ mindset.

“The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer.”  – Zadie Smith

In my experience, the best way to do this comes in the form of a two-step process.

First, you need to put your novel away for a while. Tuck it in a desk drawer and leave it there for at least a few weeks before you return to edit it. This will not only give you some much-needed perspective, but also a chance to rest and recharge after such an intense period of writing.

Then, before you actually begin editing, you need to read your story from start to finish. Sit down with it, put away your red pens and highlighters, and sink into the story you’ve created, flaws and all. This will let you see your novel in its completed form, letting you tune into how your reader will eventually experience it.

Figure Out What You Have:

Essentially, this reverse outline will act just like the outline you created before writing your first draft , except your reverse outline will organize an existing story, rather than a new idea.

To create this, skim through your entire draft and outline it just like you would if you were planning a new story for the first time. That means you should record your structure, cast, and worldbuilding, along with any other important notes you can think of.

If you already have an outline—such as the one you might have created in The Ten Day Outline —then a lot of this work will already be complete. Still, make sure your original outline accurately reflects your finished first draft. Your story may have evolved as you wrote your novel, and you want to transfer those changes over to your new reverse outline.

Here are some questions to ask when putting together your reverse outline:

• Who are your characters?
• What are their character arcs?
• Do all of your characters serve a purpose?
• How strong is your story’s structure?
• Does any section of your story feel too long or too short?
• Does your story follow its own rules?
• Can your reader suspend their disbelief?

Research, Research, Research:

Of course, as you look through those questions, you might realize you aren’t quite sure how to answer some of them. Maybe you aren’t comfortable with how character arcs work, or perhaps you don’t know how to identify your story’s structure.

All of that is ok!

Once you have most of your reverse outline put together, you can start researching these big-picture topics and gathering your thoughts before you have to make any changes to your draft. That means this is the perfect time to read up on character arcs, pacing, story structure, and worldbuilding. As you go, take notes on any ideas or thoughts you have, and brainstorm ways to fix any flaws you find.

For instance, if your story’s structure is weak in the middle, read up on the Midpoint and think of ways to add some extra tension to that section of your story. Likewise, if your protagonist doesn’t seem active in your story, work on giving them a clear goal . There’s no need to worry about actually fixing these problems yet either—instead, focus on testing your ideas in your reverse outline, before applying them to your novel later on.

Here are some articles to help you get started:

• Character Arcs 101: Positive and Negative Arcs
• Character Arcs 102: Flat Arcs
• The Complete Story Structure Series
• 9 Stages of the Hero’s Journey and How to Use Them
• How to Write a Hero: The 12 Stages of the Hero’s Character Arc
• The Ultimate Guide to Motivating Your Protagonist

Sit Down and Write:

Finally, once you have a strong grasp on what big-picture flaws actually need changing in your story, you can begin the rewriting process. Fortunately, at this point you should have a clear idea of what you need to change and how, saving you the stress of starting the editing process without a solid understanding of where you’re headed.

Really, all that’s left to do is for you to sit down and be ruthless with your story.

If something isn’t working, don’t let yourself kick the can down the road by avoiding the problem. Not only will this make your life harder later on, but it won’t do your story any favors either. Remember, your goal with your second draft is to create a solid foundation for the rest of your editing to build from—meaning you need to make that foundation as strong as possible!

So, instead of getting overwhelmed and ignoring the flaws in your story, commit to tackling them now. Lean on your reverse outline as much as you need, and take time to periodically pause and brainstorm too.

Keep in mind that this isn’t the time for fixing your prose or the minutiae of your scenes either—instead, focus on the big-picture and save those smaller details for your third draft.

Knowing When to Call It Done

Once you’ve finished all five of these steps, you’re ready to move on to your third draft.

However, that isn’t necessarily an easy thing to do.

Your first draft could need wildly different levels of editing, with some writers’ drafts really only needing a few tweaks before they’re ready to go. On the other hand, most—and I really do mean most—writers will need to endure a decent bit of rewriting to remedy their first draft’s flaws. At the end of the day, this will be a lot of hard work—but the improvements to your novel will be well worth it. 🙂

Of course, that’s not the only thing that might hold you back from completing your novel’s second draft. Alongside fixing up your story, you’ll also need to know when to accept that some flaws are ok. So, once you’ve gone through all the major problems you identified through your reverse outline, read your draft one final time and ask yourself if there are any more meaningful improvements you could make to the big-picture of your story.

If not, you’ve officially completed your second draft!

Are you preparing to edit your novel? Let me know in the comments?

Thoughts on the second draft: how to survive your first round of editing.

Thanks – This was very helpful. I just completed my first draft and am itching to do the second.

I’m glad it helped Aurora. Congrats on finishing your first draft! 🙂

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How to Write a Rough Draft

Last Updated: February 6, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Michelle Golden, PhD . Michelle Golden is an English teacher in Athens, Georgia. She received her MA in Language Arts Teacher Education in 2008 and received her PhD in English from Georgia State University in 2015. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 296,325 times.

Writing a rough draft is an essential part of the writing process, an opportunity to get your initial ideas and thoughts down on paper. It might be difficult to dive right into a rough draft of an essay or a creative piece, such as a novel or a short story. You should start by brainstorming ideas for the draft to get your creative juices flowing and take the time to outline your draft. You will then be better prepared to sit down and write your rough draft.

Brainstorming Ideas for the Draft

• Freewrites often work best if you give yourself a time limit, such as five minutes or ten minutes. You should then try to not take your pen off the page as you write so you are forced to keep writing about the subject or topic for the set period of time.
• For example, if you were writing an essay about the death penalty, you may use the prompt: “What are the possible issues or problems with the death penalty?” and write about it freely for ten minutes.
• Often, freewrites are also a good way to generate content that you can use later in your rough draft. You may surprised at what you realize as you write freely about the topic.

• To use the clustering method, you will place a word that describes your topic or subject in the center of your paper. You will then write keywords and thoughts around the center word. Circle the center word and draw lines away from the center to other keywords and ideas. Then, circle each word as you group them around the central word.
• For example, if you were trying to write a short story around a theme like “anger”, you will write “anger” in the middle of the page. You may then write keywords around “anger”, like “volcano”, “heat”, “my mother”, and “rage”.

• If you are writing a creative piece, you may look for texts written about a certain idea or theme that you want to explore in your own writing. You could look up texts by subject matter and read through several texts to get ideas for your story.
• You might have favorite writers that you return to often for inspiration or search for new writers who are doing interesting things with the topic. You could then borrow elements of the writer’s approach and use it in your own rough draft.
• You can find additional resources and texts online and at your local library. Speak to the reference librarian at your local library for more information on resources and texts.

Outlining Your Draft

• You may use the snowflake method to create the plot outline. In this method, you will write a one line summary of your story, followed by a one paragraph summary, and then character synopses. You will also create a spreadsheet of scenes.
• Alternatively, you can use a plot diagram. In this method, you will have six sections: the set up, the inciting incident, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution.
• No matter which option you chose, you should make sure your outline contains at least the inciting incident, the climax, and the resolution. Having these three elements set in your mind will make writing your rough draft much easier.

• Act 1: In Act 1, your protagonist meets the other characters in the story. The central conflict of the story is also revealed. Your protagonist should also have a specific goal that will cause them to make a decision. For example, in Act 1, you may have your main character get bitten by a vampire after a one night stand. She may then go into hiding once she discovers she has become a vampire.
• Act 2: In Act 2, you introduce a complication that makes the central conflict even more of an issue. The complication can also make it more difficult for your protagonist to achieve their goal. For example, in Act 2, you may have your main character realize she has a wedding to go to next week for her best friend, despite the fact she has now become a vampire. The best friend may also call to confirm she is coming, making it more difficult for your protagonist to stay in hiding.
• Act 3: In Act 3, you present a resolution to the central conflict of the story. The resolution may have your protagonist achieve their goal or fail to achieve their goal. For example, in Act 3, you may have your protagonist show up to the wedding and try to pretend to not be a vampire. The best friend may then find out and accept your protagonist anyway. You may end your story by having your protagonist bite the groom, turning him into her vampire lover.

• Section 1: Introduction, including a hook opening line, a thesis statement , and three main discussion points. Most academic essays contain at least three key discussion points.
• Section 2: Body paragraphs, including a discussion of your three main points. You should also have supporting evidence for each main point, from outside sources and your own perspective.
• Section 3: Conclusion, including a summary of your three main points, a restatement of your thesis, and concluding statements or thoughts.

• For example, maybe you are creating a rough draft for a paper on gluten-intolerance. A weak thesis statement for this paper would be, “There are some positives and negatives to gluten, and some people develop gluten-intolerance.” This thesis statement is vague and does not assert an argument for the paper.
• A stronger thesis statement for the paper would be, “Due to the use of GMO wheat in food sold in North America, a rising number of Americans are experiencing gluten-intolerance and gluten-related issues.” This thesis statement is specific and presents an argument that will be discussed in the paper.

• Your professor or teacher may require you to create a bibliography using MLA style or APA style. You will need to organize your sources based on either style.

Writing the Rough Draft

• You may also make sure the room is set to an ideal temperature for sitting down and writing. You may also put on some classical or jazz music in the background to set the scene and bring a snack to your writing area so you have something to munch on as you write.

• You may also write the ending of the essay or story before you write the beginning. Many writing guides advise writing your introductory paragraph last, as you will then be able to create a great introduction based on the piece as a whole.

• You should also try not to read over what you are writing as you get into the flow. Do not examine every word before moving on to the next word or edit as you go. Instead, focus on moving forward with the rough draft and getting your ideas down on the page.

• For example, rather than write, “It was decided by my mother that I would learn violin when I was two,” go for the active voice by placing the subject of the sentence in front of the verb, “My mother decided I would learn violin when I turned two.”
• You should also avoid using the verb “to be” in your writing, as this is often a sign of passive voice. Removing “to be” and focusing on the active voice will ensure your writing is clear and effective.

• You may also review the brainstorming materials you created before you sat down to write, such as your clustering exercise or your freewrite. Reviewing these materials could help to guide you as you write and help you focus on finishing the rough draft.
• You may want to take breaks if you find you are getting writer’s block. Going for a walk, taking a nap, or even doing the dishes can help you focus on something else and give your brain a rest. You can then start writing again with a fresh approach after your break.

• You should also read the rough draft out loud to yourself. Listen for any sentences that sound unclear or confusing. Highlight or underline them so you know they need to be revised. Do not be afraid to revise whole sections or lines of the rough draft. It is a draft, after all, and will only improve with revision.
• You can also read the rough draft out loud to someone else. Be willing to accept feedback and constructive criticism on the draft from the person. Getting a different perspective on your writing will often make it that much better.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.umgc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/writing-center/online-guide-to-writing/tutorial/chapter2/ch2-13
• ↑ https://writing.ku.edu/prewriting-strategies
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/outlining
• ↑ http://www.writerswrite.com/screenwriting/cannell/lecture4/
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/essay-outline/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/rough-draft/
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/style/ccs_activevoice/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/revising-drafts/

About This Article

To write a rough draft, don't worry if you make minor mistakes or write sentences that aren't perfect. You can revise them later! Also, try not to read over what you're writing as you go, which will slow you down and mess up your flow. Instead, focus on getting all of your thoughts and ideas down on paper, even if you're not sure you'll keep them in the final draft. If you get stuck, refer to your outline or sources to help you come up with new ideas. For tips on brainstorming and outlining for a rough draft, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Module 6: The Writing Process

Multiple drafts, learning objectives.

• Examine the importance of writing multiple drafts of an essay

The First Draft

Sometimes it is a struggle to get the first draft on the page. There’s no way around it. Depending on your interest in the topic and the course, you may struggle to write for the assignment. Writing can feel like an ever-frustrating task, and if you struggle to find joy in doing the work, you’re not alone. One strategy that a lot of students find helpful is to accept that the first draft  may not be that great. If you free yourself from having to write something perfect every time you come to the page, the pressure eases. You can write terribly. You can use clichés, incorrect words, and run-on sentences. Don’t worry about any of your sentences being perfect. You can revise and edit later.

Let the words fill the page. At this point in the draft, you may use words like “I think” or “maybe” to help you think on the page. If no words come, try to copy a few quotes about your source and write what you think. Maybe copying a quote from a person you admire and then writing about your perspective of that quote can help. Aim to g et your writing muscles working , and your mind will start to make connections. You have to s top waiting to “feel” like writing and do the hard work of writing. Waiting to feel like writing is the same thing as waiting for inspiration . Neither typically happen unless you’re working.

Overcoming Writer’s Block

Let’s say you feel stuck with an assignment. What do you do? Writer’s block can occur at any point during the writing process. You may find yourself sitting down to write when you suddenly realize that you can’t think of a single thing to say. Don’t panic! It’s a common problem with a variety of solutions. Here are a few tips.

• Try writing out your dilemma in the form of a question: “What is it I’m trying to say?” “What are my goals?” Then brainstorm to answer these questions.
• Take a break. Ten minutes away from your work will usually recharge your creativity.
• Review other ideas on your topic to see what other people are saying. Even opposing views can be inspiring.
• Bounce ideas off someone else. Speaking about your writer’s block with friends, family, and fellow students may help untangle ideas or generate new ones.
• Read aloud what you’ve already written to see if the juices start flowing again.

Don’t be afraid of the horrible, no-good words. At least you have words. That’s an accomplishment. Many give up before even getting that far. You didn’t. You have an ugly first draft.  Now get to work on the second. It’ll still be ugly but much less so than the first. Make sure that you start early to have enough time to go through many drafts. If you wait until the day before, you will have time for only one draft, and that will show in your writing.

Figure 1 . Take a look at this example with notes a student wrote on her rough draft. Once you complete your own rough draft, you will want to engage in a revision and editing process that involves feedback, time, and diligence on your part.

The Second Draft

The second draft is about organizing your information logically and effectively. If you created a thorough first draft, this should be easy. Organize the main points that you plan to make, find supporting evidence for each point, and spend a few sentences explaining what conclusions you are able to draw from the information. Most writing assignments ask students to draw conclusions on their own. It weakens your argument to use phrases like might, I think, and maybe , so keep an eye out for those and edit them out in your second draft.

The Third Draft and More

The third and any subsequent drafts are really about finesse. These are the drafts that will hook your reader and help you earn the grade that you want. Try to write an attention-grabbing introduction as well as a conclusion that leaves the reader thinking about your paper. If you are still struggling with the overall flow of your paper, go back to your first draft and start rewriting.

Often your main point will change by the time you get to this draft, and that is fine. However, you may need to go back to your first draft when this happens. The elusive “show, don’t tell” expression comes into play in this draft, meaning that you want to set the stage for the reader to have them experience and feel a certain way instead of merely telling them what to experience or feel. Your audience wants to be informed, and they want to understand how you feel about the topic.

During this draft, check that you are showing your own thoughts in your writing, and synthesizing from multiple sources. You need to show that you know what you’re talking about and that you can write in an engaging style. If you are bored reading the paper, chances are the audience will be, too. At this point in your writing, you can add action verbs, remove passive verbs, and use more examples. You might also visit your campus’ writing center to have another reader take look at your work.

Although we often use the terms first draft, second draft, third draft, etc., know that there are no set boundaries on what constitutes each draft. Your teacher may include specifics in an assignment, but if not, then there are no set definitions of what the drafting process looks like. The importance of writing multiple drafts is to revisit and revise your paper through multiple passes.  If you hit a point where you’re not sure what the next step should be, h ere are three key questions to ask.

Figure 2 . During your revision process, ensure that all of your claims are supported by evidence. This will strengthen your credibility as a writer.

1) Does the argument hold together?

Does your essay move convincingly from one point to the next?  Maybe you decide to move your key points around and change the structure of the essay.

Do your paragraphs carry the argument clearly?  You might want to look at the links between paragraphs to make the relationships between them more clear.

2) Is your argument supported by evidence?

Every point you make should have some evidence to support it.  Maybe there’s still some reading you need to do to find the evidence you need.

3) Does the essay have an effective introduction and conclusion?

At this stage, you have a good idea of what the essay as a whole will look like. So now is the time to write and refine your introduction and your conclusion.  These are much easier to write at this second stage than straight off at the start of your work on the essay.

• Revision and Adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• The First Draft is the Ugliest. Authored by : Erin Feldman. Provided by : Write Right. Located at : http://www.writerightwords.com/first-draft-is-the-ugliest/ . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Image of haapy catturday. Authored by : Adam Koford. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/cxbrW7 . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Revising and writing a second draft. Authored by : Teesside University. Located at : http://dissc.tees.ac.uk/Writing/writingyouressay/page8.htm . Project : Learning Hub: Your Essay. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Drafting. Authored by : Marianne Botos, Lynn McClelland, Stephanie Polliard, Pamela Osback. Located at : https://pvccenglish.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/eng-101-inside-pages-proof2-no-pro.pdf . Project : Horse of a Different Color: English Composition and Rhetoric. License : CC BY: Attribution
• First Draft Image. Provided by : Excelsior OWL. Located at : https://owl.excelsior.edu/writing-process/essay-writing/essay-writing-rough-drafts/ . License : CC BY: Attribution

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2024 NFL Draft grades, second round: Bills get C- for Keon Coleman; Eagles earn A- for Cooper DeJean

Chris trapasso grades the second day of the 2024 nfl draft.

There are always a lot of good prospects available on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, especially in the second round, and this year is no different. There's a strong group of defensive players available and still plenty of wide receivers. Want to know what I thought of every pick made in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft? You can read below as I graded all the Round 2 picks from Friday night. 

Be sure to refresh this page throughout the weekend to get the latest grades. If you want to do all that plus track the best available prospects and get access to every pick in the draft on one page, you can in our  draft tracker . And follow along with each pick in our  live blog  and all the trades in our  trade tracker .

Grades:   Round 1 •  Round 2 • Round 3  • Round 4  • Round 5 • Round 6 • Round 7

33. Bills: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

"X" receiver for WR-needy team. Plays faster than his combine speed but doesn't separate consistently and isn't as good of a contested-catch wideout as his size and highlight-reel would indicate. Young though. 

34. Chargers: Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia

Crafty, athletic, polished WR who can win on the boundary and in the slot. Releases are great. Route-running nuance also there. Deceptive speed and YAC skills. 

35. Falcons: Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson

Big, long, powerful interior rusher without many pass-rush moves. But his traits shine against the run and has enough explosion to win between gaps or with bull rushes. Expensive trade up though hurts his grade despite Falcons filling a need with quality prospect. 

36. Commanders: Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois

Serious talent at DT. Powerful, polished upfield rusher with stellar hand work. Pad level raises at times but that's nitpicking. Need meets awesome value here for Washington. 

37. Patriots: Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Washington

Complete wideout without stellar athletic traits who tracks it awesomely. Flashes of YAC wiggle and power. Fun, versatile piece to add to the offense that needs it. A tick early for him though. 

38. Titans: T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas

Monstrous NT who finally demonstrated a glimmer of pass-rush capability with hand work as a senior. Not as good against the run or double teams as his size indicates. Probably two-down player in the NFL. Tennessee did need more size inside along the DL, but this is too early for a limited player. 

39. Rams: Braden Fiske, DT, Florida State

Best athlete at the DT spot in this class. Tremendous motor with stellar pass-rush move arsenal. Just older with short arms. This is the ideal "replacement" for Aaron Donald inside. But paid a very steep price for this trade up, which dings what otherwise would've been a high grade. 

40. Eagles: Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa

Howie Roseman strikes again. DeJean is a fine tackler, dynamic athlete who can align anywhere and provides plus return ability. Fills a need in this secondary that needs reworking. 

41. Saints: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

Such a clean outside CB prospect. Press man specialty. Physical but not overly grabby. Solid, not spectacular speed. Ball skills meet the standard you want out of a higher-end starter. Good size too. Arguably the best player available. =

42. Texans: Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia

Physical, twitchy, balanced back pedal, plant-and-drive skills are impressive. Solidly built. Good, not great speed. Doesn't have a true speciality but rock-solid all-around game. Nice add here. High floor. 

43. Cardinals: Max Melton, CB, Rutgers

Huge riser in pre-draft process due to freaky combine workout. Speed + twitch specimen. Press-coverage skills. Needs to improve as a tackler. Can recover if beaten at the line, which happens occasionally. Smaller but plus length. Inside-out versatility. This secondary needs more premier talent. 

44. Raiders: Jackson Powers-Johnson, IOL, Oregon

Instant starter inside. Guard size with mobile center feet. Shorter arms and some rawness in pass pro. But upside is through the roof. All-Pro caliber in that regard. Smart pick here. 

45. Packers: Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M

Young, high-energy off-ball 'backer. Plus range. Loves attacking downhill and very effective vs. the run. Flashed in coverage too with ball skills. But tackle reliability must improve at next level. Ultra-quick trigger. IDs plays in a flash. Some rawness but plenty of tantalizing traits. 

46. Panthers: Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas

Fun, three-down RB without much mileage on his legs. Can win between the tackle or on the perimeter and has feature back size. Elusive but not ridiculously in that regard. Fills a need but maybe a touch early. May not be 100% by September.

47. Giants: Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota

Film is first-round caliber. Such a cerebral player with outstanding ball skills and solid range. Amazing ball skills. Will find the ball if it's in his area. Best away from the line patrolling. Some stiffness as an athlete and not a true burner. Average testing numbers. 

48. Jaguars: Maason Smith, DT, LSU

Highly touted recruit who dealt with injuries and never quite met hype in college. Tall, sleek interior player who flashes that big-recruit talent at times just not ultra-consistent. Won't be limited athletically in the NFL. Rushes get far too high, which saps his power. Nice arm over but really his only move. Fills a need. 

49. Bengals: Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan

Case for the best run defender in the class at DT. Minimal pass-rush ability because of average-ish burst. Strong, block-shedding ability. High-floor without much upside but exactly what Cincinnati needs on the defense. 

50. Commanders: Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan

Pesky nickel CB with flexibility, instincts, and a high motor. Can beat some blockers en route to the football. Reasonable twitch and plus zone awareness. Exactly the type of playmaker the Commanders need. Tackling good, not amazing. Maybe a touch early. 

51. Steelers: Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia

Ultra-experienced battler at center. Mobility and leverage are fantastic. Awareness is arguably the best in the class. Low center of gravity helps him anchor like a champ. Doesn't have freaky burst but flexible. Wrestling background. Exactly the type the Steelers need up front.

52. Colts: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

Love this pick for Colts. Exactly the type they like. Size/speed/athleticism specimen. So fluid running routes. Just can have long stretches where he goes invisible. Very minimal YAC. An outside wideout who can win at second and third levels for Anthony Richardson. 

53. Commanders: Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State

Love this pick. Athletic, explosive athlete. Clearly the second-best receiving TE in this class. YAC skill is outstanding. Strong hands. Just not a true burner down the seam. Will be a go-to target for Jayden Daniels. 

54. Browns: Michael Hall Jr., DT, Ohio State

Tremendous selection. Awesome value meets serious need. Young, high-level productivity and athleticism. Hand work is well beyond his years. Could improve beating blocks vs. the run but he holds up well there for an interior rusher. 

55. Dolphins: Patrick Paul, OT, Houston

Strange fit because this is one of the least mobile blockers in the class. Mike McDaniel typically prioritizes athleticism along his offensive line. Absolutely enormous with supreme length. Hand placement is very inconsistent. Gets outside the shoulder pads. Very experienced. Hits on a need.

56. Cowboys: Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan

Big-time tester who might be just scratching the surface of how good he can be around the corner. Doesn't quite play to his workout but works the edges of OTs very well. Shows glimpses of countering ability. Just didn't ever dominate in the MAC. Roll of the dice. 

57. Buccaneers: Chris Braswell, EDGE, Alabama

Had early Round 2 grade on this outside rusher. Length, methodical pass-rush moves, deceptive power. Very productive generating pressure at Alabama. Sets a sturdy edge. A need in the post Shaq Barrett era.

58. Packers: Javon Bullard, S, Georgia

Hair-on-fire stocky safety who can align at nickel CB if needed. Takes great angles against the run and plays with reckless abandon. Runs the alley like a missile. Rarely misses a tackle. Not crazy ball hawk. Smaller with shorter arms. Just a stud football player. 

59. Texans: Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame

Young, spectacular combo blocker with unsurprisingly raw game but plenty of upside. Athleticism is good, not great, but works hard in pass pro even if he doesn't win instantly. Solid anchor that does take him a second to sit into against bull rushes. Best getting downhill for the ground game. Smart pick with long-term future in mind. But is a project. 

60. Bills: Cole Bishop, S, Utah

Large, intimidating safety with magnificent movement skill. The QB of the defense. Aligns everywhere. Can wear many hats. Excelled as slot defender and vs. TEs in coverage and runs the alley on outside runs as well as any safety in the class. Ball skills and tackling must improve. Short arms. Need filled. Grade: A- 

61. Lions: Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri

Chippy, in-your-face inside-out cornerback with good, not great athletic gifts. Plant-and-drive skills can be borderline special. Hit or miss as a tackler but the hits are huge thumping hits. Reasonable ball skills and will play the football aggressively. Size and length a concern. 

62. Ravens: Roger Rosengarten, OT, Washington

Quick-setting OT with the athletic chops to get in the face of EDGEs in a hurry. Has to clean up footwork on pulls but has the natural gifts to eventually excel there. Plays very aggressively, which leads to some off-balanced reps. Has to get a touch stronger. I like the OL investment.

63. Chiefs: Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU

Boom-or-burst prospect. His 2022 was outstanding, but 2023 was not on film. Burst and especially lateral sliding ability are there. Has hard time locking onto EDGEs and securing them. Slips out of many blocks against the run. Hand work in pass pro can be outstanding at times. Raw but talented. NFL OT frame. Need filled. 

64. 49ers: Renardo Green, CB, Florida State

Super steady. Plus athlete. Calm, cool, collected. Man-to-man skills are awesome. Mixes in some physicality. Instincts are there too. High-floor player who may not have the twitch to play inside. But can mirror well on the boundary. Speed can get stretched beyond the limit. 

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NFL draft order Friday: Who drafts when for second and third rounds of 2024 NFL draft

After a historic first round during which 23 offensive players were selected, the focus of the 2024 NFL draft turns to Friday, which doubles up on the intrigue by featuring Rounds 2 and 3 .

The Buffalo Bills are are on the clock first, drafting for the first time in this year's event. The Bills were originally slotted to draft No. 28 in the first round, but they traded back twice -- first with the Kansas City Chiefs, who drafted WR Xavier Worthy, and then with the Carolina Panthers, who took WR Xavier Legette.

The Green Bay Packers , Houston Texans , Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders . The Commanders have three more picks in the third round to give them a league-high five picks on Day 2. The Minnesota Vikings are the only team without a pick on Friday.

Here is the NFL draft order for the second and third rounds Friday:

33. Buffalo Bills (from Carolina Panthers)

NFL DRAFT HUB: Latest NFL Draft mock drafts, news, live picks, grades and analysis.

34. New England Patriots

35. Arizona Cardinals

36. Washington Commanders

37. Los Angeles Chargers

38. Tennessee Titans

39. Carolina Panthers (from New York Giants)

40. Washington Commanders (from Chicago Bears)

41. Green Bay Packers (from New York Jets)

42. Houston Texans (from Minnesota Vikings)

43. Atlanta Falcons

44. Las Vegas Raiders

45. New Orleans Saints (from Denver Broncos)

46. Indianapolis Colts

47. New York Giants (from Seattle Seahawks)

48. Jacksonville Jaguars

49. Cincinnati Bengals

50. Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans Saints)

51. Pittsburgh Steelers

52. Los Angeles Rams

53. Philadelphia Eagles

54. Cleveland Browns

55. Miami Dolphins

56. Dallas Cowboys

57. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

58. Green Bay Packers

59. Houston Texans

60. Buffalo Bills

61. Detroit Lions

62. Baltimore Ravens

63. San Francisco 49ers

64. Kansas City Chiefs

65. Carolina Panthers

66. Arizona Cardinals

67. Washington Commanders

68. New England Patriots

69. Los Angeles Chargers

70. New York Giants

71. Arizona Cardinals (from Tennessee Titans)

72. New York Jets

73. Dallas Cowboys (from Detroit Lions through Minnesota Vikings)

74. Atlanta Falcons

75. Chicago Bears

76. Denver Broncos

77. Las Vegas Raiders

78. Washington Commanders (from Seattle Seahawks)

79. Atlanta Falcons (from Jacksonville Jaguars)

80. Cincinnati Bengals

81. Seattle Seahawks (from New Orleans Saints through Denver Broncos)

82. Indianapolis Colts

83. Los Angeles Rams

84. Pittsburgh Steelers

85. Cleveland Browns

86. Houston Texans (from Philadelphia Eagles)

87. Dallas Cowboys

88. Green Bay Packers

89. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

90. Arizona Cardinals (from Houston Texans)

91. Green Bay Packers (from Buffalo Bills)

92. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Detroit Lions)

93. Baltimore Ravens

94. San Francisco 49ers

95. Buffalo Bills (from Kansas City Chiefs)

96. Jacksonville Jaguars (compensatory selection)

97. Cincinnati Bengals (compensatory selection)

98. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Philadelphia Eagles; special compensatory selection)

99. Los Angeles Rams (special compensatory selection)

100. Washington Commanders (from San Francisco 49ers; special compensatory selection)

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2024 NFL second-round mock draft: Bills address the one big need

The Bills are sitting (for real this time) on the 33rd pick, the first of the second round, and FanNation Draft has them grabbing the best player, for them, available.

• Author: Neal Coolong

In this story:

The Buffalo Bills actively did everything they could to get out of the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Trades down with Kansas City and Carolina netted them the 33rd overall pick, the first of the second round and the kickoff pick of day 2. And FanNation Draft's Tyler Forness sees them putting it to good use, selecting Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.

Good size (6-2, 205 pounds), excellent speed (4.33 40), Mitchell fits the bill of exactly what the Bills need, weighing in the decision to part ways with Stefon Diggs in March.

The argument can easily be made Mitchell was worth either of the two first-round picks the Bills had, and traded, Thursday, and both picks landed their respective teams other wide receivers -- Xavier Worthy was taken by the Chiefs at 28 and Xavier Legette was selected by Carolina at 32. The 49ers took Florida's Ricky Pearsall at 31 for good measure.

It seems like Mitchell would be the odds-on favorite for 33, and the Bills can and should feel pretty good about adding more picks along with adding Mitchell.

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How the N.F.L. Draft Became a Trading Floor

Picks are likelier to be dealt than kept, as a “very strong inertia” has been replaced by complex models and frenzied swapping.

By Ben Blatt

Ben Blatt previously worked as a data analyst for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

On Thursday night, the Chicago Bears will make the first of many picks in the N.F.L. draft that have something in common: They originally belonged to someone else.

Source: ProSportsTransactions.com

The Bears’ pick — expected to be U.S.C. quarterback Caleb Williams — was acquired last year as part of a blockbuster deal in which Chicago also got receiver D.J. Moore and three other draft picks.

That trade is part of an increasing draft-night trend in the pursuit of “draft capital.” As teams become much more sophisticated in their understanding of how much a draft pick is worth, particularly in later rounds, draft picks have become increasingly common as deal-sweeteners, or to round out intricate trade packages.

In one sign of how firmly this ethos has taken root in today’s N.F.L.: In last year’s draft, for the fifth time since 2017, more picks were traded away than were used by their original team.

In a trade emblematic of the trend, consider the circuitous route of the 230th pick in last year’s draft. That pick had changed hands five times, starting in 2020, before coming to the Buffalo Bills.

The Path of the Jets' 2023 7th-Round Pick

After the pick’s long journey, the Bills selected offensive lineman Nick Broeker, who was waived by the Bills before the season.

Teams now often swap picks like a currency, knowing they will be able to trade them again later. About one-third of all swapped picks, since 2020, were traded again at least once more.

Why trading went up

The increase in such swaps can be attributed to two large related trends: Swaps for picks have become more complex, and they have become more popular with the increasing importance of the draft.

More complex trades can be attributed to the spread of the “Jimmy Johnson trade chart,” a system created by a Cowboys minority owner and embraced by Johnson, Dallas’s coach, in the early 1990s. It was one of the first major attempts to quantify the value of draft picks in relation to other picks.

The chart states the No. 1 pick in the draft is worth the same market value (3,000 points on Johnson’s chart) as the total of the third (2,200 points) and 21st picks (800 points). Teams today create their own updated version of the Johnson chart using more sophisticated mathematical models, but the concept is the same.

Jimmy Johnson Trade Chart vs. Today

Rich Hill’s 2024 trade chart is an example of a trade chart calculated with recent draft data, though many varying modern trade charts exist. Values for the Jimmy Johnson chart taken from ProFootballReference

Johnson himself was known for complex deals, including the 1989 Herschel Walker trade involving six players and 12 picks that helped set the foundation for three Dallas titles.

Picks Swapped Per Trade

Mark Dominik, a former general manager who worked for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 15 years, said he remembered securing a copy of the trade chart in 1996. He said part of his job at the time as director of pro scouting was feeling out trades, and he would call other teams and ask what point chart they used.

“It was the guide that put teams in the same mentality,” Dominik said. “Some teams didn’t have a draft point chart, and I felt like we got a little bit better value on those trades.”

Trading picks has also become more popular as the value of rookie contracts to teams has increased, caused in part by rule changes.

In 2011, a collective bargaining agreement between the players union and league created a rookie wage scale. In 2009, the contract value of the top overall pick, Matthew Stafford, was $12 million a year. In 2012, Andrew Luck was drafted first overall and received a contract with the new wage scale at just $5.5 million a year.

Because there’s also a limit on total team spending — the salary cap started in 1994 — the rookie wage scale made drafting young players at lower prices even more enticing. The former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said this created a new paradigm: “Over time the market saw how valuable the trades were, but it took a couple years to work out.”

The number of trades today is 50 percent higher than before the rookie-wage-scale era and more than twice as high as it was in the 1990s.

Other rule changes have also shifted trade dynamics. In the 1970s, the draft reached 17 rounds, with teams rarely bothering to trade late-round picks with limited value. And in 2017, the league allowed compensatory picks (those given to teams that lost valuable free agents) to be traded.

Will trading keep going up?

In 2005, the economists Richard Thaler and Cade Massey published a paper examining the market efficiency of the N.F.L. draft. Their research required them to calculate a draft-pick value curve plotting the market value of one pick compared with another, a more mathematically precise version of the Johnson trade chart.

Thaler, who won a Nobel Prize for his contributions to behavioral economics, said in an interview that he believed teams were still not trading as much as economic theory might predict. If the draft were “really efficient,” he said, teams would be trading picks much more often than they do now.

Why aren’t teams doing this? “There is a very strong inertia in all aspects of life,” Thaler said. “We do things the way we’ve always done them.”

Thaler also said fans are more likely to criticize a team for a trade that goes wrong than for standing pat.

But the market alone doesn’t determine trade frequency. Dominik pointed to how the draft was expanded in 2010 — to three days instead of two — giving teams more time to discuss trades.

This year, with 83 picks swapped so far, draft trades are up from the pre-draft total last year in which a record-setting percentage of picks wound up being dealt overall. With speculation surrounding quarterbacks at the top of Thursday’s draft, and with leaguewide trends toward trading, there is a good chance this year will set a new mark for transactions.

Ben Blatt is a reporter for The Upshot specializing in data-driven journalism. More about Ben Blatt

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