Draft

Author Advice

Draft

Now that you have gathered some ideas you are ready to begin writing your first draft. Remember to look back at your prewriting and all of the ideas you came up with. You may find that as you write, you need more information and need to return to the strategies listed in Gather Ideas. Focus here on your ideas and content. Do not worry about spelling and grammar but be sure you can read your own writing!

Consider these issues while writing:

Voice: Who is writing?

This may depend on the format you have chosen. Maybe you’ll be writing as yourself or as a researcher. But perhaps you want to write from the viewpoint of the animal you’ve chosen, or a famous athlete or artist. Who are you? What do you know about the topic? How do you feel about the topic?

Audience: Who are you writing for?

Who will listen to or read your work? Are you writing for your teacher? Your classmates? Younger children? What do they already know about your topic? What help might they need to understand your topic or writing?

For example, my main audience was Egyptian children familiar with Egypt in general but who may not know a lot of details about the different topics I chose. I knew they would have at least a basic understanding of Arabic and so I decided to include many Egyptian Arabic words in my book. However, since I also knew that children in other countries would read my book, I made sure to include English translations of the Arabic words. I also included a glossary of some of the more difficult English words I used. My target audience for the informative paragraphs are children in grades 4 to 8 so the language I chose was suitable to that age group and up - not KG students.

Purpose: Why are you writing?

Are you writing to inform or entertain your audience? Are you writing to persuade your audience about something - perhaps visiting a new place or trying a new sport? What words can you use to help you meet your goal?

Form: What format are you using?

Are you writing an ABC book? A number book? An acrostic poem? Will you create a book, a brochure, a poster, or an advertisement?

TIP: If you get stuck or frustrated with your writing, take a break. Revisit your work after you’ve had a few days off and are motivated to write again. This isn’t an assignment and there is no deadline! :)