Historical Analysis - Drafting
After you have created your outline, you need to begin composing the actual essay, a process known as drafting. The end result of this process will be a rough draft—key word here being “rough.” Don’t worry if you think it needs improvement—even the best rough drafts need revising before they can be called a “final paper.” The most important element of drafting is simply getting all your thoughts down in the rough shape the essay will take—introduction (including a working thesis), body (including textual and historical evidence with explanations), and a conclusion.
While drafting, remember…
When using historical information, make sure you are citing a reputable source. (Some professors require scholarly sources, and some might allow less scholarly sources, such as Wikipedia. Make sure you understand what constitutes a reputable source according to your professor.)
Write your draft in chunks. Some people like to start with their introduction, some prefer to start with their body paragraphs. Whichever your preference, make the process more manageable by breaking up the essay into chunks--take it one paragraph at a time and give yourself a small break between each one.
Next Step: Revising
While drafting, remember…
- Choose your quotes and historical evidence carefully. When choosing, keep your argument in mind. Make sure your quotes and facts are used as evidence for your argument and are not simply there to take up space in the essay.
- Typically, for every line you quote from a literary work or outside source, you should have double the lines of explanation for that quote.
- Explain the significance of the quotes you use.
When using historical information, make sure you are citing a reputable source. (Some professors require scholarly sources, and some might allow less scholarly sources, such as Wikipedia. Make sure you understand what constitutes a reputable source according to your professor.)
Write your draft in chunks. Some people like to start with their introduction, some prefer to start with their body paragraphs. Whichever your preference, make the process more manageable by breaking up the essay into chunks--take it one paragraph at a time and give yourself a small break between each one.
- Consider hand-writing your first draft. Some people find themselves more focused when putting pen to paper and are less distracted by starting out with nothing but the primary text, a pen and a notebook in front of them rather than a computer fully equipped with the distractions of the internet.
- Make notes to yourself on your draft while writing. If you feel yourself hitting a block, move on and fill in quotes or explanation later, but make a note on the draft so you don't forget.
- Conference with your professors. Some people like taking their outline or a partial draft to a professor to talk it through and make sure they are on track. Just remember that your professors want to help you improve yourself as a writer.
- In addition, talking through your draft with peers can also help you make sense of some of the arguments or explanations you may be giving.
- If you are typing your rough draft, remember to SAVE OFTEN. There is nothing worse than a power outage or dying laptop to cause you to lose hours of work.
- Just remember: This is a rough draft. Don't freak out if it isn't perfect--just get through it. If you start your essay in time, there will be plenty of time for you to revise and polish your paper.
Next Step: Revising