For me, a good fist draft starts with the use of good reading and annotation techniques to allow me to gather information and develop a strong argument. First, when I begin reading I mark up the text with questions challenging the author, notes in the margins and I underline and circle important pieces of information I wish to utilize later. Once I’ve done this, I sit down to either free write or free speak (recording myself on the voice memo app) about my possible ideas to get my thought flowing and get my mind in the zone to be able to write about my topic. Once my ideas are laid out and I establish a general direction in which I’d like to take my essay, I begin to compose an essay. Next, I utilize the eyes of others to give me feedback on the draft I’ve composed and I also recite it out loud to myself to test how it sounds. Lastly, I check grammar and be sure that my essay contains all the components required for the assignment and make sure my thesis is addressed and well supported. In the future, I plan to use these techniques in my classes later in college as well as in writing professional emails and other documents in which I want to be sure I am getting the desired message across and hitting all the bases.
