Drafting the Manuscript

Index: Drafting the Manuscript

As no two authors write in the same way, no one can say which way of writing will suit you best. You will have to find out for yourself. The writing procedure described here is the one I personally have found most useful - by trial and error. Hopefully you may find some portion of it to adopt. A central part of this writing scheme is to collect ideas while the study is in progress.

Write down your thoughts as they arise

While the study is still in progress, jot down ideas as they occur to you. The notes can be assembled, for example, in a loose-leaf binder containing plastic sleeves, one for each section of the paper. (Woody Allen, the moviemaker, works in a similar way; in a drawer he gathers slips of paper with ideas for his forthcoming movie.) Ideas can pop up anywhere - in bed, in the bath, in the street, on the bus, on the train, in the car. So, place your notebooks strategically so that you always have one at hand, wherever you are. Use one sheet of paper per idea, even if the idea is only a single line or phrase. Eventually, the reservoir may contain all the components of the paper (or film script), waiting to be arranged.

Drafting the Manuscript

Where and when to write?

As a beginner I made the cardinal error of taking two weeks off and sitting down on a Monday morning in an attempt to write the first draft continuously from beginning to end. It didn’t work. Professional writers don’t do it that way. They know from experience that they can work creatively for only a few hours per day. They also know the importance of working uninterruptedly, with no phone ringing and no visitors arriving. For example, when Vilhelm Moberg, author of the great epic about Swedes leaving their homeland for America, was at one time writing in California, he could find only one place to work undisturbed - in the attic of the house. No one could reach him there, because he pulled the ladder up behind him. Writing an epic is, of course, not the same as writing a scientific paper, whose well-defined sections can be used to divide the text into separate stages. Short sections such as abstract and introduction may be written in a single session each. Long sections such as results and discussion might have to be split into smaller parts, each to be written in one session.

Drafting the Manuscript

How it can work in practice

Assume that during this particular sitting you intend to write the introduction. You have three hours at your disposal. Before starting, read and revise what you wrote during the previous sitting. Then read the notes you have collected for the introduction. Let us say that writing this section takes only about two of the three hours you have available. Nevertheless, stop writing now - it will give you a feeling of accomplishment. However, before you finish for the day, read the notes you have collected for the next part and sketch the main topics in brief, incomplete sentences.

Even if you still have 20 minutes to spare, and are still full of energy and creativity, do not start writing the next part. If you do, you may have to leave the work uncompleted, with a feeling of dissatisfaction. Ernest Hemingway once said about writing, “Always stop on a high,” and that is exactly what you do if you always stop when one part is finished.

Medical researchers with clinical duties rarely have as much as three hours of uninterrupted time available. But this writing program can be used for shorter (1-2 hour) spells if you adjust the pieces of work accordingly. A great advantage of this writing scheme is that you need not write every day.

Write down your thoughts as they arise

The other way around

You do not have to begin with the abstract or the introduction. You may begin by writing the easiest section, which could be the methods or the results. This approach offers a psychological advance. Starting with the information you know best (the methods or the results) gets about a third of the paper done quickly, and you look forward to writing more. Then, feel free to write the remaining sections in whatever order you find easiest.

Handwriting or word processing?

Handwriting may be suitable for the first draft, but word processing is without doubt the easiest method for revision. If you are going to revise a section extensively, make a copy of the original version and save it in a separate file - you may need it if you change your mind.

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Infoskripsi Bandulan, Malang and work as an Administrator at Infoskripsi Corp.
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