Key points from the video

• One of the most difficult parts of writing is overcoming writer’s block

• The 2.5 draft method is one way to tackle this problem

Step 1 Throw all your ideas on the paper; use the This is called Draft 0.5
exercise of focused free writing to do this
Step 2 Clean up the mess you made in Step 1; pick out This is called Draft 1
the important parts from Draft 0.5 and write them
as sentences
Step 3 Refine your Draft 1; fix the details like This is called Draft 2
punctuation, sentence structure etc.

• For focused free writing set a timer, pick your topic and then continue writing until the
timer stops.
• The focused free writing is meant to get your ideas from your subconscious mind to your
conscious mind
• So it is important to just keep writing even if all you’re writing is ‘I don’t know what to
write’
• After the first couple of minutes you will begin to see your ideas flowing onto the paper
• Don’t try to form complete sentences at this point
• The aim of focused free writing is to get your ideas onto the paper, so it is better if you
quickly list them in broken sentences and bullets
• This way you will be able to get more ideas onto the paper
• It will also free your mind and allow yourself to make mistakes
• It is better that you write 10 ideas with mistakes rather than 1 idea with no mistakes,
because the mistakes can be fixed later on; the important thing is that you have your
ideas on paper

• After the focused free writing, you will have your Draft 0.5
• Now you can start Draft 1
• Pick the bullets and broken sentence from Draft 0.5 and convert them into proper
coherent sentences
• You can also create an outline at this point if you want; the outline can help you arrange
your ideas into a logical order
• After you have written your ideas into complete sentences, you have your Draft 1
• Next step is to start Draft 2
• At this point you take your Draft 1 and refine it
• Fix the punctuation, the sentence structure, the grammar etc.