The open notebook

Editorial writing sample

A first draft needs a question, not a perfect sentence.

A blank page makes every choice look equally urgent. What should the opening say? How formal should it sound? Is this the right word? Before you try to answer all three, choose the question the piece needs to answer.

Write the question at the top.

Imagine the person who will read the finished page. What are they trying to understand? A service page might need to explain what the work includes. An article might help someone compare two approaches. Put that question in plain language before writing the introduction.

Give the answer a simple order.

Write the main answer without trying to make it elegant. Then list the details that make it useful: an example, a necessary distinction, a practical next step. If a paragraph does not help answer the question, keep it in a separate note while you decide whether it belongs.

Use an example to test the explanation.

A general statement can feel clear until it has to explain a real situation. If you write that a brief should be specific, show what specific means. “A short guide for first-time visitors” gives the reader more to work with than “some content for the website.” The example reveals what the advice actually asks someone to do.

Edit the route before the wording.

Read the draft once for order. Does the central answer arrive early enough? Is a term explained before it is used? Does the ending follow from the middle? Moving a paragraph may help more than replacing several words inside it.

Leave the polishing until the idea is visible.

Once the route works, read for pace and unnecessary language. Remove repetition that adds no distinction. Keep the detail that helps someone understand. A first draft is material to shape; it does not have to sound finished before it can become useful.