Dumping and drafting for writing success. How often do you find yourself staring at a blank page, unsure how to start? Or maybe you start and get stuck trying to make every sentence perfect? I used to do both until I figured out my simple three-step process that makes writing easier and allows for creativity, no matter what you’re working on.
Whether you’re writing an email, a proposal, a response to a tricky subject, or a social media post, my process helps you get your ideas down, refine them, and then use them with confidence.
1. Dumping (Pre-Drafting) – Letting your thoughts flow
2. Drafting – Organizing those thoughts into a more structured format
3. Final Editing – Checking and finalizing before sending
Step 1: DUMPING (or pre-drafting) – Let your thoughts flow
This step is all about getting down what you’re thinking in no particular order, without worrying about structure or perfection or whether it’s the right thing to say. Simply write down whatever comes to mind, no editing allowed.
Why is it important or helpful?
✔ It allows creativity to flow – when you stop trying to be perfect from the start, you give yourself the freedom to explore new ideas and think outside the box.
✔ It ensures one thinks everything through – whether it’s an article, proposal, or an email (what is the desired outcome, what impact do I want this to have, who am I talking to)
✔ It releases any negative thoughts – if you’re writing something difficult, like a tough email, this step lets you put down what you really feel first before refining it into something more constructive. Do NOT respond until you have done this step.
💡 Tip: If you’re writing an email that feels emotionally charged, let yourself write it all out first, then go back and remove anything unhelpful before shaping it into the response you actually want to send.
Step 2: DRAFTING – Preparing the draft
Once you’ve dumped all your thoughts onto the page, it’s time to organize them into something more structured. This is where you take your free-flowing ideas and develop them into a clear and focused draft. Then go back, remove anything unhelpful, and rewrite to achieve the desired outcome, why are you writing this? To achieve what?
Why is this important?
✔ It helps you refine your message – now that you’ve got all your ideas out, you can figure out what works, what doesn’t, and how to frame your thoughts in a way that makes sense.
✔ It prevents impulsive responses – especially in emails, drafting gives you space to refine your message instead of reacting emotionally without thought for the implications. Gives you time to revisit, pause and reflect.
✔ It makes collaboration easier – if you’re working on something that requires approval, a draft invites feedback instead of resistance.
Step away from your draft for a bit before reviewing. A little distance makes it easier to catch mistakes and improve clarity.
💡 Tip: There’s another reason I use drafts unrelated to writing. Most people know and use drafting in one way or another. However, they don’t necessarily intentionally use drafts as a tool for gaining buy-in, engaging others in the process, and speeding up decision-making or approvals.
Here’s why this approach works:
1. Presenting a draft is less assertive/prescriptive, more inclusive of others. Again, this can apply to most things one works on as a consultant or in any other role. It doesn’t mean that one is inviting complete re-writes, it’s how you present it. It’s about engagement.
2. Presenting draft proposals also means that you have thought everything through (you’ve done the hard work of creating and allowing them to do the editing) and when presented, are much more likely to be accepted or approved. This could be as simple as a proposal to a client to change the way they are doing something, or a full-blown pitch.
Step 3: FINAL EDITING – Refining before sending
Now that you have the draft, the last step is to finalize it, fix awkward phrasing, make sure everything is clear, ensure it sounds the way you want it to and get final approvals.
Why is this important?
✔ It allows you to fine-tune your message – by this stage, you’ve already processed your thoughts and structured them. Now, you can focus on making sure the final version is clear, professional, and impactful.
✔ It ensures clarity and professionalism – even if your first thoughts were all over the place, the final version will be concise and well-organized.
✔ It gives you confidence – you’re no longer guessing if your writing is good, it’s been through a process that ensures it is.
💡 Tip: Read it out-loud one more time before sending. If it sounds awkward, rework it until it flows naturally.
Final Thoughts
I have truly found this process of dumping, drafting and then doing a final edit extremely helpful and not as time consuming as it sounds. In fact, it often saves time and stress, especially if the topic is potentially contentious as you’ve made sure that it won’t have negative consequences. Using this process has given me more clarity and confidence, and I hope it can do the same for you.