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Workplace writing in certain environments is done by teams of writers who collaborate
on the planning, writing, and revising of documents, such as long reports, technical
manuals, and the results of scientific research. Collaborators do not need to be in the
same room, the same building, or even the same city. Many collaborations are
conducted over the Internet.
In a perfect collaboration, each contributor has the right to add, edit, and delete text.
Strong communication skills, in addition to strong writing skills, are important in this
kind of writing situation because disagreements over style, content, process, emphasis,
and other issues may arise.
The collaborative software, or document management systems, that groups use to work
on common projects is sometimes called groupware or workgroup support systems.
The reviewing tool on some word-processing programs also gives you access to a
collaborative tool that many smaller workgroups use when they exchange documents.
You can also use it to leave comments to yourself.
Tip
If you invest some time now to investigate how the reviewing tool in your word
processor works, you will be able to use it with confidence during the revision stage of
the writing process. Then, when you start to revise, set your reviewing tool to track any
changes you make, so you will be able to tinker with text and commit only those final
changes you want to keep.
Discovering the Basic Elements of a First Draft
If you have been using the information in this chapter step by step to help you develop
an assignment, you already have both a formal topic outline and a formal sentence
outline to direct your writing. Knowing what a first draft looks like will help you make
the creative leap from the outline to the first draft. A first draft should include the
following elements:
- An introduction that piques the audience’s interest, tells what the essay is about, and
motivates readers to keep reading. - A thesis statement that presents the main point, or controlling idea, of the entire piece of
writing. - A topic sentence in each paragraph that states the main idea of the paragraph and
implies how that main idea connects to the thesis statement. - Supporting sentences in each paragraph that develop or explain the topic sentence.
These can be specific facts, examples, anecdotes, or other details that elaborate on the
topic sentence. - A conclusion that reinforces the thesis statement and leaves the audience with a feeling
of completion.