WRITING YOUR DOCUMENT
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bar first and the rest of him followed, though he always insisted that it was his shoulders he landed on, not his head or neck. Despite Fosbury’s Olympic success and the obvious effectiveness of the method, however, it took the best part of a decade before his flop became the predominant style among serious high jumpers. The replacement of the old-fashioned sand pit to land in by a very thick sponge mat made all the difference. Only the very brave are willing to risk their necks for glory.
WRITING: AN OVERVIEW • •
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Get started. Especially if you have difficulties with the opening section, start at any point in your plan where you have plenty to say. Write your first draft in fairly long stretches; if possible, write out the whole piece. The most important thing about the first draft is that it should be complete. If necessary, ignore other factors until you have completed the first draft. Consider your readers and their expectations. Choose a tone that suits your readers and the type of piece you are writing. If in doubt, choose the neutral tone. Write paragraph by paragraph. Remember that the basic rule is one idea, one paragraph. Construct most of your paragraphs on the basis of a topic sentence. When you have completed a draft, start revising it.