Hold off on deep editing and proofreading until you have a nearly complete document. Using this method, each draft will take longer as you look at your work more critically. The third draft may take 45 to 60 minutes. Your second draft will take about 30 minutes. As you do, you’ll see connections and uncover depth you hadn’t seen before. Instead, make several passes, improving your document each time. Continue to resist the temptation to perfect a single paragraph. Do this for about 15 minutes.Īfter working feverishly for 21 minutes, you now have something to build on. Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar, or making sense. Accept that some paragraphs will develop faster than others-but don’t go back and edit. Continue to work from memory and don’t stop. With your rough outline for reference, flesh out each point. Step #3 – Bang out the first draft of your brief or memo. Stick with it and keep working without stopping to think or pausing to refine. It may be tempting to dwell on your first paragraph and tweak it until it’s perfect, but if you stop, you’ll lose your momentum. You must write until you reach the end of your outline. The 21-Minute Method works largely because of one rule: No editing allowed. Rule #3 – Keep going until you reach the end. If so, try reverse outlining after you’ve completed a few drafts. At first, this method might feel weird or you might worry that your organization will suffer. Second, arrange the groups of related items in logical order. First, look for themes note and group the related items. Once you’re done capturing that flow of information from memory, it’s time to organize those thoughts. If you have more than four minutes worth of information to write, keep writing. Step #2 – Group your ideas and arrange them in order.Īfter four minutes of writing, you’ve probably exhausted your working memory. If you let your inner editor out at this stage, you’ll stall your progress. Writing without pause and without editing or evaluating your work keeps you from self-criticizing. This usually takes no more than four minutes. As you have the conversation, write down everything you’d say. It may be disjointed and out of order, but that’s fine. The last thing this person has said to you is, “Tell me about this case/deal.” Writing in a conversational manner will help you to write less and stick with a story. Imagine a conversation between you and another person. Without notes and research to tempt you into treating minor and irrelevant issues, you’ll develop a better story. You should have a clear grasp of the issues, facts, and law. Once you’ve completed your research, put your notes and research away. It’s proven to help lawyers quickly craft passable rough drafts.įor the method to work, you must follow the formula. Let’s try this with the 21-Minute Method created by legal writing expert Gary Kinder. You’ll also get through your first draft faster. It may seem counterintuitive, but if you put your research away and force yourself to write from memory, you’ll find a story that flows naturally and the most relevant points become apparent. We’re so focused on cramming everything in that we lose the story and stray from the point. All You Need Is a Draftįirst drafts often fall short and take too much time because we treat writing like a lecture rather than a conversation. Your first draft is merely a starting point, and it should take no more than 25% of the time you’ve allotted for this assignment. So get some words on paper-don’t worry about whether they’re good yet. A well-written brief or memorandum is the product of a lot of editing, but you can’t edit words that don’t exist. When you’re staring at the blank page, remember that your goal is to make progress, not to be perfect. So how can we overcome writer’s block and get that first draft on paper? Manage Your Expectations Fear, perfectionism, self-doubt, and external pressure are the main psychological ingredients for writer’s block. This creates a high-pressure situation where we’re sure to doubt ourselves. Legal writing can be a struggle because we’re expected to be fast and perfect.
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