drafting-with-copilot

name	drafting-with-copilot
category	waza
description	Drive Copilot through a structured draft section-by-section after CLARIFY, PLAN, and CONTEXT are done. Use when producing any multi-section deliverable — memo, brief, deck, status, recap. Triggers: "draft section", "fill in the section", section-by-section authoring.

Drafting With Copilot

The draft is cheap. Treat it as a starting block, not a finish line.

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Quick Reference

Step	Prompt shape
Section 1	"Draft . Source: . Length: . Include: . Exclude: ."
Read	Read the section before requesting the next
Section 2	Same shape; reference earlier section if it constrains this one
Stitch	After all sections drafted, ask for transitions only
Don't	Don't ask for "the whole thing" up front

When to Use

• Any deliverable longer than 2 paragraphs.
• After plan-before-prompt has produced a skeleton.
• When you have sources mapped to sections.

How to Use

1. Confirm the intent frame is pinned.
2. Confirm the context sources are attached and Copilot can list them.
3. Prompt section-by-section, not "draft the whole thing." For each section:
   • Name the section, its purpose, the sources, and the length.
   • Specify what to include and what to leave out.
4. Read each section before requesting the next — early errors compound.

Examples

Don't: One-shot	Do: Section-by-section
"Write the whole memo."	"Draft section 2 (Risks). Use [risk log]. 4 bullets. Each bullet: risk -> owner -> mitigation. No invented owners."
"Make it creative."	"Draft the exec summary. ≤80 words. Lead with the recommendation."
"Fill in the deck."	"Draft slide 4 only. One chart: revenue by region. Reference [Q3 workbook -> Region tab]."

Critical Rules

• Section-by-section. Each section gets its own prompt and its own source.
• Read before next. Errors compound; catch them at the section.
• Be boring on purpose. Structured deliverables don't want creativity.
• Specify what to exclude. As important as what to include.
• You picked the structure in plan-before-prompt. Don't let Copilot rewrite it.

Common Pitfalls

• Asking for "the whole thing" — drift compounds.
• Letting Copilot expand into adjacent sections it wasn't asked for.
• Skipping the read between sections to "go faster."
• Inventing constraints mid-draft instead of in the plan.
• Asking for "tighter" without a number.

Anti-Patterns

• "Write the whole memo." You'll spend more time fixing than drafting.
• Asking for "creative" output for a structured deliverable. Be boring on purpose.
• Letting Copilot pick the structure. You picked it in plan-before-prompt.
• Editing while Copilot is still drafting — race conditions in your head.

Verify After Each Section

• Section matches the planned purpose.
• Length within budget.
• Sources cited inline.
• No drift into other sections.
• No invented facts (names, numbers, dates).

Related

• plan-before-prompt, intent-framing
• reviewing-output, refining-iteratively
• verify-before-send