<p>I’m starting my common app and was wondering how I should write my first draft. Should I write it how I want it to be at first, and then cut it down to 650 words later? Or should I get straight to the point and then add my own voice and style afterwards to hit the 650 word count?</p>
<p>Just start writing. Don’t worry about word count, or what AO’s want to see. Don’t worry about organizing it. Just write, and your voice will come through naturally. Get everything out that you could possibly want to say on the topic, and come back after a couple days and see what you can do with what you wrote. That’s how I wrote mine, and I loved the way it turned out (:</p>
<p>^ that, and I personally find it much easier to delete. Just free-write, ignoring the prompt and the word-count, and see where it takes you.</p>