1.1Draft a first draft
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Feed before asking: paste your rough notes then ask for formatting — Copilot excels on YOUR material, not on the blank page.
- Frame it like a brief (RTCF): document type + structure + length + tone in the initial request — fewer iterations afterwards.
- 70/30, never send raw output: the AI produces the material (70%), you check facts, tone and commitments (30%) — Keep / Regenerate / Refine, then you sign off.
Threaded mini-case — Hicham, administrative assistant in Algiers
Hicham, an administrative assistant in Algiers, must circulate a service memo about the new leave procedure: requests via the HR portal, a 15-day lead time, manager approval. He pastes his 6 lines of rough notes into a blank Word document and launches 'Draft with Copilot': 'Turn these notes into a one-page service memo: title, context, 4-step procedure, contact. Professional and clear tone.' Copilot delivers the structured memo in seconds. Hicham refines it ('halve the context', 'more direct tone'), then does his 30%: he checks the exact deadline, adds the effective date and signs. The memo goes out twice as fast, with no commitment errors.
This same case returns in the lesson, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge — and continues in 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4.
1. The 'Draft with Copilot' prompt and drafting from notes
In a blank Word document, the 'Draft with Copilot' prompt appears (or via the Copilot icon in the margin): describe the expected document and Word drafts it. The most cost-effective use is not starting from nothing but drafting from notes: paste your rough notes then ask 'Turn these notes into a structured service memo'. You provide the material, Copilot provides the form.
Hicham does not ask 'write a memo about leave': he pastes his notes (HR portal, 15-day lead time, manager approval, contact rh@…) and imposes the one-page structure — the draft arrives already close to final.
2. Reworking with targeted instructions and applying the 70/30 rule
After generation, three buttons: Keep, Regenerate, Refine. Never start over from scratch: adjust with targeted instructions ('shorter', 'add a budget section', 'more direct tone'), section by section. Reuse the RTCF prompt (role, task, context, format) seen in 0.4: the more you frame structure, length and tone upfront, the less you iterate.
The principle that keeps you in control: the 70/30 rule. The AI produces the material (70%); the human checks, adjusts and takes responsibility (the decisive 30%: facts, figures, tone, commitments). Absolute corollary: raw AI output is never sent — you are the responsible author.
🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Concrete example — From meeting notes to service memo
Three scribbled lines, one memo ready to circulate — like Hicham on the leave procedure.
Notes: new leave process — request via HR portal — 15-day lead time — manager approval — questions: rh@…
Prompt: 'Turn these notes into a one-page service memo: title, context, new 4-step procedure, contact. Professional and clear tone.'Reading: Copilot delivers a complete structured memo in seconds from YOUR material.
Lesson: your 30% (checking the exact deadline, adding the effective date, signing) turns the draft into a document of your own.
Section vocabulary
- Draft with Copilot
- The prompt that appears in a blank document (or via the Copilot icon in the margin): describe the expected document and Word drafts it.
Simple example: The leave memo launched by Hicham from his notes.
What it is not: a proofreader that would merely re-read an existing text.
Reflex: describe the document like a brief: type, structure, length, tone.
- Draft from notes
- Paste your rough notes then ask: 'Turn these notes into a structured service memo' — the most cost-effective use.
Simple example: Hicham's 6 lines turned into a one-page memo.
What it is not: starting from a blank page hoping Copilot will guess.
Reflex: always feed Copilot your own material first.
- Keep / Regenerate / Refine
- The three buttons after generation: keep, retry, or adjust with an instruction ('shorter', 'add a budget section').
Simple example: Hicham's 'halve the context' via Refine.
What it is not: regenerating everything from scratch at every disappointment.
Reflex: refine section by section, never start over from scratch.
- The 70/30 rule
- The AI produces the material (70%); the human checks, adjusts and takes responsibility (the decisive 30%). Never send without proofreading.
Simple example: Hicham checks the deadline and the date, and signs before circulating.
What it is not: sending raw AI output as is.
Reflex: facts + tone + commitments proofread, always.
In practice — Hands-on — Produce a real document with the notes → draft method
- Take a real writing task on hold (memo, meeting report, letter) and gather your rough notes.
- Open a blank Word document, paste the notes and launch 'Draft with Copilot' with a framed prompt (document type, structure, length, tone).
- Refine with targeted instructions, section by section: 'shorter', 'add a section X', 'more direct tone'.
- Apply your 30%: check every fact and figure, adjust the tone, own the commitments — only then circulate.
Ready-to-say script — request a framed draft (30 s)
'I open a blank Word document, I paste my rough notes, then I launch Draft with Copilot: Turn these notes into a one-page service memo — title, context, 4-step procedure, contact, professional and clear tone. Then I refine section by section and I check every fact before signing.'
Say while showing the Copilot icon in the margin; stress the 30% proofreading.
Copy-paste template — draft-from-notes prompt
Turn these notes into a [service memo / meeting report / letter] of one page:
- Title + context (2 sentences)
- [New 4-step procedure / decisions / practical details]
- Contact: _______________
Tone: professional and clear. Short sentences, no school-essay connectors.
MY ROUGH NOTES:
- _______________
- _______________
- _______________Service memo in Algiers
Like Hicham: rough notes + imposed one-page structure — the leave memo comes out in minutes, checked and signed.
Meeting report
Paste the 3 scribbled lines after the meeting, ask for title + decisions + actions + owners: the report goes out the same day.
Letter to frame
Specify recipient, subject and tone ('formal, courteous') in the prompt: the draft arrives already in the right register.
Report outline
Ask for the outline alone (headings + instructions per section) when the substance comes later: Copilot builds the skeleton, you will fill it in.
✓ Best practices
- Feed Copilot YOUR material (notes, key points): that is where it excels, far more than on a blank page.
- Impose the style upfront in the prompt ('short sentences, no school-essay connectors, direct tone') and give an example of your prose.
- Rework section by section: targeted instructions give better results than an overall regeneration.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Sending an AI draft without proofreading: a guaranteed error on a fact, a name or a commitment.
- Starting from a blank page hoping Copilot will 'guess': give it material.
- Keeping the recognizable AI style ('Moreover… In conclusion…'): impose your own in the prompt.
Key takeaways
- Copilot excels at turning rough notes into a structured document: feed it YOUR material.
- Frame the request (structure, length, tone) as learned in 0.4: the draft will only be closer to final.
- Rework with targeted instructions, section by section.
- Raw AI output is never sent: proofread facts, tone and commitments — you are the author.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Take one real writing task on hold: paste your notes into Word, launch the template above, refine 2 sections with targeted instructions, then do your 30% (facts, tone, signature). Time yourself and compare with your usual method.
- I launch a draft from my notes with a framed prompt (structure, length, tone).
- I refine section by section with Keep / Regenerate / Refine.
- I only circulate after my 30%: facts checked, tone adjusted, commitments owned.
Frequently asked questions
Copilot's style is recognizable ('Moreover… In conclusion…'), how do I avoid it?
Impose the style in the prompt ('short sentences, no school-essay connectors, direct tone') and give an example of YOUR prose. Your final 30% of editing does the rest.
Can Copilot draft in an existing document, not only a blank one?
Yes: place the cursor where you want to insert, invoke Copilot (margin icon) and describe the passage to produce — it builds on the content already present.
What is the most cost-effective use of drafting with Copilot?