The word 撰稿人 is formed by combining the character 撰, meaning "to write" or "compose", with 稿, meaning "draft" or "manuscript", to create the compound 撰稿, meaning "to write drafts". This compound is then followed by 人, meaning "person", to designate the agent who performs the action, resulting in a term that refers to a person who writes drafts, typically a writer or contributor.