Making writing manageable

When I used to write frequent articles for magazines, I had a strict word count and so the first thing I would do is to break it down into manageable chunks with a word count target. I’d begin with a template like this for a 1200 word article:

[TITLE]

[STANDFIRST - couple of lines summary to draw the reader in]

[INTRO & HOOK - 150 words]

[PARA 1 - main idea, a bit of background - 300 words]

[PARA 2 - idea development, case study example - 300 words]

[PARA 3 - deepening, counter argument - 300 words]

[CONCLUSION - 150 words]

[FIND OUT MORE - any extra links, useful tips etc]

I would write the notes for my main points in a different colour and then gradually replace with full sentences for my first draft. Then, I’d rewrite to make it all flow better.

So I’ve been thinking about how to break down a book or larger writing project to make it manageable and easy to fit into a busy life.

I’ve been thinking about writing units. And one of those units in short stories, novels, creative non-fiction or memoir is a scene. These can be written before you have an outline or any inkling of what the whole book might be about. You can gather and rearrange or evolve a story in this way.