Writing • Target: 20 mins
Skeleton first
If you can't picture the whole story, build the structure and let it carry you.
Steps to follow:
- Write the last sentence of your piece first, even if it will change.
- Write the first sentence next.
- List five beats between them, each as a short verb phrase ("she lies", "he finds out", "they leave").
- Put the beats in the order that creates the most pull.
- Draft each beat as one rough paragraph, about three minutes each, with no polishing.
- Leave it overnight if you can. Revise by reading it, not by imagining it.