Planning
Give a long assignment smaller finish lines.
Plan the research, draft and editing before dividing the word count.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Start with the brief and marking criteria. Reserve time for research and editing, then split the remaining writing across the days you can work. A word target is a planning aid, not a measure of argument quality.
- 01BriefDeliverables and criteria.
- 02PreparationResearch and organise evidence.
- 03DraftRemaining words ÷ drafting days.
- 04ReviewCheck argument and references.
A practical method
Translate the brief into deliverables
List what must be submitted: report, references, appendix or slides. Check the word-count rules. Identify the question your argument must answer before collecting more material.
Reserve the non-writing work
Estimate research, organising evidence and editing separately. Choose a date for a complete first draft. Our planner reserves whole days for preparation and review; change these to suit your assignment.
Draft by section
Write the purpose of each section in a sentence. Give yourself a daily target, then work on the next useful section. You do not have to draft in the order the reader will see.
Check against the brief
Use the final review to check the argument, references, format and submission instructions. The calculator only allocates words and days; it cannot check your evidence or the quality of your work.
A worked example
A 2,400-word report with 600 words drafted leaves 1,800 words. If you have 8 working days and reserve 2 for preparation and 2 for review, the remaining 4 drafting days need about 450 words each. That target still needs a section plan.
A common pitfall
Count only completed work that belongs in the final draft. Notes copied into a document are not necessarily drafted argument.
Put it into practice
Enter your target, completed words and working days in the assignment planner. Reserve preparation and review before dividing the remaining words.
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