Start from a structure,
not a blank page.
Four skeletons for long work, with an explanation of what each part has to do.
Why start from a template
A blank page is rarely a shortage of ideas. It is an undecided question about what the piece is for. A template answers part of that question before you write a word, which is why it so often gets a stalled draft moving. Every template here is used inside Strut as a starting document, and every one works just as well copied into any editor.
The four templates
- The essay template — A five-part skeleton for a piece that has to argue something and survive a reader who disagrees.
- The chapter template — A structure for one chapter of something long, built around the change it has to deliver.
- The article pitch template — What an editor needs on one screen to say yes, no, or 'not this, but what about'.
- The research memo template — A way to close out a research session so the findings survive until you write.
How to use one well
- Copy the skeleton and replace every bracketed line with your own words.
- Delete any part the piece does not need — a template is a prompt, not a contract.
- Keep the headings while drafting; they become the outline you navigate by.
- Rename the headings once the argument settles, so they describe your piece rather than the template.
Which template fits your piece
| If you are writing | Use | Because |
|---|---|---|
| An argued piece that must change a mind | Essay | It forces you to state a claim and answer the strongest objection |
| One part of something book-length | Chapter | It is built around the change the chapter has to deliver |
| A proposal to an editor | Article pitch | It fits on one screen and answers what an editor decides on |
| A record of what your research found | Research memo | It separates what sources say from what you concluded |
Where templates fit in a project
A template shapes one document. Deciding what the piece is for happens before that, with a writing brief, and finding the order happens alongside it with an outline. The long-form workflow guides cover how the three fit together.
Common questions
Are these templates free to use?
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Yes. Copy any of them into any editor, adapt the headings, and use them commercially. They are structures rather than software, so no account or licence is involved.
How is a template different from an outline?
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A template is the reusable shape of a kind of document; an outline is the specific argument of one piece. You start from the template, then replace its prompts with the claims and evidence of the piece you are actually writing.
What if my piece does not fit the structure?
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Change the structure. Every template lists where it goes wrong and what to do instead, because a document that fights its template usually has a different job than the one the template was built for.
Give your rough notes
somewhere to go.
Projects, notes, versioned drafts, imported sources, and careful AI assistance in one private workspace.