The key to a successful piece of writing is the planning. It helps you to select vocabulary and order your paragraphs. You should also plan in time at the end to proofread your work.
Bullet points help to capture all your thoughts and ideas in a clear and concise way. Here’s an example of how you might use bullet points to plan:
Question
Write an article for young people that outlines how to deal with the stresses of modern life.
Must use a witty and catchy headline, maybe ‘From stress to rest: How to deal with life as a teenager’.
Must use a ‘voice’ suited to my reader and text type.
Must keep it all lively and clear, varying sentence styles and lengths.
Maybe include an ultra-short sentence and a one-line paragraph?
Paragraph 1) causes of stress - mobile phones and social media, bullying, exam pressure. Must make the final sentence one that I can link to next.
Paragraph 2) why it makes life difficult and what kind of health problems they can lead to - sleep deprivation, isolation, not sharing worries. Must make my first sentence a transition from the last one.
Paragraph 3) ways to overcome stress and deal with modern life - take a break from IT, sleep well, use relaxation techniques. Must make my first sentence a transition from the last one.
You might also want to add in notes about key issues such as text type, audience and purpose and notes of particular vocabulary that you might include.