Writing and content templates
Blog posts, articles, outlines, editing checklists, bios and writer notes. 84 free templates, 30 of them longer notes. Open one to fill in the blanks and copy it.
Article outlines
Structures for common article types.
- How-to article Note Step-by-step guide. Introduction What you need - Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Common mistakes Summary
- Listicle Note Numbered list article. Intro 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Wrap-up
- Opinion piece Note Argue a point. The claim Why people think otherwise My evidence 1. 2. What this means Call to action
- Case study Note Customer story. The customer The challenge The solution The results - Quote >
- Comparison article Note X vs Y. Quick verdict At a glance | | [Option A] | [Option B] | | | | | | Price | | | Where [Option A] wins Where…
- Interview article Note Q&A piece. Intro Q: A: Q: A: Closing
- News article Note Inverted pyramid. Lead (who, what, when, where) Why it matters Details Quotes Background
- Ultimate guide Note Long pillar page. What is [Topic]? Why it matters How it works Best practices Tools FAQ Next steps
- Newsletter essay Note Personal essay. Hook The story The insight What to try
- Review article Note Product review. Product: [Product] Rating: 5/5 Verdict What I liked - What I did not - Who it is for
Writer's snippets
Reusable blocks for writing.
- Author bio short Snippet One line bio. [Your name] writes about [Topics] for [Audience].
- Author bio long Snippet Paragraph bio. [Your name] is a [Role] based in [City]. [Experience]. Their work has appeared in [Publications]. When not…
- Call for comments Snippet End of a post. What do you think? Leave a comment below; I read every one.
- Subscribe prompt Snippet Asks readers to subscribe. Enjoyed this? Get the next one in your inbox: [Link]
- Affiliate disclosure Snippet Required disclosure. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost…
- Sponsored disclosure Snippet Sponsored content note. This post is sponsored by [Sponsor]. All opinions are my own.
- Update note Snippet Marks an updated article. Updated [today]: [What changed].
- Content warning Snippet Warns readers. Content note: this piece discusses [Topic].
- Image credit Snippet Credits a photo. Photo by [Photographer] on [Source]
- Pull quote Snippet Highlighted quote. > [Quote]
- Table of contents Snippet In-article contents. In this article 1. 2. 3.
- Key takeaways box Snippet Summary at the top. Key takeaways - - -
Editing and pitching
Work with editors and publications.
- Pitch to an editor Snippet Article pitch. Hi [Editor], I would like to pitch a piece for [Publication]: [Working title]. [Two-sentence summary] Why…
- Submission email Snippet Sends a finished draft. Hi [Editor], Attached is my draft of [Title] ([Words] words), as agreed. Happy to make changes.
- Revision reply Snippet Responds to edits. Hi [Editor], Thanks for the edits. I have accepted most of them and pushed back on [Point] because [Reason].…
- Invoice to publication Snippet Bills for an article. Hi [Editor], Attached is my invoice for [Title], published [today]: [Amount], due within 30 days.
- Rights question Snippet Clarifies usage rights. Hi [Editor], Before we finalise: which rights are you buying for this piece? First serial, exclusive for a…
- Chasing a pitch Snippet Follows up. Hi [Editor], Checking whether you had a chance to look at my pitch [Title]. If it is not a fit, I will offer…
Editing checklists
Notes to review your drafts.
- Self-edit checklist Note Before you publish. - [ ] Headline says what the reader gets - [ ] First line hooks - [ ] One idea per paragraph - [ ] Cut…
- Style guide Note House style rules. Voice Spelling and capitals Numbers and dates Words we avoid - Formatting
- Fact-check log Note Verify claims. | Claim | Source | Checked | | | | | | | | |
- Book chapter plan Note Plan a chapter. Chapter: [Number] Purpose: [Purpose] Scenes or sections 1. Key point Ends with
- Character sheet Note Fiction character. Name: [Character] Age: [Age] Wants Fears Voice Arc
- Story outline Note Three-act structure. Act 1: Setup Act 2: Confrontation Act 3: Resolution
- Writing log Note Daily writing record. [today] Words: [Words] Project: [Project]
- Idea capture Note Save a story or post idea. Idea: [Idea] Format: Post
Speeches and toasts
Words for the podium.
- Wedding toast Snippet Best person or friend toast. Hi everyone, I am [Your name], [Relation]. [Story about them] Today, [Couple], I wish you [Wish]. Please…
- Retirement speech Snippet Honours a retiree. [Name] joined [Company] in [Year]. Since then, [Achievements]. What we will miss most is [Quality]. [Name],…
- Farewell speech Snippet For a leaving colleague. We are here to say goodbye to [Name], who is off to [Next]. [Memory]. Thank you for everything, [Name].
- Award acceptance Snippet Short thanks on stage. Thank you. This award belongs to [Team]. [Short story]. Thank you to [People].
- Eulogy outline Snippet Structure for a eulogy. 1. Who [Name] was to you 2. A story that captures them 3. What they taught us 4. A closing thought or farewell
- Opening remarks Snippet Starts an event. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to [Event]. Today we will [Purpose]. Let us begin.
Openings
Ways to start a piece.
- Question opening Snippet Open with a question. Have you ever [Experience]? [Follow-up]
- Statistic opening Snippet Lead with a number. [Percent] of [Group] [Fact]. That changes how we should think about [Topic].
- Story opening Snippet Start with a scene. It was [time now] when [Event]. [What happened next]
- Bold claim opening Snippet Provoke. [Claim]. Here is why.
- Problem opening Snippet Name the pain. If you have ever [Pain], you are not alone.
- Quote opening Snippet Open with a quote. “[Quote]” said [Person]. [Why it matters]
- Contrast opening Snippet Expectation vs reality. Most people think [Common belief]. In reality, [Reality].
- Definition opening Snippet Explain a term. [Term] means [Definition]. But in practice, [Twist].
Transitions
Move between ideas smoothly.
- Adding a point Snippet Also. On top of that, [Point].
- Contrasting Snippet However. That said, [Contrast].
- Example Snippet For instance. For example, [Example].
- Cause and effect Snippet Because of this. As a result, [Effect].
- Sequence Snippet Next step. Once that is done, [Next].
- Summarising Snippet In short. In short, [Summary].
- Emphasis Snippet Most importantly. Most importantly, [Point].
- Conceding Snippet Admit a point. It is true that [Concession]. Even so, [Counterpoint].
Endings
Close with purpose.
- Call to action ending Snippet Tell them what to do. Ready to [Goal]? [Action] today.
- Summary ending Snippet Recap key points. To recap: [Point 1], [Point 2] and [Point 3]. Start with [First step].
- Question ending Snippet Invite replies. What do you think? Have you tried [Thing]? Let me know.
- Future ending Snippet Look ahead. [Topic] is only getting started. Next, [Next].
- Circle back ending Snippet Return to the opening. Remember [Opening image]? [Resolution].
- Personal ending Snippet Warm sign-off. Thanks for reading. If this helped, share it with someone who needs it.
Bios and profiles
Describe yourself well.
- Speaker bio Snippet For events. [Name] is [Role] at [Company], where they [Work]. They have spoken at [Events] and write about [Topics].
- Board bio Snippet For board or trustee roles. [Name] brings [Years] years of experience in [Field], including [Highlights]. They joined the board in [Year].
- Team page bio Snippet Company website. [Name] leads [Area]. Before joining [Company], they [Previous]. Outside work, you will find them [Hobby].
- Founder bio Snippet Startup founder. [Name] founded [Company] in [Year] after [Origin story]. Previously [Background].
- Academic bio Snippet For researchers. [Name] is a [Title] at [University], researching [Topic]. Their work has been published in [Journals].
- Creative bio Snippet Artist or maker. [Name] is a [Medium] artist from [Place] whose work explores [Themes].
- Third-person short bio Snippet One line. [Name] helps [Audience] [Result].
- First-person About me Snippet Personal site. Hi, I am [Name]. I [What I do] for [Who]. I care about [Values]. Say hello at [Email].
Blog post outlines
Structures for every kind of post.
- How-to post outline Note Step by step guide. How to [Task] Why it matters What you need Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Common mistakes Wrap up
- Listicle outline Note Numbered list post. [Number] [Things] for [Audience] Intro 1. 2. 3. Conclusion
- Comparison post outline Note X vs Y. [Option A] vs [Option B] Quick verdict Feature comparison | | [Option A] | [Option B] | | | | | Pricing Who…
- Case study outline Note Customer story. How [Customer] [Result] The challenge The solution The results Quote What is next
- Opinion piece outline Note Thought leadership. [Claim] The common view Why I disagree Evidence What to do instead
- Product update post Note Changelog blog. What is new in [Month] Highlights - Improvements - Fixes - Coming soon
- Beginner guide outline Note Ultimate guide. The beginner guide to [Topic] What is [Topic]? Key terms Getting started Next steps Resources
- Interview post outline Note Q and A. [Guest] on [Topic] Intro Q: A: Q: A: Key takeaways
- Roundup post outline Note Expert roundup. [Count] experts share [Topic] Intro [Expert 1] [Expert 2] Themes
- Year in review post Note Annual recap. [today] in review By the numbers Highlights Lessons Next year
- Newsletter issue Note Regular email. [Newsletter] #[Issue] Main story Quick links - One thing to try Reply and tell me
- FAQ page outline Note Common questions. Frequently asked questions [Question 1] [Question 2] [Question 3] Still have questions?