After you have developed an outline, decide how many paragraphs
you will have in each section and subsection. Start with the number of
pages you feel appropriate for the entire piece. Because double-spaced
typescript usually has 2 to 3 paragraphs per page and single-spaced 4
to 5, multiply the number of pages by 2.5 for double-spaced typescript
or 4 for single-spaced, the average number of paragraphs per page. The
reason for doing this is that pages are merely units of display, while
paragraphs are units of composition.
For the Census Bureau's policy brief on population projections
to 2025, we came up with a maximum of 6 double-spaced pages and assigned
them thus:
Americans Are Getting Older, Warmer,
More Diverse
No.double-spaced pages
No. paragraphs
Total
6
16
(Opening-no heading)
1
2
Different paths to growth
2
5
27 Floridas
1
3
Big gains for Hispanics and Asians
2
6
For the overview of the recent World Development Report
on the state in a changing world, the estimated length was 30 pages. That
meant about 75 paragraphs (2.5 x 30), which were assigned to the various
sections and subsections in this way:
The Future of the
State
No.double-spaced pages
No. paragraphs
Total
30
75
Opening
2
5
Rethinking the state—the world over
2
3
A two-part strategy
2
3
Matching role to capability
7
16
The first job of states: getting the fundamentals
right
7
Going beyond the basics: the state need not be
the sole provider
6
Knowing the states limits
3
Reinvigorating state institutions
10
25
Effective rules and restraints
4
Subjecting the state to more competition
9
Bringing the state closer to people
9
Strategic options for reform
3
Beyond national borders: facilitating global
action
3
10
Collective action
5
Embracing external competition
3
Promoting global collective action
2
Removing obstacles to state reform
4
11
When do reforms occur?
3
How can reform be sustained?
3
Good government is not a luxury—it
is a vital
necessity for development
