Good writing is like math.

It has logic and structure.

It feels solid to the reader. The writer is in control, leading the reader on a well-lit path that's clear and accessible and free of gnarled words and knobbly things readers will stumble over.

Good writing does not follow a formula, exactly. But there is an architecture to it.

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There's no single way to structure a piece of writing.

I start with a single line at the top of the page that sums up the main point I'm trying to make.

Then I list some key points that relate to or support my bigger idea.

Then I go back and expand on those ideas in another sentence or two, creating paragraphs.

Then I move the paragraphs around, adding transitions between them to create a smooth flow.

In other words, I make a list.

It feels less intimidating to make a list than it does to write.

Do you ever feel stumped about where to begin a shopping list? A to-do list? A wish list for Santa?

Me neither.

Your approach might be different. Instead of a list, you might use mind mapping, a flowchart, note cards, sticky notes, a pen and paper, a whiteboard and some fat markers.

J. K. Rowling sussed out the first Harry Potter novel using graphing paper and a ballpoint pen. Marketer Andy Crestodina writes an outline and then makes the main points its headers. Then he fleshes out the outline in a kind of fill-in-the-blank exercise.

Sometimes great writing isn't written; it's assembled.

Your preferred method for organizing a piece doesn't matter. The point is to keep yourself focused and organized via a set framework so you don't meander all over the place. It also creates momentum, because you can anticipate what's next.

Sometimes the organization of a piece is suggested by its format.

Here are 15 approaches to framing your writing, using online privacy as a sample topic: