The Goldilocks Draft
7 Exercises for Managing Cognitive Load When Writing
⋙ Master the Fundamentals, Keep the Streak Alive ⋘
Bookmark these daily “streak savers” from Writing Streak.
I like to read light novels from Japan and the reason is right there in the name. They're light, like popcorn. Once in a while, I'll pick up something heavier, but most of the time I'm not trying to build my reading muscles. Does that make sense? From a reader's perspective, some books are harder to read than others. They require more from the reader. And the reader chooses what to read based on their own goals. Nobody takes Moby Dick into a backyard hammock.
The task of writing also offers different levels of cognitive load. Writers don't just find a natural level based on their abilities. What they choose to write determines the challenge level.
And that's what we're exploring this week. How can we sense the level of challenge in our writing and balance it so we don't lose momentum and stop returning to the writing desk? A too-low challenge might lead to tedium, while a too-high challenge breaks your spirit, like a fish that's too big to pull into the boat. Are you ready to write Moby Dick, or The Old Man and the Sea? Maybe not today.
There's a Goldilocks zone for your drafts—not too heavy and not too light. While this zone can change from day to day, it tends to improve over time as long as you keep writing.
This Week’s Streak Savers 🪦
⋙ Monday, Nov 18: Setting as Memory Aid
Setup: You're in a location familiar to you. Two characters need to find something important in this space.
Goal: Maintain reader engagement through character discovery. Get the characters to perform a task that requires an object for which they are searching.
Constraints:
Describe only what the characters notice or interact with
Include at least three specific details that only someone familiar with the space would know
End the passage when the characters start performing the action
Modification: For more challenge, add detailed descriptions or dialogue about other, unrelated objects the characters find.
Reflection: What details emerged naturally that might not have if this were an invented setting?
⋙ Tuesday, Nov 19: Action Sequence Complexity
Setup: Three people are trying to coordinate an action with a large object.
Goal: Create an engaging scene that tracks multiple simultaneous actions while maintaining clarity for the reader.
Constraints:
Each character must be described doing their specific task
No collective actions ("they lifted")
End when the task is completed
Modification: For more challenge, include each character's thoughts about the process.
Reflection: How did tracking individual actions affect how the scene unfolded? Did this individual focus cause the characters to struggle more?
⋙ Wednesday, Nov 20: Frame Switching Exercise
Setup: A character finds an object that they weren’t expecting triggering further thoughts and discussion about it.
Goal: Create a seamless progression through different narrative frames—description, introspection, and dialogue—while maintaining reader engagement.
Constraints:
Begin with purely physical description
Transition to the character's memories or associations
End with dialogue about the object’s fate
Each section should be about the same length
Reflection: Which frame felt most natural to write in? How did switching between frames affect your writing flow?
⋙ Thursday, Nov 21: Timeline Navigation
Setup: A character is waiting for important news. Their mind wanders to a similar moment from their past.
Goal: Guide readers through time shifts while maintaining clarity and building tension.
Constraints:
Start in the present moment
Transition to a related memory
Include one detail in the memory that hints at the present outcome
Return to present when the news arrives
Reflection: How did managing multiple timeframes affect your ability to build tension?
⋙ Friday, Nov 22: Style Complexity Ladder
Setup: A simple scene is unfolding like you might see in a child’s picture book.
Goal: Create three distinct versions of the same moment while maintaining reader engagement across different prose styles.
Constraints:
First version: Minimal subject-verb sentences
Second version: Clear, but descriptive prose
Third version: Rich, metaphorical language
Each version should be one paragraph
Reflection: Which style felt most natural to write in? How did different styles affect your focus on various aspects of the scene?
⋙ Saturday, Nov 23: Modulating Voice
Setup: A character has a unique job they find embarrassing, demeaning, or difficult to explain.
Goal: Maintain reader immersion through subtext. Have the character describe their work, adapting the explanation for different situations.
Constraints:
First explanation for a child
Second for a stranger
Third for their boss
Each explanation should be one paragraph
Modification: For less challenge, make the job something the character likes.
Reflection: How did adjusting complexity for different audiences affect your writing process? Which version felt most natural to write?
⋙ Sunday, Nov 24: Minimal Cognitive Load Story
Setup: Someone is traveling alone to a new location where they discover something they’ve never seen before.
Goal: Create an engaging story focused on a simple interaction while maintaining minimal cognitive demands on both writer and reader.
Constraints:
Use settings and situations familiar to you
Follow events chronologically
Keep sentences simple and direct
Stop when the interaction ends
Maximum of three short paragraphs
Modification: For more challenge, invert the constraints: use the unfamiliar, jump through time, and write complex sentences.
Reflection: How did minimizing complexity affect your creative choices? What techniques helped you maintain reader interest while keeping things simple?