Getting started writing a manuscript – or any other document for that matter – can be difficult. Manuscripts are large projects, sometimes taking hundreds of hours and many months to complete. Faced with a blank page or screen, one might be tempted to simply start typing, attacking the project by the path of least resistance, but working in this way can lead to a poorly defined text that may even stray into tangential or irrelevant areas. Having a clear, organised plan of attack can save a manuscript writer a lot of time and avoid many headaches. In this article, I explain how to start writing and organise the early stages of a manuscript in the best manner.