The first is that you shouldn't be concerned with length, at least not too much. Of instance, if your page restriction is three pages, you don't want to produce a 20-page rough draft. So keep it in mind for a while. Let it go if your page restriction is three pages and your rough draft is four. You can always cut some stuff out later.
A second thing you should remember is that you are writing a draft, which means it's not finished yet. So you can change things around and move things around on the page as you go. If you feel like you need to stop after three pages, then do it. But try not to worry about length too much in the beginning.
Finally, you should write for yourself first and foremost. What I mean by this is that you should write something you'd love to read. If you're trying to write for other people, or focusing too much on what other people will think of your work, then you're going about it wrong. Write for yourself first and let the rest follow.
I know this sounds really simple, but I see so many people who haven't been taught how to write, they spend all their time editing others' work instead of writing anything themselves. That's not good practice; you should be writing what you want to say, not fixing others' mistakes. And above all, have fun with it!
While there is no predetermined length for this prospectus, as a general suggestion, consider 8 to 10 pages. Longer term research projects may require up to 20 or more pages.
The prospectus should be written in an easy-to-understand manner, and aimed at a broad audience. As a minimum, it should include: a brief overview of the topic; an explanation of the problem or issue that the study will address; a summary of previous research on the topic; a description of the specific methods you will use to analyze the data; a discussion of any limitations of your study; and a listing of any funding sources that might influence the results of your work.
In addition to these basic requirements, the prospectus should be written so that it can be used by others if necessary. For example, if you are applying for a grant from a government agency, then the prospectus should also outline what information needs to be included in the application process.
Finally, the prospectus should be written so that it does not exist beyond the duration of your own project.
There is no hard and fast rule, and it all depends on how many drafts you want to complete before the final edition. If this is the only draft, I would go for the moon. If there will be further iterations, the first draft is whatever puts your thoughts down on paper. 5.5.95 was the last time Philip Roth published a novel.
Check the narrative to ensure it is not overly long, as personal narratives are typically one to five pages long. If you are writing a personal narrative for a class, you may also be required to satisfy a specified length limit. Length limits vary significantly from school to school and program to program -- some require a short story only, others will let you go on for pages -- but most expect a concise piece that gets to the point quickly.
In terms of actual time, it can take anywhere from a few hours to several days to write a narrative document. The more information you have to work with, which means more sources to draw from and more details about people's lives, the longer it will take you to write them up. A one-page personal narrative taken from life is much easier to write than a novel or collection of essays.
Some schools with large journalism programs require students to write narrative articles for publication in campus magazines or online. These articles are usually between 400 and 600 words and must include a main idea along with supporting details obtained from someone who was a source for the story. You cannot use another person's word count as a guide for how long your narrative article should be; instead, follow standard journalistic practices by being clear and concise without going over the allotted space.
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