Writing a novel is much like building a house. It takes time, careful planning, and your undivided attention. There are many tools readily available for the new author, one of them being the beat sheet.

What Is A Beat Sheet?
A beat sheet is a segmented break down of your novel. Each beat, part, and milestone is listed, with an area for you to write a description of what will be written in that section. Beside the description is a space for approximate pages and word counts within each segment. The common beat sheet uses the three-act structure. To start, we will break down the beat sheet to better understand what it is and how it helps refine the novel writing process. 

Beats: Specific targets necessary for a fully developed novel that has perfect pacing and a well-defined storyline and characters.

For example:
1. Opening Image

2. Theme Stated

3. Set-up

4. Catalyst

Parts: In the three-act structure beat sheet there are four parts

1. The Set-up - this is the beginning, we introduce the protagonist, establish stakes and present the first plot point.

2. The Reaction - the first plot point has been made. Now it is time for our protagonist to reveal how they will react to the first plot point's stakes.

3. The Plan - the protagonist is given information in the last beat so they can plan a course of action instead of merely reacting. 

4. The Resolution - as suggested by the title, this section is where all loose ends are tied up, and the story closes.    

I found that using the beat sheet significantly improves my focus and has increased my writing time as I have a clear idea of what I am going to write and roughly how many words with which I have to work.

The Cons:
Some say that using a beat sheet prior to writing a novel can inhibit creativity by causing the author to overthink. 
Using a beat sheet gives the writer restrictions, which can effectively cause writer's block in those who are not experienced enough to write past said restrictions.
It takes time to learn how to use a beat sheet.

The Pros:
Using a beat sheet takes the guesswork out of novel writing. 
Pacing issues become a problem of the past.
The author has a clear view of where the story is going by creating a short, detailed outline that will keep the writer on track at all times.
The beat sheet helps new writers understand the basic mechanics of novel writing.

The beauty of a beat sheet lies in the simplicity of planning. By planning roughly how many words your book will be, you will then be able to know better when to place action or slow things down. The beat sheet helps keep things paced evenly. If you are writing using a beat sheet, then word count is important. You must stay within a certain amount of words per beat, or risk losing proper pacing. Doing a quick word count search for your genre will help simplify the process.