Clear topic sentences, kind paragraphs

A topic sentence is not a rule meant to squash you. It is a handrail. I write my first draft fast and a little messy, then I ask each paragraph one question: if someone read only the first sentence, would they know what problem this paragraph is trying to solve?

If the answer is no, I rewrite the first sentence instead of adding five more sentences on top. The paragraph usually breathes better after that.