It really is THIS simple, every time.
Making a good rubric is a hard and often time consuming process. But it doesn't have to be. I slaved over making detailed rubrics for years - until I noticed something funny. All of my rubrics had some things in common, and by focusing on just these things, I could make a great rubric every time, in no time! Here's how you do it.
Step #1. Score from 0 to 3 in every category
So let's say you've just given out a writing assignment. One of the requirements is that they write a good thesis statement. You are going to score that requirement (and every other requirement) from 0 to 3. A zero means they didn't do it at all (no thesis statement, or it's so bad you can't even tell it's a thesis). One means they did it, but it stinks (or maybe it's just below average for your class). Two means they did it, but it's got a minor flaw or two (or maybe it's above average) and three means they did it perfectly. You can apply this same scale to every requirement. Did the paper require an outline? Zero to three. Were they supposed to use transitions between paragraphs? Zero to three. Cite sources? Zero to three. It works for literally everything.
Step #2. Identify exactly 4 OR 5 requirements / scoring categories.
No more and no less! This part is crucial for making your rubric both fair to the students and easy for you to grade. With 4 categories, there are 12 possible points (max 3 in each category). This means that if you grade out of 100%, each box they lose a point in is worth minus 8.33 points (or just 8 with rounding). With 5 categories, there are 15 points total, or 6.66 (7 with rounding) points for every box they go down in.
And that's it! It's really that simple! Zero to three in every category, with no less than 4 and no more than 5 categories. It makes a great rubric every time, and it's super fast to grade.