How to Write an Outline: 4 Ways to Organize Your Thoughts
When I was a new writer, I chafed at the idea of using an outline. I was certain organizing my thoughts in advance would stifle my creativity and make my writing stiff and uninspired. After all, how can serendipity happen if you’ve got everything planned? But then I discovered that it was taking me a long time to finish my books because, when my creative mind was unfettered, I had a tendency to ramble in a chaotic stream of consciousness that I would then have to go back and structure in order for it to make sense. Not only that, but I would over-research. I’d wind up with a thousand words before I realized I was only one-third of the way through my book. I’d have to go back, refocus, trim down, and sometimes even start over! And so, I started outlining. And it saved me. Here’s my step-by-step process. And it works!
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
4
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476
Do some reconnaissance reading
Chapter 1
The easiest way to find an angle is to look for knowledge gaps in the articles you scan. Let’s use this article as an example. I searched to see what others had written on the topic of how to write an outline. I found a lot on the basics of structure, but not much about how to actually use outlines to improve the organization of your writing. Voila! An angle!
As you’re reading, take notes when you see interesting research or quotes you might want to share. Note the URLs, too, so you can reference them with links in your article. I keep my notes in a Google Doc on the same page where I’m eventually going to create my outline and write my book. Having all the information in one place will allow you to write faster when the time comes.
Here’s a tip: Don’t go too far down the research rabbit hole! Remember, you’re just doing a little reconnaissance reading. It’s easy to over-research, which wastes valuable writing time. Plan to write first, and then add research later.
