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!