I know. This is the most cringe-worthy thing someone can say.
But there are three reasons I create an outline for anything I write.
- Ideation
- Oftentimes, I think I’ve got just one idea. But as I start writing, I realize one idea is two ideas…or ten. And that causes a foggy message.
- Outlining lets me see all the ideas in relation to one another. This helps me focus on the most important, relevant ideas with a clear organization.
- Organization
- Once I have everything in order, I can make sure the supporting points move the reader, give them enough information to make an informed decision, or jettison the idea.
- Now that I have the idea(s) focused, outlining helps me see if they are in the correct order. Should organization come before ideation? Or maybe I should put concision at the top. Actually, this makes more sense: ideation, organization, concision.
- Concision
- Knowing where I am going helps wrap up one idea and smoothly transition to the next. Maybe even squeeze in an anaphora or idiom.
- I have the ability to get off track and into the weeds quickly. This is why I’m not a great speaker. When I am writing, the outline keeps me on track and helps me write more clearly.
I know, clearly, that seems like extra work. Work you don’t need to do. But if you do it, you will save time.