Techniques > Pre-Writing and Outlining

If there’s a single step in writing that makes the process easier, it’s right here. Ask yourself this question: Why does a writing task – whether a memorandum or document – seem to come together easily for one writer and not for another ? Well, one answer is the successful writer spends more time planning than writing. I call this my pre-writing time, or phase, and for me the planning phase is actually pre-writing. The writer seldom does more than develop a few notes and visualizes the material in this phase. Getting to the writing requires several distinct steps:

The successful writer spends more time planning to write, than writing.

• Thinking about the topic or topics,
  
  
• Developing the ideas,
  
  
• Dividing the ideas and topics into parts,
  
  
• Arranging the parts into a logical discussion,
  
  
• Expressing the idea in clear, correct English.

Trying to rush through these steps all at once is not the way to get the job done. As one writer has said, “It’s like trying to build a house before the plans are complete and the materials delivered. The simple fact is, good writing requires a quality structure, and that structure does not “just happen.” Good writing is the product of careful planning and specific choices made by the writer.

Building the Outline

An outline is analogous to a blueprint for your writing task. It is not set in stone, merely a convenient tool that can guide you through the process of building the document. The outline is an economical guide for your thoughts and will order thought throughout the document in a logical and natural way. Should you go off on a tangent in the process, it will be spotted in the outline, before you write, rather than after you finish the report.

In planning a lengthy writing project, you can sketch out an informal outline to assist in collecting the information you need. As you proceed, you can refine and revise the outline as needed. Whether the project is simple or complex, an outline will help you maintain focus and control throughout.

In initiating the outlining, make your list of topics broad enough to encompass the range of your subject matter. Besides making it inclusive, make it specific enough to allow discussion of each topic in detail.

Types of Outlines

a) Informal Outline

The informal outline is nothing more or less than a list of words or phrases that serve as brief reminders and directional markers. For short documents or reports, establish your general direction by stating your foundation sentence. Next, brainstorm the topic to generate as many related ideas as you can. After selecting the pertinent ideas, arrange them in a sequence that makes sense, and remember this rule: Anything to be discussed must first be described.

If you are working on a long document or report the informal outline is still a great tool. It serves as a tentative or working outline. Its role is nothing more than to keep you on track without entirely excluding possible additions. It is casual, but helps the writer resolve the chicken-and-egg problem; any circular dilemma is all but eliminated with the outline as a starting point.

b) Formal Topic Outline

Developing a more formal outline requires more consideration of the project and your direction. Before trying to build a formal outline, complete the following steps:

• Write a foundation sentence for the project.

The Outline is a blueprint for any writing task.

• Brainstorm the topic.
  
  
• Construct the informal outline.
  
  
• Collect your information and material.

By completing these steps, you have something to work with: clear intention, materials, and a plan, all of which contribute to your goal and the formal outline.

The formal topic outline is derived from an informal outline, and provides a more detailed and systematic arrangement of topics and subtopics. Usually, a formal system of notation is applied.

c) Formal Sentence Outline

This outline is a further progression of the outline process, building on the topic outline. Although the topic outline is by far the most popular approach, the sentence outline can be used to develop major and minor topic foundation sentences. Developing this outline requires considerable time, but it is time well spent.

d) Page Layout for the Outline

Essentially this may be a matter of writer preference, but the basics remain the same. Major headings use all capital letters; sub-headings use only a combination of initial capital letters. The left margin of the subheadings is usually indented (by 5 spaces on a typewriter), but this is a discretionary point. Consistent patterning is the key. It allows quick spotting of inconsistencies. Each heading or subheading must have a partner. You cannot usefully divide a section into a single subsection, since this would not indicate the split of a generalized section into smaller units. A formalized layout makes it easy to compare headings of the same importance, since they will have the same left margin. If they exhibit parallelism, they will probably have the major sections divided into logical sub-units. Inconsistencies indicate insufficient planning and provide a flashing orange warning light that can prevent later disaster at the writing stage.

Limitations of the Outline

When splitting major headings, subheadings, and sub-subheadings, it is important to know when to stop. In general, even the smallest level of heading indicates that three to six facts can be grouped under it. When writing an outline for one-or two-page reports, you may wish to include single facts as headings, but this is not the way to handle longer reports. In practice, you keep splitting categories until you find you have gone far enough for your purpose, then you back up, erasing headings until you find a level at which the heading incorporates the required three to six facts.

Other Uses

The major additional advantage to the outline is that it allows you to gain approval for the extent and coverage of your document (or component) before writing it. If management approves the order identified by the headings and subheadings, you can undertake the details of writing with confidence that it is close to the final structure that would be approved. Simply obtain management approval of the draft outline and you can be on your way. If changes are required – they often are – they should be made when the outline is submitted, but don’t get your hopes too high.