Because of this, you have to apply yourself just as much when creating an outline as you do when writing the draft.  You’re not just collecting the main points of discussion and laying them out, after all.  Instead, you’re also testing how they flow in sequence.

What should you aim for in your organization?  The same things you aim for when writing an effective and informative paper.   You want a structure where the different points are logically arranged, such that each one’s introduction doesn’t feel out of place.  You want one that strengthens the main argument by constant progress, rather than diluting or stalling it.  You want a structure that will make sense to the reader, so that they can follow the continuity of your discussion without ever being lost.

Make sure your main thesis dictates how the outline is arranged.  Your paper should be organized in order to best serve the thesis.  From the outline, you can also begin eliminating and adding various elements, depending on how well they flow with the rest of the paper.

If you’re not sure how to begin, though, you can use this standard outline format for most average college-type essays.  Just fill in what’s needed and tailor it to fit your own structure.

• Essay topic:
• Main thesis:
• The essay will be introduced using this statement:
• The essay will set the context using this information:
• The essay will illustrate the main thesis by showing these following points:
  • Point A:
    • List down supporting information here.
  • Point B:
    • List down supporting information here.
  • Point C:
    • List down supporting information here.

• The essay has shown that:
• The lessons that can be learned are:
• The potential areas for further research are:

From our experience, you should be able to use this outline template in its current form for a majority of essay assignments.   Just add entries for “supporting points” if you have more than three and you’re good to go.  You can also throw in new sections if you have other information to include (e.g. a summary of a historical book that you will analyze), depending on the essay requirements.

How did I pull it off? By applying the time-tested technique of outlining.

Being stripped of the creative ability to fashion words that flutter off the tongue, I was restricted to coming up with painstakingly put together sentences that communicated my ideas clearly. Sure, the results may lack my typical wit and style, but it’s perfectly readable and made complete sense to my readers. Sometimes, good enough is all you can bargain for and outlining is a perfect companion for that.

You can try it yourself the next time you find yourself severely challenged to write:

1. Write your thesis statement at the top of the page.
2. Below it, list down your supporting points. Just work on writing down each one first, even in notations only you can understand.
3. After you’ve got them all down, rearrange the points into a logical order that best supports your thesis.
4. When that’s done, begin adding subtopics on each point to clearly detail how you would argue each one.
5. Once that’s finished, all that’s left is actually stringing each group into sentences and paragraphs, adding your introduction and conclusion, and using a trusted writing software to effectively clean up the entire work.

Here’s how that usually goes:

• You come up with a brilliant idea for a piece.  It percolates in your mind, brewing like a tasty pot of soup until it all seems clear.
• You call up your editor about the idea, impressively detailing what you thought up hours ago.
• Since it’s all brilliantly laid out in your head, the pitch is marvelous.  The editor is enthused.

Doing good, right?  Ummm…not really.  Most of the time, it ends up with you submitting the piece and the editor being disappointed – the story didn’t end up the same as the one you originally laid out.  What went wrong?

Before writing something, things can always change.  That cool idea that your editor approved may not seem too feasible after doing your research and gathering your sources.  So, instead of giving the editor the exact thing you discussed, you provide an altered version that was actually a better fit given the information you gathered.  The result is frustration, and no topnotch writing software can save you.

It’s for that reason that we highly recommend having either a crude outline or a rough draft before you even make the pitch.  That way, you’ve already done some amount of research, allowing you to properly gauge exactly what kinds of things you can do with the piece.   Even better, you can have your editor read through what you’ve written before you begin expanding it with an explanation.

The Benefits Of Plotting An Outline

For commissioned writers, especially those tasked to create books, novels or manuscripts, an outline brings along a number of benefits.

• It allows you to refine the presentation of your work early on in the process, saving you from countless hours spent rewriting.
• It provides a rough summary of the full work that both the writer and the editor can use as a basis for early revisions and planning.
• It streamlines the writing process, making it possible to concentrate on the actual writing, instead of having to innovate right while you’re in the middle of it.

The Argument Against Plotting Outlines

Yet, not all writers plot outlines.  In fact, many writers I know are more inclined to dive right in, choosing to begin the writing process without much preparation and forethought.

Plotting outlines is a largely structured organizational skill, which is quite a departure from the more creative craft that actual writing is.  As such, many writers struggle through them, with others finding the process a bit of a chore.

Should You Or Should You Not?

Each writer is different and works best in their own unique way.  While I personally would recommend everyone use outlining as a process to streamline the writing, others may be able to produce their best (though, not necessarily most efficient) work without it.