The Power of the Outline

By Sophfronia Scott

Let’s face it: schools gave outlines a bad name! Whether you realize it or not, every time the word “outline” comes up you probably think about the whole Roman numerals, 1, 2, 3, a, b, c, skeleton that you learned in class. You might even get the chills because you could never learn how to cram the information given into the arcane format. But that doesn’t mean that outlines are  archaic and unimportant. Whenever I meet a writer having trouble with a work, fiction or non-fiction, the problem usually goes back to the fact that the author-to-be isn’t clear about what they want to do with or put in the book. In other words, they didn’t outline it first. I realize you might be the kind of writer who can fly by your seat and write out of the blue. But if you’re not, an outline is your best insurance that you will finish your book and avoid that horrible affliction that kills many books: writers’ block. Here’s the easiest way to create an outline and make it work for you.

Why Outline?

When you make the commitment to sit down and figure out, chapter by chapter, what you want to say in your book, a few amazing things happen:

• Your vision for your book idea/concept goes from fuzzy to clear.
• You ensure your book is functional.
• You have all the information for your book in one place.

When you have all this working for you, your confidence level immediately rises. You know what you’re doing with your book, it’s that simple. Now, here’s another way to think of your outline:

Your Book’s To-Do List

Yes, an outline is just a to-do list for your book. We make to-do lists all the time and it’s no big deal, right? A to-do list reminds of you what you want to get done: what groceries you want to buy, who gets thank you cards, what bills you have to pay. An outline does the same thing: it reminds you of exactly what you want your book  to do or what information you want it to relay. Just pull out a piece of paper and make your list. Start here:

Make a list of your chapters–make a guess if you don’t know how many you’ll have. Ten chapters is a good number to start with. Under each chapter heading make a list of the main points you want to make in each chapter. If your book is non-fiction, you’ll want to include a list of anecdotes you want to tell and the calls to action that will entice people to go to your website. Make sure each chapter list is complete. Don’t be lazy here. If you think, “I’ll just figure that part out later”, that’s the place where I guarantee you’ll get stuck when you get to it. Take this opportunity to really think through your book.

The outline doesn’t have to be pretty or error free. It does have to make sense to you and only you. You want your outline to be a clear reminder to you of everything you want to say in the book. You can even add to it later if you want. It’s really just for you. Keep it with you, review it regularly. If you get stuck while writing, always go back to your outline. A good outline is the road map to the satisfaction of becoming a published author. And that’s not necessarily something you’ll  learn about in school!

© 2010 Sophfronia Scott

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, but you must include this complete resource box with it: Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of the Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Learn what a difference being a published author can make for your business. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com.

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