| Back
to Index
Why Do I Need an Outline?
By Cheryl Sloan Wray
When you think of the outlining
process, what image comes to your mind? If you're like most people
out there (writers and laymen alike), the image is not very enticing.
It's probably one of a teacher similar to one I had not too many
years ago; I'll call her Mrs. Fletcher.
Mrs. Fletcher
seemed to revel in her ability to make us squirm in our tenth-grade
seats. The surest way to make us squirm was to announce an upcoming
research paper assignment.
Before any of
us could get excited about the possibility of writing about an
interesting topic, she'd announce the first part of the assignment.
Her dreaded announcement?
"You will
turn in a detailed outline on your topic in three days."
The outline,
if not done in perfect Roman numeral style, would be mutilated
by Mrs. Fletcher's red pen.
If you've had
a similar experience, you may wonder why in the world you'd want
to use outlines in your writing career now.
The answer is
actually quite simple: Outlining for a magazine article can create
an easier writing process and a better finished product.
It doesn't have
to be the painful experience introduced to you by some sadistic
English teacher. It can be an informal exercise -- even (imagine!)
a creative one.
To
Outline or Not to Outline?
The German philosopher
and writer Arnold Schopenhaur once
advised: "Write the way an architect builds, who first drafts
his plan and designs every detail."
In building a
house, a carpenter never goes into the project blind. He or she
has a plan to consult; all of the parts -- the foundation, the
walls, the supporting beams, the ceiling -- will work together
because of this plan. Without a plan, ceilings might fall in and
doorways might collapse.
A carpenter,
in a sense, uses an outline.
In writing an
article, a professional writer has a plan before he ever sits
down in front of the computer to compose those first words. Chances
are he has written an outline -- whether it's a traditional one
or a cluster one -- that tells him exactly where he's going with
the article. His article's doorways won't collapse.
I believe, then,
that an outline is necessary to create a well-written article.
Whatever type of writer you are -- whether you are a highly-organized
one who writes formal, A-B-C-1-2-3 outlines or a let-me-do-my-work-in-my-pajamas
writer who utilizes very informal outlines -- an outline will
make you better prepared for the task of writing your article.
Should you use
an outline, then? Yes, because: (1) they keep you organized, (2)
they encourage thematic unity, and (3) they can inspire you.
Do
I Have to Use Roman Numerals?
Mrs. Fletcher
may have extolled the virtues of Roman numerals, but other methods
certainly work better for me now.
I like to use
what I call the 1-2-3 outline. I number the main topics I will
cover in my article and briefly explain what I'm going to cover
in that section of the article.
In doing an article
for a regional magazine on the trend in and benefits of consignment
shopping, I composed this 1-2-3 outline:
Lead: anecdote
of two mothers' different shopping methods
Introduction
of main idea: After learning the basics of consignment shopping,
you can save a lot of money.
What are the
benefits of consignment shopping? (quotes from mothers, money management experts, and shop owners)
Tips to be a
good consignment shopper: Have a plan. Get to know shop owners.
Don't buy something just because it's cheap. Put your own clothes
on consignment.
List of area's
consignment shops
Conclusion: anecdote
to tie in with introduction
The 1-2-3 outline
can come in a variety of forms. The type of articles a person
writes, as well as his own writing style, will determine the fashion
of his outline.
Outlining
in Four Easy Steps
Outlining is
really a process that begins from the moment you come up with
an idea for an article. As you begin to think through your plan,
the outlining process begins.
1.
Gather information
To plan how your
information will be organized and used in your article, you must
first gather that information. The first step, then, in planning
the structure of your article is to determine what type of information
you will need to gather.
To decide what
type of information you need, think through your article in as
much detail as possible. Imagine you are a reader of the magazine
and ask yourself what primary questions you would want the article
to answer for you. What secondary questions would intrigue you?
Write all of these questions down, then
determine what type of information would provide answers to them.
Do you need statistics? quotes from experts? quotes from
real-life sources? interesting anecdotes?
Once you have
gathered information, take a close look at all of your materials
and evaluate their importance. Separate all of your information
into items of primary and secondary importance. Set aside any
items you have determined you will not use in your article. Then,
put the items into some sort of manageable system. I like to transcribe
my notes onto a computer file, dividing the notes into subtopics.
This will make your notes neat and easy to read, as well as easily
accessible.
2.
Determine your article's thematic statement.
Once you have
gathered and organized your information, ask yourself a question:
"What is all of this information saying to me?"
In order for
your article to have unity, it must have an overarching theme
that pervades its every part. Sometimes, though, it's hard to
find this theme.
To make it easier,
start by asking that question of yourself. See if, after reading
through your notes, anything jumps out at you. Is there a message
in all the madness?
Once you have
determined your theme, write it down as a single sentence. Write
this thematic statement where you can see it well. Go back to
the statement as often as you need to as you prepare to form an
outline and write the article.
3.
Determine your article's structure.
In its most basic
sense, an outline is a blueprint of your article; it's your plan
for how the article will be structured. This, then, is perhaps
the most important step in organizing your outline.
To determine
your article's structure, first look back at your thematic statement.
Keep this statement in your mind -- and written somewhere tangibly
in front of you -- as you make your plan.
Then: Come up
with a way to introduce your topic and your theme in an interesting
way. How can you write your lead so that it captures your reader's
attention, and also tells accurately what the article will be
about?
Next: Ask yourself
how you will organize the information you've gathered into the
body of the article. Are you going to write the article in a narrative
fashion, explaining the facts as if you're telling a story? Or
are you going to write the article using a topical approach, developing
the story according to secondary topics or themes (often using
subheads, bullets, or numbers to organize the topics)?
Finally: Devise
a way to conclude the article in an interesting, effective way.
You want to leave your reader with a good feeling after finishing
the article. You want him to feel that he has been educated (or
inspired or motivated).
4.
Write the outline.
Select what approach
feels comfortable to you and devise an outline for your article
in that style. After you have written an outline, go back and
make sure you have left nothing out. Is it organized in a way
that seems logical to you? Is your thematic statement clear in
all parts of the outline?
Remember, also,
that as you write the article you can certainly veer from your
path. An outline is simply a plan -- feel free to add or subtract
from that plan if another idea works better.
Outlining can
be a time-consuming experience; the process, however, is well
worth any effort you put into it. Once you get comfortable with
your own outlining process, you see that it is one of the best
-- if not the best -- way to guarantee organized writing sessions
and result in a well-structured, effective magazine article.
Mrs. Fletcher
would be proud of you.
This Article was found at: http://www.articleblast.com/
|