Do you ever find yourself working in circles?

You start writing, then stop, then erase, then start again.

The wheels are spinning, but the car is stationary.

To solve this problem, I employ the age-old tool known as the outline.

The outline is your architectural blueprint.

It shows where you need to start, the major milestones and guides you to the end.

The outline can also be shared with others to help achieve buy-in before you begin any major effort.

When crafting something complex, like a white paper, the outline is essential.

Here are some tips to crafting successful outlines:

• Keep it simple: Try to first map out the major sections of your project at a mile high level.
• Use placeholders: Rather than flush out all the details of section, simply add a few words that will prompt action when writing. For example, if you plan on talking about benefits, simply add the word benefits to your outline and list the actual benefits later.
• Keep the reader in mind: When thinking about the major sections of the outline, ask yourself if the ideal reader will resonate with the sections you have identified.
• Order matters: Examine the logical progression of the outline and make sure a story reveals itself as you go along.

A sample outline of a real simple outline:

• Problems faced by reader
  • Identify top 3 issues
• History section: How have the problems been addressed over the last X years (who progression of how ways of dealing with problems have changed)
• Solution
  • Define
  • Benefits
  • Example

By working upfront to develop an outline, you bring clarity to your project and ensure those wheels are turning in the right direction.

Do you use outlines? How have they helped you with a project?

(3 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 16th, 2007 at 6:50 am and is filed under Writing White Papers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.