This week I’ve been talking about how you can use document outlines to visualize document structure. They really are a fantastic tool for prewriting and organization.
Yesterday I walked you through that process — starting with an idea (whether it’s for a book or a blog post), breaking it down into categories, ordering those categories, and populating them with actual points and subpoints.
It’s essentially just brainstorming, but I talked about how to use a rough outline format to capture the process. Once you’ve done that, though, it’s a short step to get from “rough outline” to “formal outline” — and a step with some real rewards.
The Standard Outline Format
All that’s really left at that point is adding some standard labels, and maybe some description. As a general rule, I like to take an outline down to the heading level. In a blog post or five-paragraph essay, that’s probably just the Roman numerals, which would be the 2-5 section headings you’re going to use in the document. If you’re outlining a book, it might go one or two levels deeper (Volume | Chapter | Section). Then I’ll add one more level for brief notes as to what I’ll say beneath each heading.
If it’s just for me, I might also have notes about notes, and notes about notes about notes (or, if I feel like the heading will be enough to spark my memory, I might leave out the notes altogether). The only goal here is to capture all the great ideas that spring to mind while I’m outlining, so I’ll still have them when I go to write the actual document.
For a more formal outline, though (like one for debate, say, or for a class assignment), it’s usually a good idea to pick a level of depth and get pretty close to the same depth in every group. There is also a common rule that says every level must contain multiple items, so you never have an A without at least a B, and never an i without an ii.
As I said, it’s the purpose of the outline that determines how hard you need to stick to that rule.
Do make a formal outline, though. There’s problems you’ll spot instantly when you try to label all your rows. You’ll also find out where you’re going to have to research or spend a while coming up with something to say, when you find some headings are harder than others to fill with notes.
So put your outline together. For a shorter document, it might look like this:
“How to Outline a Document”
I. Introduction
A. Debate story
B. How I learned the standard outline format
II. Spot the Relationships between Ideas
A. Outlines create a map of relationships between ideas
B. Use that map to make sure everything you say is on-topic
III. Group Your Ideas
A. Outlines are good for brainstorming (prewriting)
B. Start by taking everything you want to say and putting them in categories (Roman numerals)
IV. Organize Your ideas
A. The list of categories and ideas should reveal a good organization method
B. Try building a quick organization chart, and see how it will work out
V. The Standard Outline Format
A. Some rules of the formal outline format
B. Some examples of the formal outline format
For a longer one, it might look more like this:
How to Make an e-Book
I. Front Matter
A. Foreword
B. Table of Contents
. . .
II. Prewriting
A. Choose a Topic
. . .
D. Outline Your Book
1. Introduction
a. Debate story
b. How I learned the standard outline format
2. Spot the Relationships between Ideas
a. Outlines create a map of relationships between ideas
b. Use that map to make sure everything you say is on-topic
3. Group Your Ideas
a. Outlines are good for brainstorming (prewriting)
b. Start by taking everything you want to say and putting them in categories (Roman numerals)
. . .
Either way, fill it out and then analyze it. Read it, and imagine the document you’d wrap around that skeleton. Does it work? If so, run with it. If not, rework it. Keep going until you’ve got something clear.
And when you’re done, you’re done. Your document structure is solid, perfected and ready to stand. With a foundation like that, stacking on words is easy.
