Do you need to create an outline before writing?

When it comes to writing, people often ask me: “Teacher, is it better to draft an outline before writing an article?”

To be honest, there is no standard answer to this question. We can see that some people write quickly as soon as they get the topic, as if they have endless inspiration; but there are also some friends who have to make careful plans before they can write confidently…

The importance of outlining and leading

Every time I talk about this topic, I can’t help but think of the idiom “outline and lead”. It means holding the rope firmly when casting the net, and lifting the collar when removing clothes. This is a metaphor for grasping the key points and outlines when doing things, and this principle can also be applied to writing.

Lao She once said: “Once you have an outline, you will have a solid foundation in your mind, and writing will be a matter of course; troublesome at first, it will save you trouble later.”

Therefore, I often encourage everyone to make a simple outline before starting to write. Especially for friends who are still learning to write, you might as well practice writing by drawing up an outline. Having said that, having an outline that you can refer to is undoubtedly like preparing a strategy to defeat the enemy before going to the battlefield - at least you have the action plan and blueprint in your hand, and you will feel more confident.

How to formulate an essay outline

As for how to formulate an essay outline? I suggest that you start with three aspects: theme, perspective and structure. That is to say, first think about the scope of the essay topic, then sort out your own thoughts and opinions, and finally think about the presentation and succession of the entire article. At the same time, you also need to think about, what are the key points to be discussed in the entire article? The full text is divided into several large paragraphs, and how to echo them from beginning to end? Also, how can you embed Call to Action?

Steps to develop an outline

As for the steps of formulating an outline, you can start with reviewing the topic. It is an important first step to clarify the purpose of the essay title, or the theme, purpose and direction you want to write, and confirm the needs of the target audience. Secondly, after you clearly define the direction and content you want to write, you can draw materials from the Inspiration Database and screen out suitable materials. Finally, gradually expand the context and level of the article, and write good content that is interesting, useful and has its own point of view.

When writing an outline, please adhere to the principle of conciseness and conciseness, which means that as long as you can grasp the theme and direction of the entire article, don’t spend too much time writing in detail, so as not to overly consume your concentration. We should focus on the planning and presentation of the purpose and setting up the structure of the article, and never put the cart before the horse!

Overall, the purpose of writing an outline is to help us establish goals and direction. Therefore, I also suggest that you do not stick to the form and details of the outline to avoid wasting too much time. Sometimes, if you don’t have much time to draw up an outline, it is actually a good idea to briefly think about the process in your mind first. As the saying goes, “Everything will stand if it is predicted, and it will be ruined if it is not predicted.” Let us make the best preparations!

That’s right! Recently, I have compiled my experience in teaching content marketing and copywriting courses in many companies and universities in recent years into a new book “[Copywriting Power is Your Cash Ability] (https://vista.im/copywriting-book)”. If you are interested in related topics, you are also welcome to buy books for reference!

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