To Outline, or Not to Outline … That is the Question

Start with an outline.

It’s something we learned in school.

I followed that advice all through my school years. But when I started working as a newspaper reporter, it did not take me long to realize that when you are under pressure to write, there is often no time for an outline. And even when you do have the time, outlines are often not the best use of your time or effort.

Instead of outlining, I quickly learned to organize the story in my head as I drove back to the newsroom. Then I sat down and wrote. The important thing was to get the story written right away. I could take care of reorganizing and writing transition during my second pass.

Outlines are not necessary for most of the writing I do every day. Whether it is blog posts, press releases, social media, or other writing of about 1,000 words or less, it is usually more efficient to skip the outline and just jot down a few notes before you start.

When outlines are worthwhile

There are times when outlines are worthwhile. Here are three times when I prefer to start with an outline:

• Long-form articles. White papers, thought leadership, and other long-form articles. If the finished piece will be 1,000 to 2,000 words or longer, outlines are a great way to keep your work on track and minimize rewrites and revisions.
• When research is required. Outlines help identify what information I will need to complete my writing and lead me to the best way to get it. Outlines help me avoid situations in which an article is almost done but I need more information to finish it up.
• Building alignment with a client. There’s nothing worse than hearing your client tell you that the first draft of a white paper is not at all what they expected. Outlines are an easy and effective way to make sure that does not happen. When you develop an outline that your client reviews and approves, it helps ensure you are aligned before you start to research and write the paper. If your client tells you the outline is off the mark, you can quickly reply that that’s the reason you like to start with an outline first.

Whether you start a project with an outline or skip it and dive in writing is up to you. Experience has shown me what works best for me. Let you experience help you find what works best for you.