Outlining works for any size document. From a quick blog post to an 100-page proposal, outlining can save you tons of time. Creating a detailed outline also helps in putting structure in the document’s logic as well. Two of my favorite types are a linear outline and mind mapping. Today, I will talk about a linear outline.
Before Outlining
Before beginning, you will need to really think about what is the main goal of your document. If it’s a persuasive piece, what do you want the reader to do after reading? If it’s a how-to article, then what do you want to teach the user? If it’s a technical document, what do you want the reader to learn about the system? When you get a clear goal, then it will be easier for you to come up with an outline that will be of some aid to you. You can rearrange, add, remove, whatever to your points that will help you support your main point.
Outline Major Points and Then Supporting
After you figured out what you want the reader to get out of your document, you will write down the main supporting points. Don’t worry about removing any yet. For instance, if I were talking about giving a cat a bath (rough!), then I would probably come up with something like this:
I. Introduction
II. How to prep for bath
III. The actual bath
IV. What to do afterward
V. Conclusion
After writing the main points, you want to take each one separately and break it down. For example, preparing for the bath takes:
1. Filing cat’s nails down
2. Get bathing supplies ready
3. Getting bath ready before cat goes in
4. Grab your cat in a non-threatening way
You get the hang of it.
Start Ordering
After getting the main points and supporting details, you will want to start ordering your points. It really depends on the document. Some make sense to be in chronological order, but there are others that make more sense in a more functional format. In my example, chronological is better. However, if I were talking about requirements, grouping by functional areas makes more sense.
What is There Left to Do?
Write!
Tags: documentation, outlines, outlining, save time writing
