Outline First

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Outline First
By Emily E

Simply put, professional writing must make sense. A well-written piece of work, no matter the genre or purpose, should flow well, make a statement, and most of all, be clear. One of the greatest difficulties of writing is the concise and relevant presentation of one's ideas. Clear writing, however, represents good preparation; taking the time to construct an outline is almost always reflected in a polished, accessible writing project.

Attempting to write without an outline is like painting a house without first removing the old paint: it will look all right for a little while, but fairly soon the chips and cracks will show. Before setting pen to paper for the opening sentence, it is imperative to ask: What is my main idea? How can I support my argument? What evidence do I have? How will I conclude? A good writer always knows how the piece might end; a mediocre writer views the writing process as an exploratory journey with a surprise at the end of it.

A strong outline guides the writer along a clearly demarcated path, allowing little room for unnecessary excursions. Often, a writer becomes side-tracked by a peripheral or tangential point (which can often be interesting, but unnecessary); an outline helps keep the writer on task. A writer who works without an outline can be tempted to overcompensate for poor planning with elaborate explanations or by using a free hand with the thesaurus.

Remember: professional writing is writing you don't notice. It is simply a conduit for ideas-not a showcase for flowery language.

Emily holds a PhD from Trinity College, Dublin, a Master's from Simon Fraser University, and a BA (Honors) from the University of Western Ontario. Emily has taught students of all ages and from all backgrounds, created and facilitated workshops about teaching and research, and taught at the Master's level. Emily was the editor of the Trinity College Dublin Journal of Postgraduate Research, and has proofread numerous theses and articles for publication, as well as papers of all different levels of ability. Dr. Emily is an editor at http://www.editingoffice.com. We clarify what you want to convey.

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