Step 5: Outline
Use an outline to plan
 Can
you imagine a construction manager working on a skyscraper without
a set of blueprints? No way! Similarly, writers construct essays
using sets of blueprints or outlines to guide them in the writing
process. Of course writers don't have to use outlines, but
the effect is about the same as a construction worker who "freebuilds."
Drawing up an outline allows you to think before
you write. What use is there in writing the entire paper only to
realize that, had you done a little more planning beforehand, you
would have organized your essay in an entirely different way? What
if you realize later, after free-writing the essay, that you should
have omitted some paragraphs, restructured the progression of your
logic, and used more examples and other evidence?
You can go back and try to insert major revisions
into the essay, but the effect may be like trying to add a thicker
foundation to a building already constructed. The outline allows
you to think beforehand what you're going to write so that when
you do write it, if you've done your planning right, you won't have
to do as much rewriting. (You will still, of course, need to revise.)
Make your points brief
When you construct your outline, keep it brief. The titles, headings,
and points in your outline should be about one line each. Remember
that you are only drawing an outline of the forest, not detailing
each of the trees. Keep each line under a dozen words. If you can't
compress your point into a one-liner, you probably don't have a
clear grasp of what you're trying to say.
When you describe the point of each paragraph, phrase the point
in a mini-claim. If the point of a paragraph is that soft drugs
should be legal because they are relatively harmless, don't
just write "soft drugs" as the point of the paragraph
in your outline -- it's too brief and vague. Instead, write "drugs
should be legal b/c soft drugs are harmlessl." This description
is still brief, as it should be (one line or less), but it makes
a claim that gives it purpose in the outline.
Choose an appropriate arrangement
Drawing up an outline allows you to see at a glance how each
of the paragraphs fits into the larger picture. When looking at
your paragraphs from this perspective, you can easily shift around
the order to see how a reorganization might be better. Remember
that each paragraph in the essay should support the position or
argument of your paper.
 As
you're shifting paragraphs around (maybe like you would a Rubic's
cube), you will probably begin to wonder what the best arrangement
really is. In general, put what you want the reader to remember
either first or last, not in the middle. Studies in rhetoric have
shown the readers remember least what is presented in the middle
of an essay. Hence, the middle is where you should probably put
your weaker arguments and counterarguments.
Some writers urge a climactic arrangement,
one that works up to your strongest point, which is delivered
as a kind of grand finale. Another successful arrangement is the
inductive argument, in which you build up the evidence first,
and then draw conclusions. A problem-solution format involves
presenting the problem first and then outlining the solution —
this works well for some topics because it is a soft version of
the scientific method. Whatever your choice, choose an arrangement
that presents a clear, logical argument.
Practice with Outlines
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