Why Bother to Outline After You Write?
By Candyce Carden I write nonfiction, yet I don’t outline before I write. I start with an idea of where I’m going and see where the road leads. Lots of writers proudly proclaim to be a pantster—one who flies by the seat of her pants—rather than a planner. Outlines crimp their style. But as any good pantster knows, it’s not that simple. No matter your style, planner or pantster, creating an outline after you write is a wonderful editing technique. A reverse outline can improve structure, clarity, and concision. I used this process with college composition students to help them identify flaws in their essays. I use a reverse outline when I write for the same reason. What is a Reverse Outline? When we write, we focus on the details: words, sentences, and punctuation. It’s easy to lose sight of our destination as we wander down sideroads. A reverse outline allows us to step back for a bird’s eye view of our manuscript’s overall structure. Think of it as a sketch of your draft. Outlin...
