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.

Outline your writing in reverse by following the steps below.

Creating a Reverse Outline

1. Print a copy of your draft.

2. Using a pen or pencil, number each paragraph.

3. On a separate piece of paper, write your claim/thesis statement at the top of the page.

4. Read your draft, pausing after each paragraph to record the assigned paragraph number on the separate sheet. Add a single phrase or sentence summarizing each paragraph’s main point.

Watch out for these red flags in your paragraphs as you create the reverse outline.

• Red Flag #1: You can’t summarize the paragraph in a sentence or less.

The Remedy: The paragraph contains too many ideas. Break it into two or more paragraphs, or cut the inessential information.

• Red Flag #2: Your brief summary is almost as long as the paragraph.

The Remedy: The paragraph is underdeveloped. Either develop the idea further or combine it with a related paragraph.

The list of summary phrases or sentences is your reverse outline. Next, read your major claim (thesis statement) at the top of your page. Then read the outline aloud. Do the paragraphs build logically to the conclusion, or do they go off topic? If they detour, your reader will likely get lost and stop reading.

Put your reverse outline to work for you.

Using a Reverse Outline 

Answer a few questions to analyze your major claim, improve clarity and concision, and strengthen the structure of your article. Look at each paragraph in your draft again and consider the following:

• Does this paragraph support or clearly relate to my major claim? If not, rewrite the paragraph or eliminate it altogether.

• Do you notice repetitious paragraphs? Combine them for concision and to strengthen clarity and structure. Eliminate unnecessary wording.

• Do any paragraphs not relate to the others? Get rid of them.

• Are there key words in the claim that do not appear in the outline? For clarity, either revise your claim or rework your paragraphs to include those key words.

Because I fly by the seat of my pants, outlining after I write is effective. And it’s also a necessity for getting published. Give it a try! 

Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash

Candyce Carden is a writer, educator, and nature lover whose teaching experience ranges from preschool to college. She’s written for a variety of magazines, devotionals, and compilations. Currently fine-tuning a devotional with a beach setting, Candyce and her husband divide time between north Georgia and Destin, Florida. The answer may not be at the beach, but should we not at least check?