As we creep through the 5-step writing process, we’ve covered two of the three components of step 1, planning: generating ideas and researching. Today we look at the third and final component: outlining.

If you want, you can use the classic outline format to structure your draft: Roman I, capital A, 1, 2, capital B, and so on.

Personally, I haven’t written an outline like that since I had to in school.

Even for a long, complex document, I tend to write a simple list. Sometimes main points have subpoints. More often, each has a little paragraph about the content of that section.

I’m just getting all my points out where I can see them. I don’t spend a lot of time figuring out subpoints and sub-subpoints.

Then, as I write the first draft, the material often reveals how it wants to be organized. If I spent a lot of time on an outline, it would become a straitjacket. I wouldn’t be free to see why that outline isn’t working.

Your mileage may vary. Some people are helped by the classic outline format. Others do better with a more spatially oriented outline like a cluster map.

If you’re lucky, the structure is given by the kind of writing you’re doing.

• Your academic style guide may suggest an outline for your research paper.
• Stories (including many reports, like “what happened at the meeting”) use a chronological outline.
• Many pieces intended to persuade people to do something use a simple two-part outline: problem, solution.

If you’ve been given an outline, take advantage of it! Your structuring work has mostly been done for you.

One way or another, once you have at least a tentative outline, you can start drafting. We’ll talk about that next time.