As a student, I considered outline writing busy work. I didn't
actually discover the value of an outline until had to turn out
lots of writing fast. Then I discovered how to make outlines work
for me, instead of for some English teacher.
All outlines build on a grid
Outlines are built on an imaginary grid, rather like invisible
graph paper. The grid is the distinguishing feature of an outline.
Those "Roman numberals" (my students' name for them) are
just for decoration.
The outline format lets someone distinguish between general and
specific information without doing any reading. The broadest,
most comprehensive points line up vertically at the far left
of the grid, so they have the widest horizontal rows. The
wider the row, the broader the idea.
Informal outline
When you have a grid and items for discussion arranged on it in
the order in which they will be used, you have an informal outline.
An informal outline looks like something you could scratch on
a napkin or the back of an envelope. That appearance makes it
less threatening to students. And if you don't call it an outline
(perhaps call it a rough plan), you have a decent chance
of getting the "I hate writing" kids to try it.
Informal outlines can be written either with all the points in
complete sentences (sentence outline) or with all the points
indicated by words or phrases instead of sentences (topic outline).
An informal outline without words
Students
whose preferred learning mode isn't verbal can understand how
an informal outline works by examining an outline without words,
like the one at the right. Verbal data has been replaced by colors.
The widest strips of color show the biggest ideas.
The graphic represents an informal outline for a five-paragraph
essay. The lines that are aligned along the left margin represent
ideas for the topic sentences of the body paragraphs.
Subdivisions of the main points are indented one column to the
right. That means those rows are narrower, indicating smaller ideas.
Everything related to an idea is between it and the next lower
row of the same width.
The material on each row may be further subdivided. As the level
of detail gets smaller, the columns in which the material is listed
would shift further to the right and the rows would get shorter.
(In case you're wondering, I didn't make a mistake. A
five paragraph essay doesn't have to have just three body paragraphs.)
List items in order of their use
Outline writing also indicates a logical
order for discussing the points. As you look at an outline
from top to bottom, you see the order in which the author intends
to discuss the points and subpoints.
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Perhaps you noticed that the last main point of the informal outline
has only one "A-level" point beneath it. I've seen English teachers
who would go ballistic if a student did that.
In classical rhetoric, the subpoints were divisions of a subject.
Since it is impossible to divide and have fewer than two divisions,
English teachers for centuries have insisted that "every A must
have a B."
That rule makes a nice-looking outline, but I don't find it particularly
practical in planning my writing.
Informal outline reflects reality
I want my outlines to indicate the reasons I have for believing
my topic sentences are true. Sometimes, I have only one lengthy
anecdote. I don't see any reason
to invent a point B just to satisfy some English teacher's notion
of correct outline writing procedure.
In fact, I don't see any practical value in being able to prepare
a formal outline.
People rarely need to make one outside of school, and computers
make them better than people.
On the other hand, informal
outline writing is tremendously useful, particularly when used
to develop a working thesis. In fact, it’s the best way
to get reluctant writers started writing.
