Writing an article without an outline is like cooking a pasta dinner without a recipe. Now you may have an end in mind for each; an amazing article that will gain you credibility and expert status and a mouth-watering pasta supper that will have your family raving about your cooking prowess for days to come.
In this article…
Let’s cook some pasta
You have an idea of what you want to create; an amazing dinner that your family will thoroughly enjoy and give your flowing compliments. You think to yourself, “I know how to cook pasta, let’s just get started.” I don’t need to look at the recipe. You don’t take a look at the recipe or gather all the ingredients but instead just jump in to cooking the noodles.
The same thing applies when writing an article without an outline. You think you know the material very well and you just go for it and write. As you go through the writing process, however, you may forget an important element and take much longer than intended to get to the finished product.
The result is a bit bland and not very memorable
Your family is served a meal that they enjoy but it is a bit bland and nothing that will be memorable in the morning. This is what your reader may say about your article if you do not spend the time preparing all the ingredients and bringing all together in an outline. You may end up with an article that, like the pasta dinner, will serve a purpose of nourishing but it will not be remarkable to your intended audience.
You want your reader to enjoy and remember what you write
An article without the preparation of an outline may cause you to miss some key elements that may leave your reader feeling not quite satisfied. Without a clear picture of how all the elements go together, one area of your article may become overcooked while another is not fully simmered so that the full impact of your argument is not felt. Without all the pieces laid out, you may forget an example or a story that will enhance the flavor and thus the experience for your reader.
You can create a memorable experience
You start with an end in mind when you write also; usually to provide information that will make a change in your reader, either through increased knowledge or change in perspective. By taking the time (and it might just be 5 minutes, that is what it took for this article), you pull together your argument, your examples, your subtopics and then your conclusion.
You can order your ideas so that they flow best and then decide what objections your reader might have. You also can see the next step that will help your audience in their growth.
So you see article writing does not have to be hard. If you do your prep, it can actually be quite enjoyable. I invite you to try this today. Decide what you want to write about, create an outline and then write your article from your outline. You will be able to create a masterpiece that will have your audience begging for seconds. And perhaps you will have time to enjoy a glass of wine as well.
Kristin says
Great reminders! I tend to write, edit, write, edit…. and waste a lot of time moving things all over the place or *gasp* forget to put some good stuff in! Thanks for reminding me to get the thoughts together first! Cue the wine pouring 🙂
Susan DeMilia says
The outline is one of those things I always resist but make myself do it. Afterward, I wonder why I’m so hard-headed. Great topic, Sue!
PJ Van Hulle says
Thanks for sharing, Sue!
Maybe this will have me writing articles more often! : D
PJ
Sally Rubin says
Sue! I love the analogy to cooking. I’ve definitely been remiss in following the steps of recipes in both cooking and writing. Thanks you for the simple to follow instructions on how to do both.