Why You Should Always Build an Outline Before Writing

I know what you did.

I know you wrote that piece without starting with an outline.

Even if you know your subject matter forward and backward, hand and foot, tooth-by-tooth, there are few excuses for not writing an outline.

Even if you can write a good article without an outline, a good article isn’t the same as your best.

I’m a firm believer in writing outlines (even if it’s just a basic one) before jumping into a writing project. Outlines foster clarity, directness, efficiency, and cohesiveness. They reflect positively on you as a professional who takes a systematic, calculated approach to creating a well-crafted written text.

Granted, I’m not much of a feature writer, so I can’t really advise as to the best way to write for that type of media. But when it comes to writing for business, I can say without reservation that outlines make better writing.

You’re better off starting with an outline. Here’s why:

1. Outlines help you organize your ideas and research

When writing, it’s not like you’re just transcribing a mental document onto your computer — instead you’re taking raw materials and formulating them into a new whole. Building a…