| Since I am not the card-shuffling type, I do not | | | | potential buyers can understand the book |
| use the old file card approach to create a book | | | | instantly. |
| outline. Instead, I use another high school English | | | | Alan Bohart details the outlining approach in his |
| approach, the classic outline with Roman numerals, | | | | Search Warp website article, "Writing a Book |
| capital A, B, and C, and numbers in parenthesis. | | | | Outline." The outline is one of the most |
| This outline is like a mini thesis and my outline | | | | overlooked writing steps, Bohart says, because |
| includes every point, sub-point, reference, and | | | | "nobody likes to do the prep work and |
| page number. | | | | everybody loves to write." If an author has not |
| Writing a nonfiction book outline can take months. | | | | done the prep work his or her book could fail. |
| A new book is rattling around in my head. Before | | | | While Bohart admits the old-fashioned outline is |
| I started it, I decided to research outlining and | | | | easy to understand, he thinks the visual approach |
| came across something called mind-mapping. How | | | | is better. |
| does it work? Would it work for me? | | | | Are you thinking about writing a book? According |
| Judy Collins discusses the outline approach in a | | | | to Bohart, you need to take the time to write a |
| Hub Pages website article, "Book Chapters -- | | | | good outline and the result will be work of "higher |
| Organize and Outline with Mind-Mapping." She | | | | quality." |
| defines the process as a "color-coded note taking | | | | Susan C. Daffron discusses the pluses of |
| technique that offers the author a flexible | | | | mind-mapping in her Internet article, "How to |
| approach." As the name implies, it is a visual plan, | | | | Create an Outline for Your Non-Fiction Book.'' An |
| with the book title in the middle of the page. | | | | author's outline is a road map of the book, she |
| Branches, written in different colors, come out | | | | says, and "the longer a document is, the more |
| from the title. They include an introduction that | | | | important it is to have an outline." Mind-mapping |
| has a "hook opener," answering the reader's | | | | begins brainstorming. General areas are identified |
| questions, chapter points, sub-points, and a sample | | | | first and then grouped into sections. Then |
| writing format. Fiction and nonfiction books have a | | | | narrower topics are added under each section. |
| slightly different map. | | | | This approach makes writing a book more |
| Collins thinks mind-mapping has six benefits. First, | | | | manageable, according to Daffron. |
| it is flexible and accommodates to errors. The | | | | I identified general topics, but realized I needed to |
| approach builds on the mind's ability to remember | | | | do more research before I could slot in sub-topics. |
| pictures. Creating a map is faster than writing a | | | | So my map is on hold. Still, I plan to use this |
| detailed outline. The map has key words and | | | | approach and you may decide to use it too. The |
| phrases, which are also easier to remember. The | | | | approach gives us a glimpse of our minds at work |
| author sees a big picture at a glance. Organizing | | | | and that is intriguing. |
| chapters is easier. Finally, sales increase because | | | | |