Should you write from an outline? The answer depends on how you approach the writing.
First, a quick definition. An outline is a very detailed plan of exactly what points you will cover, the order in which you will cover them, the details you will include, and the sources, if any, you will use.
Working from an outline works for writers who are super-organized and who can put off any actual writing until every bit of preparation and necessary research is done. If you work this way, a detailed outline is probably a good option. This approach assumes that nothing will really change as you write, that you will create a document that fleshes out your outline.
If you want to leave yourself open to the possibility that your ideas and organization might evolve as you are writing the first draft, or if you stress out about producing an outline, or if you want to jump in and start writing before you’ve planned every last detail of what you will say, then an outline is probably not the way to go
So how do you organize your writing if you think your ideas and organization will evolve as you work? That’s the topic of the next Quick Tip.