Some writers don't believe the promise of my Free Your Inner Nonfiction Writer book. They don't believe writing can be fun. Or that writing can free your mind to think of more ideas as you write.
They tell me writing is a slog, that they hate it. And they can't wait to finish the piece.
That's when I ask them several questions about their writing process. Too many of these people start with an outline.
Outlines Only Work for Some People
Your teachers asked you to use outlines in school. That's because they are not writers, and most of what you wrote in school was regurgitation of other people's ideas. (I guess I could have called that synthesis, but it sure didn't feel that way to me.)
I don't use outlines to start. Instead, I might use an outline to diagnose my logic if I think I'm not logical. (I'm more likely to use Minto's pyramid.) Sometimes, I use a mindmap. For books, I use a user journey that feels a lot like Patton's user story mapping.
But I never use an outline. That's because outlines prevent me from learning what I'm actually thinking and writing.
I'm one of those many writers who learn what I think as I write. (Yes, sometimes I do that also when I speak.)
Some of my treasured colleagues do like and use outlines. I cannot write with those people. When I've tried, I have tangents I want to explore. They want to continue on the prescribed path. We frustrate each other.
Instead, learn the kind of writer you are. If you do not enjoy writing to an outline, don't.
How to Write Without an Outline
If you've always used an outline to focus your writing, consider starting with your ideal reader and the problem they have. For this post, my ideal reader is someone considering learning how to write well and fast. Someone who might take my writing workshop. (Yes, writing blog posts and articles is exactly like product development. Start with a problem, solve that, then continue to the next problem.)
When writers start with identifying problems for one person, they can often realize they have novel solutions. (See Writing Secret 5: Decide on One Ideal Reader.) That reader might be your past self (which is the next writing secret).
Free yourself from the tyranny of an outline. That will help you to learn what you really think. And make writing a whole lot more enjoyable.
This is part of an intermittent series of “writing secrets.” Want to learn how to write faster and better? Please join me in the next writing workshop that starts in May 2025.