Creative Cookie- Outlining

     Outlining is probably the easiest and most effective way to begin your writing project. I admit it wasn't my favorite assignment when I was first taught, and forced, to make an outline. In fact, I didn't start outlining on my own accord until I desperately needed to.

     When you first begin writing, your only thought on outlines [if you're anything like me] is, 'that's an extra step I don't need', or 'I'm not an organized person, therefore, being completely spontaneous, I will write everything off the top of my head', or the oh so common 'I just wanna get this over with.' So here we are, staring at the paper, this is soooo much faster than outlining.....

     You may find this hard to believe, but outlining pretty much cuts your, dazed, mind-scrambling moments in about half. Here's what you do. 

     How many paragraphs do you plan on writing? 5

     How many sentences in each paragraph? 5

     What is your topic? Zebras

     Now here's your diagram-thinga-ma-jiggy:

I. Zebras Overall

1. Zebra, beautiful, animal.

2. Type, horse, stripes.

3. Live, Africa, herds.

4. Stripes, popular, pop.

5. Iconic, modern, fashion.

II.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

III.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

[And so on.]

     The numbers are for the sentences, the Roman Numerals are to write what each paragraph is about overall. The first paragraph should contain everything you want to talk about in your essay. The first sentence is an introduction, the middle three are your three minor topics on the major topic, and the last is a 'clincher' tying the whole paragraph together by returning to the main point you made in the first sentence of the paragraph. You don't have to use three words to describe each sentence, but keep it short, or you'll have your whole essay written in the outline. This is just to give you a quick, short-handed essay for you to refer to.

     This process holds true with every paragraph, except for the fact that the three middle paragraphs are individually about your three minor topics. My examples for minor topics aren't very well placed, but cut me some slack, it's an example, and I haven't even outlined this.  ;P

     Your last paragraph should be the same as your first, but finalized in a way, reiterating what you said before, but now the reader understands, and is in agreement. What really helps you get a grasp of outlining, is to take an essay, and outline it backwards. What I mean by that is, take an essay, make an outline with the same amount of paragraphs and sentences per paragraph, and write three or more words for each sentence of the essay you've chosen. Afterwards, try and write the paper in your own words, using the outline. 

     'Tis quite fun, yes?

     Yes, 'tis.

     Yes.

     If you're outlining a story, sorry, I can't help you there. I haven't done that yet. Once I get my story outlined, I'll get back to you. ;] I'm assuming it's not that different, but it's all off the cuff so.

     Hope this helps! Hope it made sense and was thorough.

*Photo credit to ashenweepingwillow on deviantart.com

Creative Cookie. Just. Write.

     I guess the first and most important thing you should know about writing, is that you probably have Writer's Block. I myself had it for about 3 and half minutes just now. Staring into the white, blank void of the paper [or screen more than likely], your mind racing through every possible word you could start with. You read it in your head before you begin to type it out, but you just can't seem to get past "The" [Spongebob reference anyone?] You sit for hours, not a sentence has survived the judgement call; so far you've written a page worth of content, yet you haven't made it past the first line. Here's the answer, ready?

Just. Write.

     It sounds overly simple, and yet, completely impossible, right? You have to break down that barrier of Writer's Block, or you will literally be stuck on the first line of your page forever. I know, believe me. I've had a bad case of Writer's Block for months now. Writer's block is what cost me my NanoWrimo story this year. I still only have 715 words! Instead of writing my story, I stressed over every sentence until my backspace button was bruised and sore. NanoWrimo isn't writing a ready-to-publish book, it's cranking out your first rough draft, and that's where I went wrong. Because of my Writer's Block, my 715 words sound great, but that's all I have. Writing a pruned and polished story takes time.

     You must, I mean must, begin with a rough draft, for any writing project, whether it be an essay, and article, or a book. And your first draft will be just that, a draft. Some would say you have to begin writing with an outline, although outlines are very helpful, and I love outlining my stories, I wouldn't say an outline is required. If you want to write a story, no outline, no road map, feel free. I would say those are the best kind of stories, when not even the author knew where it was going. But you need a rough draft. That's one thing no writer can do without.

     So just write. Don't read what you've written at all until your finished. You will be too tempted to fix it write away. In fact, I would recommend not even reading it until a day later. Just write and don't look back until you've crossed the finish line, then you can go back to the beginning and touch up those mistakes. Imagine you're trying to paint a straight line. Instead of busting out the paint right away and going painstakingly inch by inch, trying to keep the line straight, draw it in pencil first.

     I hope this Creative Cookie helped you! Subscribe to my blog for tomorrow's Creative Cookie on outlining!

     If you don't know what NanoWrimo is, it's 'Na'tional 'No'vel 'Wri'ting 'Mo'nth. Anyone who wants to write a story, of any genre, can enter to win prizes after having written their novel of 50,000 words, written solely between November 1st and November 30th. If you want more info you can head over to nanowrimo.org