Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Outlining: A Necessary Evil

So you have your assignment sheet. You sit down in front of your laptop with a cup of coffee and a bag of cheetos (the lunch of champions) and begin to write. Suddenly you realize it’s three hours later, your caffeine buzz has passed, your cheetos are gone, and all you have on the page are a few scrawled, disjointed sentences. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

The two most common problems I see walk into the writing center are lack of organization and simply not knowing where to start! Both of these problems can almost always be solved by outlining.

I know...ewww, right?

Most of us think of outlines as that stupid step we had to complete in third grade when we were all a bit too distracted to stay on topic. (Shiny?!) Outlining has been pushed aside as unnecessary and tedious, but I have come to realize in working with my students and peers that it is often THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP of the compositional process.

Think of it this way (which your elementary teacher may have once mentioned to you, as well):
Everything needs a base on which to build.
A house needs a foundation, otherwise it will be unstable.  
A bridge needs keystone or it will collapse.
A grilled cheese needs bread, otherwise you’ll burn your tongue licking melted cheese out of a hot pan.
AND an essay needs a frame on which to be built, which is an outline!

An outline provides organization and structure to your thoughts, and can often helped the “blocked” writer get their ideas out of their head and onto the paper. So how do you begin? Outlining is kind of a personal process, but there are a few options we can explore to help you get started.

In some cases, you may already have a thesis, or the idea you are trying to argue or prove. Start with that thought and begin compiling points to support it.  These ideas will most likely be general items which continue your investigation of the main topic. The most important thing at this point is to list different ideas you would like to explore about your main idea. For example:

Main Idea: Pasta is the best food.
Support point 1: Pasta is popular.
Support Point 2: Pasta is a staple in many cultures.
Support Point 3: Pasta is nutritional.

Do not worry if these points are “in order.” As you begin to find support, you can find a way to naturally progress through your ideas and organize them in the most logical order.

If you have no idea what your main idea/thesis will be, or if your paper is more exploratory than argumentative, just start writing down some ideas. If you have read some sources start there and write about parts that struck you, ideas you found interesting, or places you had questions about. Often just getting your ideas out on the page will help you see a common theme that will become the overarching topic of your paper. One of our tutors suggests writing important passages or points on note cards and separating them by theme into piles. If you have all your notes on one page, go through and highlight similar ideas in different colors. Don’t be afraid to try different methods of organization--there are many paths to an outline.

If you cannot wait to start writing, just start writing. Once you have these rough draft paragraphs out, take a moment and read through them.  Try to determine your main idea, and then arrange the paragraphs so that they logically flow from one idea to another, essentially creating an outline with your paragraphs. (Don’t worry about the flow too much at this point. You can always refine, add details and transitions later in the drafting process).

Once you have the framework of the paper you can begin finding support for each point you have made. Find sources or even specific quotes that back up the topic of that paragraph and the main idea of the paper as a whole. To expand upon our original outline:

Main Idea: Pasta is the best food.
Support point 1: Pasta is popular.
-Oxfam reported statistics listing pasta as the favorite food across several different countries.
(Sedghi, Amy. (22 July 2011). What’s your Favorite Food? The Guardian,

Support Point 2: Pasta is a staple in many cultures.
-Italian culture, Asian culture, even Western Culture (German Spaetzle)...

Support Point 3: Pasta is nutritional.
-Low Fat
-Carbs are part of a balanced diet according to FDA food pyramid
-Certain brands of pasta adding nutrients and fiber to recipe

**Notice that each bullet point listed supports the paragraph topic, and also helps to prove my main argument.


Now you can work to expand and refine your organized ideas into a fully formed essay!

Hopefully the task of writing your paper (or at least organizing your paper) seems a little less daunting now. Remember: Writing is a process, and organization is key to constructing a strong paper. No matter which method you choose to use, or if you find another way that works better for you, outlining, in all its forms, sets you up for success.

-Hillary E.

9 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Title credits are named in this way as an eventual outcome of the banks requesting the guaranteeing of commitment with respect to vehicle, known as the title. The borrowers are in like way not confined from making utilization of the vehicle amidst the season of the advancement, in light of the way that just title is held by the credit professional. title loan jackson-MS

    ReplyDelete
  3. Title advances have the same highlights as a secured change, near to a singular perspective. While secured credits don't outline the kind of security that will suffice it, title drives especially oblige automobiles or whatever other vehicle to go about as security. title loan

    ReplyDelete
  4. The borrowers ought to however understand that feebleness to pay the title credit can provoke an enduring loss of the vehicle. The aggregate left after the paying the unpaid equality of title credit may be stated by the borrower. auto title loans mobile

    ReplyDelete

  5. A vehicle title moneylender won't squander your time; the length of you get all the capacity data, once your auto is audited, you will know expeditiously whether your application has been grasped.

    Payday Loans

    ReplyDelete
  6. Vehicle title credits are a fast and key reaction for two or three circumstances when you oblige trade rapidly and particularly in for spendable dough case you have credit issues which leaves couple of other getting decisions accessible for you. auto title loans

    ReplyDelete
  7. If there are specific choices for you to get a credit with horrifying credit, confirm that you consider those as you're considering whether a vehicle title progression is the best reply as of now. Other quick cash sort advances consolidate; unsecured individual credits, payday advancement credits, guaranteed payday pushes, speedy business credits and secured individual credit propels. www.approvedcashadvance.com/locations/norman/

    ReplyDelete
  8. They must admire that they need to treat the change like their month to month rent. A borrower can also pay-off their credit moreover. There are no disguises on paying a credit. He or she could decide to pay it month to month, or pay it off all in an irregularity aggregate. Much the same as every circumstance, the sooner the better. Payday Loans San-diego

    ReplyDelete
  9. Auto title credits are most agreeable loaning administration that can help you in any transient need. Nonetheless, you may have heard different gossipy tidbits about this administration. Get the certainties clear for getting the best in need. Payday Loans Chicago

    ReplyDelete