Why and How to Outline Your Book

February 5, 2018 Teresa Clark

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Are you thinking about writing a book? Sometimes getting started can be the hardest part!

There are many ways to write a book. You can wing it by sitting down at your computer and just starting to write. However, you also could essentially plan the entire book before you write it. Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, there are many benefits to outlining and planning your book before you write it.

The Benefits of Outlining – Wondering if outlining is right for you? Here are some ways outlining can help you:

You write faster. If you’re working from an outline, you’ll write your book much faster. In fact, don’t be surprised if you finish your book in just a few weeks or a month.
You’ll have fewer revisions. An outline helps you stay on topic, so you won’t have to spend time on multiple revisions. When you work from your outline as you write your book, you’ll simply have to edit for spelling, clarity, and grammar. You won’t have to rework or reorganize your book because that’s already been done.
It’s easier. An outline will help you make sure that you cover all of the topics you want to cover. And you’ll end up with a well thought out book.

How to Outline – You probably already know the basics for creating an outline. However, when it comes to writing books, there are a few different approaches. One solid approach is to outline based on a chapter topic, the headlines for each chapter, and the subheadings.

Another option is to outline with the same topic, headlines. and subheadings but to format them as questions. For example, if your topic is “Drinking more water,” then your questions would be “What are the benefits of drinking more water?” “How do I drink more water?” “What are the risks of drinking more water?” and so on. As you can see, answering the questions then becomes quick and easy.

Using this question outline method, you can write a chapter a day. You can even dictate your book, hire someone to clean it up, and have a full book in just a few weeks.

Writing a book can take time. In fact, some people take years to write their books. However, the more books you write, the more you sell and the more money you’ll make. It makes sense to make the book writing process as efficient and effective as possible, and outlining your book definitely makes it easier to write your book.